Family brings comfortable Italian back to Arlington Heights with Via Arenella
A second generation of Arlington Heights restaurant royalty has set up shop in an aging strip mall and is serving well-crafted, familiar Italian fare in a family-friendly atmosphere under the name Via Arenella.
Franco Longobardi watched his parents, Mario and Rosa, work in the restaurant business his whole life. He watched them spend long nights on their feet serving others. And toiling in a steamy kitchen for 14 hours a day turning out food for the faithful that followed the couple from Arlington Heights to Palatine and back again. But there was togetherness, too.
Franco and his two brothers spent after-school hours and weekends pitching in in the kitchen, busing tables and learning the business as much by osmosis as by watching and doing.
“I never thought it was something I wanted to do when I was in the kitchen,” said Franco, now 22 and studying hospitality management at DePaul University in Chicago. “But when I saw the front end, it piqued my interest. ... I talked with my brothers and we said, 'Why not give it a shot?'”
So with their parents' blessing (the couple walked away from the family's last restaurant venture in summer 2016), Franco, Mario Jr., 19, and Alfonso “Fonzo,” 25, sought out a spot in Arlington Heights and opened Via Arenella in December. Franco tends to the front of the house while Mario Jr. rules the pizza oven. Fonzo has his father's culinary skills and has taken over his father's command of the kitchen.
Mario and Rosa haven't stepped aside entirely. “We're trying to finish teaching them the trade so we can retire,” Mario said.
While 90 percent of the menu will be familiar to longtime patrons - yes the chicken Marsala and linguine gamberi have not disappeared - the setting will not. The Old World Italian village motif has given way to a sleek, modern setting that bears little resemblance to the space's former life as a neighborhood watering hole. A black brick textured wall anchors the space and provides a bold backdrop to the restaurant's red logo. A bar with seating for 18 provides a comfortable spot for those waiting for a table on a busy weekend or for friends enjoying a beer and a hockey game after work. It's one big open room, so don't expect a quiet dinner or privacy. That said, the building tantrum of an unruly child goes almost unnoticed.
On a recent Saturday night my bestie and I settled in to a table, thankful for our reservation as we watched others being turned away. With a glass of prosecco in hand (the wine list offers glasses for $7 to $11 and bottles, too), I selected the eggplant crostini appetizer to start. I've learned to stay away from bruschetta in the dead of winter when tomato quality can be less than desirable. And I wasn't in the mood for any of the seafood appetizers (grilled baby octopus and sauteed mussels among them), possibly because the odor of fish was heavy when I walked in. Tender chunks of eggplant and smooth fresh mozzarella played nicely with sweet tomato sauce and the garlicky toasts.
Minestrone was a no-brainer on that chilly evening, and the soup hit all the traditional markers with a pleasant blend of herbs and no one veggie or bean trying to hog the spotlight. The Ceasar salad, too, kept to tradition with beautiful curls of Parmesan. I'm putting off trying the asparagus and Gorgonzola salad until the calendar turns to spring.
The signature veal dish, served in a buttery white wine sauce and topped with Fontina cheese, kept catching my eye, as did the tortellini and prosciutto with mushrooms and peas, yet I went with the evening's fish special. I wasn't immediately impressed by the grouper limone as a bone interrupted my first bite. Subsequent fork fulls revealed well-cooked fish in a bright lemony sauce. That pleasant acidicness was a nice foil to the pasta carbonara. The dish was expertly prepared with crisp bits of pancetta, and the eggs created a rich coating for the al dente spaghetti instead of turning it into a scramble. I would have liked more vegetables on the plate and didn't realize until later that grilled vegetables are available as a side dish.
Service sputtered a bit. We chose to eat family-style, yet the waitress forgot her promise of extra plates, prompting my companion to grab a few from the busers station. We also had to flag her down for a fresh beverage to enjoy with our entrees.
We were bummed when told the limoncello cake that we eyed upon entering was sold out, but we quickly got over it when we bit into the moist, flavorful, chocolaty cake and vanilla bean gelato. Other sweet endings include cannoli and tiramisu, of course.
I popped in a few days later for takeout pizzas and was impressed with the Biancaneve. The hand-tossed crust gets brushed with olive oil and smothered with mozzarella cheese. Dollops of ricotta and fresh basil leaves dot the pizza before it hits the oven. The result is a smooth, ultra cheesy combination you're not likely to soon forget. My sons were equally impressed by the more mainstream pepperoni version. I liked that the crust was thin without being cracker crisp. Stuffed, Chicago-style deep dish and New York-style pies also are available, and I happily report that giardineria is available as a topping.
For lunch or a more casual dinner, Italian beef and sausage as well as chicken and eggplant Parmesan sandwiches are on the menu.
So props to the Longobardi boys for continuing their parents' legacy of convivial dining and introducing Via Arenella to new folks in town. Will they surpass their parents' success? Time will tell.
<i>Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.</i>
Via Arenella
1609 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights, (847) 873-0049,
Cuisine: Italian
Setting: Modern ristorante with generous bar seating
Entrees: $12-$29
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday; 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday
Also: Carry out