Campton Hills' Milano Ristorante feeds you like family

Fine dining has made its way west of Randall Road to accompany Kane County's westward sprawl of the last few years with Milano Ristorante, located five miles west of downtown St. Charles.

Restaurant business veterans Joe Milano and his brother opened the restaurant in 2010, figuring the area was underserved with full-service independent restaurants. They brought in many family recipes and aimed to create a neighborhood Italian eatery and bar.

While the warehouse-style high ceilings of this strip-mall location are a bit disconcerting for this concept, peach-colored walls decorated with Italian landscape prints and black-and-white family photos warm the dining room. If you go on a Wednesday night, you'll also be warmed by the melodic voice of a Sinatra-style crooner who occasionally brings his cordless microphone into the dining room from his post at the bar and seems to be singing only to you (if you're female).

An authentic Italian meal should begin with wine, and while Milano's list is rather limited, it contains some excellent vintages, such as a good-quality Antinori Sangiovese, sold by the bottle and the glass, the latter for a reasonable $7.

Bread also is essential to an Italian repast. Our waitress said the bread is made in-house, and it arrived warm and accompanied by a full-bodied extra-virgin olive oil and dish of fresh-grated parmesan. It was definitely fresh but not as crusty as an artisanal Italian bread.

Fortunately for our eyesight, we dined before sunset, because the medieval-styled chandeliers cast insufficient light for some to read the menu.

For a starter, we shared a stuffed artichoke that our server said was made using the owner's grandmother's recipe. The stuffing was basically seasoned bread crumbs, and the lemony juices in the bottom of the dish were delicious sopped up with the sliced bread. This is definitely comfort food, Italian-style.

Other appetizer choices are dominated by seafood, including both fried and grilled calamari, three preparations of shrimp, baked or raw clams, mussels in either white or spicy red sauce and a seafood combo platter. Soft-shell crab is a seasonal special.

We skipped the soup and salads section for an entree and a pasta. Entrees range from “family favorites” such as pot roast or homemade sausage sauteed with onion, garlic, potatoes, sweet red peppers, mushrooms and white wine to steaks, rack of lamb and zuppa di pesce, a combination of clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari in spicy red sauce over linguine for $23.95. Lobster can be added for an additional $8.95.

Dining on a budget, we chose chicken piccata cooked in white wine, olive oil, lemon juice and capers, garnished with dill, and gnocchi with vodka sauce, each priced at $11.95. Entrees come only with a side of pasta in red sauce. We added a house salad for $2.95 but would advise skipping that pedestrian toss of iceberg and romaine lettuces with a sprinkle of veggies and a too-light vinaigrette.

Our entrees arrived while we were still eating our appetizer. The waitress apologized and took them back to the kitchen. Improper pacing of courses has been a frequent problem, she said.

The chicken piccata was just the way I like it — tart and lemony. Veal piccata, prepared the same way, also is on the menu for $15.95. The red sauce on the pasta side tasted of fresh tomatoes but little else; I would have preferred some seasonings.

The gnocchi in traditional vodka sauce — a rich blend of cream, tomato sauce and vodka — came in a huge portion, providing plenty to take home for another meal. This dish was very hearty and filling, best eaten in small portions.

Saving a little room for dessert, we shared a slice of chocolate cake, which arrived beautifully presented on a large rectangular plate striped with thin ribbons of chocolate. It was a pleasant ending to our homey meal and one that grandmothers of all nationalities often baked for their extended families.

Service was mixed, although our waitress won points for friendliness and food recommendations. She did forget to mention the night's pasta special — lasagna, which we wouldn't have ordered anyway — so we forgave her. We had to ask the prices of the other specials she verbally recited.

A busboy lost points for calling us “you guys,” which is an all-too-common phrase used by Generation Y to refer to people of all ages and genders. It always grates on my nerves.

Milano touts its banquet capabilities, although it has no separate banquet room. Private parties often are held earlier in the day before the restaurant opens to the public. A small patio is open when weather permits.

Ÿ Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not review restaurants it cannot recommend.

Milano Ristorante Italiano

40W188 Campton Crossings Drive, Campton Hills, (630) 443-9300, <a href="http://www.milanoitaliano.com" target="_blank">milanoitaliano.com</a>

<b>Cuisine: </b>Contemporary and classic Italian

<b>Setting: </b>Peach-colored walls decorated with Italian landscape prints and black-and-white family photos warm the dining room strip-mall location

<b>Entrees: </b>$11.95-$25.95

<b>Hours: </b>5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday, closed Monday