My mother-in-law, Mimi, was visiting us for the holidays, and she had a taste for an Italian meal prepared the Italian way. She was born and raised in Italy, travels to visit yearly, and knows her Italian dishes. So Roland and I took her to CafĂ© Roma, a true âhidden gemâ at the end of Point Boulevard in Elgin, behind and to the right of Country Inn Suites.
The restaurant is very eclectic and does not have the usual Frank Sinatra music playing in the background. In fact, it is quite informal at lunchtime, catering to the many workers in the tall office buildings surrounding Café Roma. The lunch crowd is the bulk of their business, and the regular lunch menu is nothing compared to the great and imaginative lunch specials, including the soups, which are posted on an ever-changing board as you enter the restaurant. Their soups are so good they offer a soup schedule, which you can download on their website (tastecaferoma.com) so that you will be sure of getting your favorite.
They became so well known in their area that many lunch customers asked if they could stay open for cocktails and dinner, and that is what Frank Redisi, executive chef and owner, did. They are open Thursday and Friday evenings until nine for dinner with an elegant settingâwhite tablecloths, black cloth napkins, and candles on the tables and booths. They feature a well-stocked bar for appetizers and drinks.
We arrived early for dinner one Friday night and took our time reading the menu, which offers daily soups, beautiful salads, pastas, chicken, fish, sandwiches, and, of course, pizzas, which were being picked up by hungry diners and taken home to enjoy.
We started out with the house Chianti which hit the spot. Roland ordered the French onion soup (in an Italian restaurant?) and was disappointed because there was no melted cheese on top. Mimi and I ordered the house salad complete with the house dressing. It was picture perfect, very fresh and colorful. We like to eat bread with our soup or salad, but none is usually offered until the main course arrives, so we asked for bread, and it arrived warm and crusty.
Roland ordered chicken parmesan served with a side of pasta and ate all three pieces of chicken. Mimi had roasted vegetables over al dente pasta with a garlic and olive oil sauce. She complemented the chef on the entire dish and said if she closed her eyes and ate, she would have thought she was back in Italy. Because I have had many of the pasta dishes in the past, I ordered an Italian beef sandwich, served with a side of pasta (or French fries or garlic mashed potatoes), and it came with soup or salad. It was not your âChicago-styleâ Italian beef sandwich, but tender, thin sliced beef in a light âgravyâ layered on a crisp piece of Italian bread soaked just enough!
Their pizzas look phenomenal, and there are 22 choices for toppings along with three separate sizes which are cooked in a 700-degree stone oven for your dine-in or take-out pleasure. The dessert menu is tempting. We will go back next time and have a light dinner so that we can enjoy them with our espresso.
If you are looking for an authentic Italian meal that is prepared with extra care, from choice ingredients in dishes and sauces, stop in on a Thursday or Friday evening and settle into your booth or table and enjoy. Or go for lunch! A little place close by, CafĂ© Roma will become your choice to go to enjoy authentic, freshly prepared Italian food. The quality of the food warrants the few dollars more you may pay. We donât think you will be disappointed.
