Endearing Riccardo's stands out from the crowd with soulful cooking
An experience can be made all the sweeter when there's a story to tell. That's more or less the case with Riccardo's Ristorante, an Italian restaurant in a sea of Italian restaurants. Located in a strip mall on Wise Road in Schaumburg, there's nothing about it that leaps out at first. Dig a little deeper, and the spot might start to grow on you.
The restaurant, which is currently owned by husband-wife team Waldo and Katy Garcia, has been around for what seems like forever. It's where the owners worked, and met, almost two decades ago. Five years ago, they bought it, and Waldo is now the chef.
Intimate and cheery, the window-lined dining room has muraled ceilings and is adorned with a fair share of oddities, including a model ship tangled with Christmas lights.
Settling into our comfy booth on a chilly afternoon, we scanned the menu, thinking it looked like a menu we've seen many times before. While that might be true, we were about to learn what a difference soulful cooking can make.
Tender, fried calamari - accented by a spurt of lemon and cocktail sauce - was a fine way to kick things off. Acidic, fresh tomato and cheese-laced bruschetta made us long for summer.
Familiar finds continue with appetizers such as fried mushrooms, antipasto and garlicky baked clams, but there are subtle surprises as well: shrimp sautéed in garlic-white wine sauce, homemade cheese sticks and fried spinach and cheese medallions with marinara sauce.
Minestrone and pasta e fagioli soups are always available, but we choose a cup of the simple, comforting chicken tortellini instead. A handful of salads range from a grilled chicken salad with mushrooms, tomatoes and onions to a Greek salad with feta, black olives, onions, green pepper and pepperoncini.
We wanted to sample what the menu had to offer, so next we went with the pasta trilogy, a heaping platter of ricotta-piled lasagna, cheese-cloaked eggplant Parmesan and ravioli (one meat, one cheese) all generously lacquered with sprightly marinara. Not a bad way to go.
Pasta possibilities are endless, though, so prepare to ponder tortellini in garlic cream sauce with prosciutto and peas; manicotti; chicken pesto atop linguine; and chicken and broccoli in garlic-olive oil sauce.
You'd be remiss, however, if you ignored the chewy, crispy deep-dish pizza. We've had a lot of pies in our day, so it takes a lot for one to stand out. The 12-inch gourmet, we're glad to say, truly shone. The heap-'o-cheese stuffed pie skips the sauce in lieu of a few tomato slices that get baked on top. It sounds simple - even plain - but nothing could be further from the truth.
Entrees including linguine with clam sauce, veal limone and chicken Vesuvio round out the menu, which also features a design-your-own pasta creation. Sandwiches stay within standby territory, so expect an Italian sub and meatball, Italian beef and Italian sausage sandwiches.
Desserts will no doubt tempt you from the display case when you enter. Know that the airy, house-made tiramisu is solid, as is the now-trendy (but retro-feeling) wedge of red velvet cake.
Our server was friendly, informative and quick to make suggestions we could tell came from a place of enthusiasm and first-hand experience. That's the thing about a restaurant like this - it holds a place in your heart.
• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Riccardo's Ristorante</p> <p class="News">1170 S. Roselle Road. Schaumburg; (847) 891-7777</p> <p class="News"><b>Cuisine:</b> Italian</p> <p class="News"><b>Setting:</b> Unassuming, family-friendly spot</p> <p class="News"><b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday; noon to 10 p.m. Sunday</p> <p class="News"><b>Price range:</b> Appetizers $4.99 to $11.99; soups and salads $1.50 to $9.99; sandwiches $5.99 to $6.99; entrees $10.99 to $17.99; pizzas $7.99 to $24.24; desserts $2.99 to $4.99</p> <p class="News"><b>Accepts:</b> Major credit cards </p>