Italian comfort food the main course at BaPi

Looking for a neighborhood Italian restaurant? Look no further than BaPi Italian Ristorante in Arlington Heights, where even if you aren't local and a friend of one of the owners, Cristiano Bassani and Alberto Piazzini, as most diners inevitably are, you can comfortably feel like one by the time you leave.

The scene

A strip-mall facade with several tables lining the outside and colorful pots of flowers hanging from above create a makeshift patio, and if, like us, you happen to stroll in on a regular Thursday night, you might see Bassani sitting with patrons outside. As any self-respecting Italian restaurant will have, so does BaPi display pictures of famous patrons in the entryway. Most of them include Bassani and Piazzini (the first two letters of whose last names comprise the name of the restaurant). The medium-sized yet still intimate dining salon has white stucco walls with white tablecloths and nicely contrasting deep blue glasses for water.

The food

As warm bread arrives, the ritual begins: olive oil is poured onto a plate, followed by fresh parmesan and a pinch of black pepper, while eyes scan the wine list. The latter is surprisingly impressive, with mid-priced California and Italian wines, with only a couple venturing past the three-digit mark, and most residing in the decent vicinity quality-wise. We settled on a by-the-glass special - a sweet California merlot that was very good.

The fresh buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes, mixed greens and basil pesto, an appetizer listed in the specials, presented a slight variation on a traditional caprese. Not much imagination had been invested in the presentation, as four thick slices of tomato were covered by mixed greens, drizzled with pesto and a single slice of mozzarella as the centerpiece. However, it must be said that the cheese was incredibly fresh and it tingled the tongue with its insane softness.

Tagliolini con Gamberi e Funghi was a homemade tagliolini pasta with shrimp and mushrooms in a garlic white wine sauce. This is a perfect dish for those who love mushrooms, and fresh shrimp, of course. Contrary to expectations, the sauce wasn't white, but this didn't matter, as it was creamy and of delicious consistency.

We had heard that the restaurant is well-known for its seafood risotto, the Risotto Ai Frutti Di Mare, and although it wasn't on the regular menu, or part of the specials that evening, the kitchen was happy to oblige us. The large plate featured a rusty-colored risotto made so by tomatoes, a creamy sauce and several green spices, as well as a frutti di mare crown of mussels, clams, shrimp and calamari.

After such a heavy meal, the only feasible dessert option was the lemon sorbet. Sharing four slightly melted yet flavorful scoops between two people was a great way to go and it safely avoided food overkill.

The experience

The experience was a pretty quiet affair, in what seems a mostly locals and family-style restaurant.

The service was punctual, but it seemed the real warmth of first-name familiarity was reserved for the more-frequent patrons - of which a rather large group of male visitors made an appearance right as we were leaving, dressed almost identically in Bermuda shorts and Italian accents, throwing jokes back and forth with the chef, and toasting to a good life.

BaPi Italian Ristorante

1510 Hintz Road, Arlington Heights; (847) 253-2333; bapiusa.com

Cuisine: Traditional Northern Italian

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Setting: Quaint Italian atmosphere with a nice patio

Price range: Antipasti and insalate $9.50 to $14.50; entrees $12.50 to $29.50; dessert $5 to $6