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.
Kudos to the Giangrande family for coming up with one of the most creative names for an Italian restaurant. We are referring to the da Baffone Cucina Italiana in Crystal Lake. This translates to “The Big Mustache” Italian Kitchen. After some serious schmoozing of our waiter, we discovered that in 1956 this location was a barber shop, hence the name.
da Baffone Cucina Italiana
111 N. Main Street
Crystal Lake 60014
(815)893-6149
www.dabaffonecucinaitaliana.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 North to Route 176 East to Main Street South to restaurant
Travel Time: 23 minutes
Wonder of wonders, the bar was on the left and the dining room was on the right. This is a first for the Dining Duo. There are only 16 tables in this quaint, cozy, establishment, so reservations for weekend seatings are a must!
The menu had a category that we’ve never seen before called “Tu Il Tavolo” (for the table). This section contained items such as marinated olives and roasted red peppers. Nancy homed in on one item, the Aglio Cotto, which is two roasted heads of garlic ($5). The aroma arrived at our table long before the dish did. Nancy popped one clove into her mouth, and suddenly started doing her imitation of Meg Ryan from the restaurant scene in the movie “When Harry Met Sally.” The kitchen had a hard time keeping up with the orders since all the women said, “I’ll have what she’s having.”
Now for our appetizer of Bruschetta Tradizionale ($7.95). This was four large crostinis covered with diced tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil. Risking the loss of my right arm, I grabbed four cloves of the roasted garlic for my bruschetta while Nancy devoured the rest of the two heads. It was not pretty…
Tonight Jim ordered off of the “Special” menu. He went with the Veal Braciollini ($24.95) which was rolled veal cutlets layered with prosciutto, mozzarella, roasted peppers and asparagus, all baked in a tomato cream sauce served over capellini. All entrees come with either soup or salad, and he went with the pasta fagioli, which he said was fantastic. I won’t eat veal, but I wanted to taste the tomato cream sauce and it was out of this world!!!
Nancy ordered something tonight that I had not seen her order in 40 years: a simple Spaghetti and (2) Meatballs with meat sauce ($16.95). She was amazed at how delicious a classic Italian meal can be. The meatballs were seasoned to perfection. Nancy won this evening with her dinner. She chose to have the Caesar salad ($2.95 up charge). However, after seeing the house salad being served around her, that would have been the better choice.
To truly judge an Italian restaurant, we had to try our favorite dessert, which is Tiramisu ($6.95). It was absolutely delicious and more than enough for two people, even Jim. To our surprise, the waiter offered each of us a free shot of Limoncello, which Nancy jumped at after tasting it on her trip to Positano, Italy. Maybe this will counteract the garlic emanating from her every pore.
This restaurant is a keeper in our book. You can tell how much pride the Giangrande family has in their restaurant since all their meals are served fresh and piping hot. The service is phenomenal and we were never wanting for anything.
The cost for our very “aromatic” dinner was $76.07, grazie.
FYI: Not handicap accessible and the tables are very close together. Typical tricky downtown parking.
Jim’s take: Winner, winner, Italian dinner. This place is now high on our list of favorites. I may never be able to get close to Nancy again!
Nancy’s take: Garlic, garlic, garlic!!! Two heads of roasted garlic: $5. Keeping Jim away: PRICELESS!!!
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com
