Merlo on Maple
www.merlochicago.com
16 West Maple, Chicago
312.335.8200
ITLC’s Overall Rating: A
Cuisine: A Ambiance: A Service: A
Hailing from Bologna only in recent years, husband-and-wife team Giampaolo and Silvia Sassi have opened their second venue in Chicago. Tucked away on Maple, between State and Rush, the brownstone inhabited by Merlo on Maple is as charming, inside and out, as is the authentic Bolognese cuisine that Silvia produces in the kitchen. Rest assured, this is not an Italian-American restaurant; this is as close as you come to the real thing on this side of the Atlantic.
At Merlo on Maple there is no over-cooked pasta drowning in over-simmered and carelessly seasoned tomato sauce. No pizzas. No tiramisu. Here, food is produced from a kitchen dedicated to authenticity from the gastronomic capitals of Italy (Bologna and Emilia Romagna), using only authentic, imported products and the freshest available domestic produce.
Upon entering, guests are greeted by lush oak floors and staircase, a comfortable bar, and a hallway that leads to two small dining rooms with only a few tables and booths in each. Or guests may be escorted up the charming, vintage oak staircase to the second floor of small dining rooms. Narrow-board oak flooring and paneled wainscoting suggest the Old World elegance of food to come. Prints of Italian landmarks adorn the wall.
Appetizer and soup offerings ($7-15) are plentiful, and all sound irresistible. The bresaolo (air-dried beef, shaved paper-thin) with arugula, parmigiano-reggiano and EVOO was perfetto. The baby buffala mozzarella wrapped with smoked salmon prompted my second proposal of marriage to Silvia, after tasting her focaccia, which was the lightest and most ethereal we’ve ever had. The shaved fresh artichoke salad would have benefited from a touch more of the wonderful EVOO. Several items, including a passatelli soup, are cooked in hen stock, and beg tasting next trip.
Pastas ($13-22) are all house-made and achieve an al dente texture not common for fresh pastas. The evenings special was linguine with fresh morels, butter and a little sweet wine. After the first bite, I was resentful of having chosen to split this dish with my partner. Taglioline paglia e fieno, hand-made green and yellow pasta with a veal and Prosciutto de Parma ragu, hard-boiled quail eggs and truffle oil. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to return and order nothing but pastas from the menu!
Carni (meats, $24-29) and pesci (fish, $19-29) were so alluring as to make choosing a difficult task. For our fish course, we settled, happily, on the black pepper-crusted ahi tuna served over a bed of baby arugula and well-aged balsamic vinegar. It ranked in the highest echelon for tuna preparations. The evening’s special meat course was tenderloin of beef stuffed with cheese and Prosciutto, then roasted to a succulent rare doneness, and accompanied simply with arugula, fine olive oil and a light mist of lemon juice.
Desserts ($7-8.50), The panna cotta with a light caramel sauce was unequaled in elegant taste, even if a little stiffer than some might prefer. The torta al cioccolato (chocolate cake with whipped cream) was moist without being soupy, and the accompanying chocolate was chopped just so, allowing the pleasure of actually biting into rich, crunchy dark chocolate.
Dinner 5:30 p.m. 7 days
Business Lunch Noon-3:00, M-Th, Reservations Only
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