Villa Park's La Tosca embraces old-fashioned authenticity
La Tosca, a pleasant, upscale eatery from the Gazzano family, showcases generations-old recipes for familiar Italian favorites, serving them in an approachable neighborhood setting in Villa Park.
The intimate space exudes charm with a granite and wood bar and sconce-laden dining room with warm wood chairs and distressed walls.
We began our meal with earthy, grilled polenta topped with hearty mushroom sauce and shavings of nutty Parmesan. Another starter, eggplant rollatini, comes filled with ricotta and cloaked in bright marinara. Other classic starters that may sway you include traditional tomato, basil and garlic-flecked bruschetta, caprese salad and mussels steamed in white wine.
There's minestrone - a pleasingly rich brew - worth seeking out, too. (All entrees come with soup or salad.)
Next, we could not pass by the pizza - the possibilities were too plentiful. From goat cheese to capicola, capers to roasted zucchini, tempting toppings abound. We settled on an Alfredo-sauced, thin-crust number topped with artichokes, peppery arugula and garlic; it didn't disappoint. The crust was crunchy and the flavor full-on. Don't forget to ask for it hand-tossed; pan, stuffed and panzerotti versions are available as well.
No shortage of pastas and rice dishes are on offer. We opted for the delicate, meat- and spinach-filled cannelloni alla Romana, finished with bold tomato sauce. There's also lasagna Bolognese, pappardelle in an Italian sausage and mushroom-studded saffron cream sauce and porcini risotto. You can get straight-up spaghetti or penne with arrabiata, garlic and oil, marinara or Bolognese sauces, too.
The selection of seafood ranges from oven-roasted tilapia in lemon-caper white wine sauce to cod with caper and black olive-accented tomato sauce as well as shrimp in spicy tomato sauce on a bed of linguine.
There's veal saltimbocca stuffed with sage, prosciutto and mozzarella, chicken Parmesan and a 12-ounce pork chop teamed with peppers, mushrooms and oven-roasted potatoes in a garlicky sauce.
The commitment to authenticity is clear to the last bite. Even the plush, creamy tiramisu and rich cannoli - its airy, caloric contents spilling forth from house-made shells - are fashioned on-site.
The user-friendly wine list leans Italian, with choices from the Piedmont region to Tuscany and Trentino. Easing the pain of selecting a bottle, many are in the $20 range, and roughly half of the options are poured by the glass. Meanwhile, simple descriptors - like "fragrant" and "pair with grilled seafood" - demystify the process.
Service is sincere, welcoming and approachable, echoing the experience of eating the rustic, traditional dishes. At La Tosca, it's all about serving time-honored, well-wrought preparations. To that end, La Tosca succeeds.
La Tosca Ristorante & PizzeriaInfo: 123 E. St. Charles Road, Villa Park, (630) 832-5300, www.ristorantelatosca.comCuisine: Southern ItalianSetting: An intimate and upscale - but still family-friendly - trattoria Entrees: $11.95 to $22.95Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday, 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday and 2 to 10 p.m. SundayFalse20001328Grilled polenta comes topped with mushroom sauce at La Tosca Ristorante & Pizzeria.Scott Sanders | Staff PhotographerFalse