Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
Welcome to the home of Giacomo and Anna Maria Zito. Along with their daughter Amanda, they have owned this house in Des Plaines since 1998 and have transformed it into Giacomo’s Ristorante Italiano. Their “family” will do whatever they can to make your visit with them enjoyable, because when you’re here, you’re “family.” To their credit, they have been reviewed twice on the TV show “Check Please.”
When you enter, you are usually greeted and seated by Anna Maria herself. The intimate dining room has an old world yet modern feel to it. You are seated in close proximity to other tables, but this is what makes this restaurant feel like home. People either smile or give you the “old stink eye” when they catch you drooling over their entrees. Rest assured, however, you will catch them doing the same to your selection.
Giacomo’s Ristorante Italiano
740 N. Wolf Road
Des Plaines 60016
(847) 390-7330
Directions: Take 90 East to Arlington Heights Road North to Central Road East to Wolf Road and North to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 45 minutes
Our waiter brought over a basket of crunchy on the outside, yet soft and moist on the inside, Italian bread. This was served with a blend of grated cheese and spices along with olive oil for dipping. We really should learn to pace ourselves since we have a habit of overdoing the bread. This oil and cheese dipping mixture is positively addicting!
Jim and I started off our Italian feast by having their Antipasto Italiano for $9.95 (serves 2). This consisted of salami, prosciutto, cappicola, fresh mozzarella cheese, olives, provolone, and tomatoes topped with their Sicilian dressing. Sometimes the best things are the simplest, like this one. Antipasto platters are becoming a thing of the past, even though they are easy to make and oh so delicious!
Tonight Nancy had the Lobster Ravioli with Shrimp ($22.95), which was lobster filled ravioli topped with sautéed shrimp in a rich creamy vodka sauce. Nancy asked the waiter if Giacomo could make her vodka sauce with extra garlic. The waiter said it would be no problem at all, and judging from the smell wafting from the kitchen, Giacomo loves garlic, too. She was in heaven.
Jim went with the Braciole ($23.95), which was very authentic. He was served rolled flank steak stuffed with Italian seasonings, salami, prosciutto, cappicola, and mozzarella cheese and topped with a rich red wine tomato sauce with green and red peppers. He said it’s the best he’s ever had.
All our dinners came with either soup or salad. Of course, Nancy had a salad with creamy garlic dressing, which was right up her alley. I tried something new, the Paisano Soup. This was a chicken soup with Italian sausage, rice, and veggies. It’s a Giacomo’s original that sounds weird but was delicious.
For dessert, we each had to have our own Tortufo ($5). This is a frozen ball of chocolate mousse with hazelnuts, a cherry inside, and rolled in cocoa and topped with mounds of whipped cream. Who can say no to a light dessert like this? It’s just a little ball of ice cream….
This is one of our favorite Italian restaurants, great food and it’s named after Jim (Giacomo is James in Italian). When we have a taste for a good Italian meal with “family,” we always head out to Giacomo’s. We’ve been going there for 14 years now, and we have never been disappointed.
Our Italian feast came to $79.60, grazie! We took home half our food to make sure we had room for our Tortufos for dessert. See we’re not that disgusting; we showed some restraint.
FYI: Handicap accessible, and they have a banquet room for any occasion. Reservations are a must for Saturday night.
Jim’s take: The Braciole was excellent, the flank steak was pounded very thin, and the Italian cold cuts made it exceptional. The Tortufo, being frozen solid, was a little difficult to eat but well worth the effort.
Nancy’s take: I just love it here, from the Antipasto Italiano all the way to the Tortufo. It’s a restaurant you must try if you love authentic Italian food. I want to go back for the Braciole. I tried it and I liked it!
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