Ciao Isabella Italian Dining Bensenville, IL

We drove through Bensenville (IL) on the southwest corner of Chicago O’hare Airport last summer and happened upon Ciao Isabella Cucina Italiano Restaurant. We made a point to dine there and had a spontaneous occasion to do so this week after attending grand-daughter Lucy’s HS sporting event in the area. 

Ciao Isabello is in a new freestanding modern building with convenient on-site parking, a modern dining room with white table cloth tables and fashionable chandeliers opposite the bar, an outdoor patio for alfresco dining, and high-top tables in the street-side courtyard out front for casual sipping and dining.  

Ciao Isabella Italian Dining Bensenville, IL 

The restaurant is in the heart of the picturesque charming downtown Bensenville, immediately opposite the Metra Communter Rail Station and Parking lot, and adjacent City Park. What fun to enjoy the quaint cozy neighborhood trattoria, and on a night they happened to have ‘Music in the Park’, a community concert, car show and food vendor event. 

Tonight, there was a car show, vendor stalls, and a concert in the park bandstand - part of the summer Municipal sponsored Music in the Park Series.  The park was filling when we arrived and by the time we finished dining, it was full as the music program started. Amazingly, the front street side seating and patio courtyard dining were only partially filled with the music concert going on just across the street. The front window main dining tables were all filled with their front row views of the activities, but unlikely able to hear the live music. 

It will be fun to dine on the patio again during a Music on the Park outing - upcoming are Country Music night followed by Yacht Rock! 

Tonight’s show featured “Simply Elton”, a Tribute to Elton John Band. 

For our impromptu dinner, we ordered from the menu two staple signature pasta dishes, benchmark selections to compare with other restaurants - Fetuccini Alfredo and Eggplant Parmagiana. Both were delicious with ample portions, thoughtfully prepared and presented. 

I ordered the Fettuccini Alfredo - Fettuccini Pasta with Chicken, Peas, Spinach and Alfredo Sauce

Linda had the Eggplant Parmigiana - Baked Eggplant, Spaghetti Vodka Sauce

We each ordered from the limited but basically sufficient carefully selected Italian based wine list a WBTG - Wine By The Glass for an appropriate pairing accompaniment. 

With the Fettuccini - Poggio Morino, Tuscany DOC Chianti 2022

Poggio Morino is the name for a hill, or knoll, and the place where Chianti wine was born. The 90 acre estate is located near the medieval town of Grosetto in the Maremma area of Tuscany in the Chianti DOCG zone. They are known for producing rich, ripe velvety wines that reflect the terroir of their select vineyards.

Winemaker’s Notes - This 100% Sangiovese is dry with hints of raspberries, cherries and violets. Ruby-red in color, well-balanced acidity and tannins.

This provides great QPR - Quality Price Ratio for affordable, pleasant casual sipping with dinner.

Bright Ruby colored, medium bodied, raspberry and cherry fruits with notes of leather and tar with crisp acidity on a moderate tannin finish.  

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5494487

With the Eggplant Parmagiana Linda had the Super Tuscan - Greppicante, Super Tuscan

Azienda I Greppi Bolgheri Greppicante 2023 

This is from I Greppi Estate in Bolgheri, the small but extraordinary wine region, situated on the Tuscan coast, 100 km southwest of Florence, 70 km south of Pisa. The estate spans the central and northern sections of the DOC area between the historic hilltop villages of Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci.

I Greppi was founded in Bolgheri in 2001 by Alessandro Landini who already had a winery in Chianti Classico called Fattoria Viticcio. 

In 2017, the estate was acquired by Dr. Neil McMahon, an Irish geologist, geophysicist, and entrepreneur, who was looking for land in Bolgheri to set up a winery. Joining McMahon was Dale Heathley, a Welshman who works as Director of the company.

The vineyards cover 37 hectares, with 26 planted under vine. The distinctive Bolgheri terroir consists primarily of sandy soils, offering excellent drainage, and clay-rich soils that contribute to greater complexity and balance in the wines.

Just 5 km from the sea, the vineyards are framed by the Colline Metallifere to the east and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, the landscape forming a natural amphitheater that captures the coastal Mediterranean climate providing ideal conditions for cultivating international varieties that are cultivated to produce the renowned “Super-Tuscan” style of red wines. 

The I Greppi winemaker is Elisa Rosetti who joined in March 2023 after 17 years as the Assistant Winemaker at Tenuta di Biserno. Prior, she studied viticulture and enology at the University of Pisa. She is aided by consulting Winemaker Emiliano Falsini.

I Greppi are involved in a partnership with the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis, helping to facilitate research projects between the Bolgheri Consortium and UC Davis

.

This I Greppi Greppicante label is a Tuscan Blend of traditional Bordeaux varietals - 60% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 13% Petit Verdot, and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the estate's diverse soils near the Tuscan coast that reflect the region's exceptional terroir. It was aged for 12 months in 2 and 3 year old French oak barrels followed by 6 months in bottles. 

Winemaker’s Note - “This elegant red offers inviting aromas of blackcurrant, plum, and subtle cedar notes. The palate is smooth and well-structured with refined tannins, revealing flavors of dark fruit, spice, and a hint of Mediterranean herbs.”

This was rated 94 Points by Raffaele Vecchione, International Wine Cellars and 92 points by James Suckling.

Garnet colored, medium to full bodied, round, blackberry and black currant fruits with notes of floral, rosemary and dark spices juniper berries with moderate soft tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5296120

https://www.igreppi.com/en/home.html

https://www.ciaoisabellarestaurant.com/

Elle’s Italian Dining in Western Springs, IL

Elle’s Italian Dining in Western Springs, IL

As summer winds down, we had an impromptu lunch at Elle’s Italian Pub Restaurant in Western Springs, IL with daughter Erin who walked there with Linda from her home in the neighborhood. Elle’s is situated downtown in the heart of chic tony Western Springs, adjacent the Post Office, just off Burlington Street and the Metra Rail Station. 

Elle’s is in the former Vie Restaurant with a completely renovated  and reconfigured bar and dining room, and sidewalk outdoor seating for alfresco dining, which we took advantage of on a perfect late summer afternoon. 

Elle’s specializes in made from scratch Roman Pizzas with hand crafted dough, and a broad selection of Italian Specialties. They offer a daily lunch menu and an all-day main menu, from which the girls ordered the Arancini alla Vodka - crispy risoto, roasted garlic, herbs, house mozzarella and Parmigiana Reggiano, and the Salmon Quinoa Salad - leafy greens, basil, mint, mango, avocado, tomatos, cucumber, organic quinoa and lemon basil vinagrette. 

Linda and I shared the Heirloom Beets and Ricotta Cheese salad - organic beets, whipped ricotta, pistachios, EVOO, Arugula, Parmigiano Reggiano and Balsamic Vinagrette.    

I ordered the Beef Short Ribs and Polenta with spinach, garlic, mushrooms, tomato Demi and Parmiagana Reggiano. 

Everything was delicious, thoughtfully prepared and presented with fresh bread and honey comb. 

Taking advantage of 1/2 price bottle Wednesday, we ordered a bottle from the carefully selected, primarily Italian Wine List.

Bacci Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico DOCG 2022

Castello di Bossi dates back to the 9th century in a historic ancient Bossi Castle, located in the town of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southernmost appellation of Chianti Classico, in the province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany. It is located about 30 miles southeast of Florence and about 9 miles east of Siena. 

Castello di Bossi is owned and managed by Marco Bacci who oversees all operations, from beginning to end, with careful attention to detail. With his brother Maurizio, Marco owns one of the best collections of estates in Tuscany, and is creating high-quality wines from some of the top Tuscan appellations. 

In addition to Castello di Bossi, they also own and manage these Tuscan estates: Castello di Bossi, Tenuta di Renieri and Barbaione in Chianti Classico, Renieri Brunello di Montalcino and Terre di Talamo on the Tuscan coast in the Morellino di Scansano denomination, the Maremma. 

Bacci Wines represents Tuscan excellence in the world of wine, with a focus on the most renowned DOCG, DOC and IGT designated wines of the region: Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Morellino di Scansano. 

Bacci produce a diverse range of wines with over twenty labels of reds, a half dozen whites, a couple rosés and sweet wine passitos. Total production is 800,000 bottles annually. 

With the purchase of Renieri in Montalcino, Marco became recognized as the producer of the third best wine in the world with Renieri Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2010. After three years, his 2015 Brunello di Montalcino was recognized as the second wine in the world. 

Beyond Tuscany, Bacci also produces wines in Sicily at their Terre Darrigo estate located on the slopes of the Etna volcano in the denomination that bears the same name. Marco Bacci's latest project is in Sardinia in Barbagia in the Municipality of Mamojada.

Marco Bacci was born in Florence in 1959, into a family that has always been linked to Tuscany. During his first successful career in clothing, he developed a passion for wine and purchased Castello di Bossi in 1984. Over time, his wine interests evolved from an important hobby to his primary business ans he made Castello di Bossi his home in 1998. The first bottle of Corbaia from Castello di Bossi was released with the 1985 vintage. 

Following in his father's footsteps, Marco's son Jacopo joined the company in 2004, first on the production side, then active in sales in the US and Asian markets.

The wine consultant is Alberto Antonini and Federico Curtaz is the agronomist. 

Castillo di Bossi is labeled Chianti Classico. One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716. 

In the 1930s the Italian government appended this historic zone with additional land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. In 1996, Chianti Classico became autonomous when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti. 

Chianti Classicos designated wines are typically made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. 

Marco Bacci’s vision as he has brought Castello di Bossi to the highest ranks of international wine. The Castello di Bossi estate and vineyards are located in the town of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southernmost appellation of Chianti Classico. Amid evergreen woods the long rows of vines cover an area of 370 acres. 

The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.

This Chianti Classico is made from 100% Sangiovese, remaining true to the terroir of Chianti it is grown in soils with high chalk content, this wine shows just how good this varietal can taste. Designated a DOCG wine, it represents great QPR - Quality Price Ratio at a retail price of about $30.  

This release was rated 93 points by James Suckling.

Winemaker Notes - “Deep, ruby-red in color, this Chianti Classico offers aromas of ripe cherries and red plums, with subtle notes of toasted vanilla beans and purple flowers. On the palate, the wine displays a superbly structured character with bright acidity and a pleasantly savory finish.”

Bright ruby colored, medium bodied, full round bright cherry and plum fruits with notes of cedar, truffles and chalky mineral with a pleasant flavorful finish. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5272357

https://www.bacciwines.it/

https://www.ellasitalianpub.com/