Enjoy upscale fare with Italian flair at Tina G's
Anybody visiting downtown Mundelein should consider a stop at Tina G's Cafe, an upscale diner serving up American food with an Italian flair. The menu changes based on the meal (the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner). Diners can order from a selection of pastas, sandwiches, steak, pork and chicken dishes, and there's also a hearty selection of salads and stuffed tomatoes.
The breakfast menu offers omelets and pancakes, plus other specialties like corned beef hash and steak and eggs. There's a full bar separated from the dining room with lots of exposed brick, while the main dining area, which seats about 50, is Italian countryside styled with historical photos of Mundelein hanging on the walls.
Our waiter was friendly and encouraged us to stay as long as we wanted. We never felt rushed and the owner, local resident Tina Gilardi, was working the host stand when we arrived. She equally made us feel welcome.
As an appetizer, I tried the soup of the day, cream of broccoli. It was good - nice and thick, warm and comforting - but otherwise pretty standard. Our lunches were the pasta spruzza (smoked salmon sautéed in a goat cheese cream sauce with basil and scallions, served over bow tie pasta) and the chicken and asparagus panini (grilled chicken topped with asparagus, provolone cheese, sun-dried tomato mayo and pesto, served on grilled panini bread).
The pasta spruzza was lovely, with a creamy robust sauce. I could definitely taste the goat cheese, and it mixed well with the smokiness from the salmon. There was a decent amount of fish, too, which was nice. I took my leftovers home, but they didn't heat up well in the microwave. If you can't finish (likely, based on the big portion size), try heating it up on the stove instead.
The chicken and asparagus panini was a standout. The chicken was thick and juicy, cooked perfectly. No less than six asparagus stalks crossed the sandwich - none of which were stringy or tough - and the whole thing had a slight lemony tang to it. The bread wasn't too tough and didn't cut the inside of my mouth like panini bread has a tendency to do. We would definitely order this again.
One word to the wise: Don't get the fries. They were terrible - like reheated old frozen ones. Even the waiter acknowledged it, telling the next table over that the fries deserve better based on the quality of the food. My husband and I completely agreed. We didn't get the sweet potato fries, but give those a try instead.
For dessert, we ordered the peanut butter mousse pie. I loved it. The peanut butter tasted just like Reese's to me - my favorite. It was creamy and rich, had chocolate shavings on top, and came on a cookie crust that rounded out the delicious dish. We also liked that you could get more than regular coffee or tea after your meal: Tina G's offers both espresso and cappuccinos.
We'll be back to Tina G's - though we may wait until the construction on the corner is completed so traffic won't be an issue.
Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.
Tina G's
10 Park St., Mundelein, (847) 566-TINA (8462),
Cuisine: Italian American; breakfast, lunch and dinner
Setting: Casual
Entrees: $10-$28
Hours: Breakfast: 7 to 11 a.m., lunch: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; Breakfast: 7 to 11 a.m., lunch: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Bar hours: Until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; until midnight Friday and Saturday.