Via Due
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After buying the empty lot next to his west Lincoln Park trattoria Via Carducci several years back, Giovanni Scalzo has opened a second, less formal restaurant there. The new place, a cozy enoteca called VIA DUE, is a big room with 30-foot vaulted ceilings, a handsome bar, dim lighting, and white tablecloths. Chef Joseph Cosenza tampers lightly and inventively with tradition, using baby octopus and caramelized sweet onions in the grilled calamari and serving pizzettes (minipizzas) topped with combinations like Swiss chard, pancetta, and buffalo mozzarella or sausage, mushrooms, and onion. Starters include a sampling of crostini (prosciutto, asparagus, and fontina, and zucchini, pancetta, and goat cheese) and seared sea scallops served with crunchy baby greens and blood orange–the tangy fruit underlines the seafood’s clean flavor. The Insalata Due, a refreshing palate cleanser, tosses paper-thin sliced raw fennel, toasted walnuts, blood oranges, and juicy pomegranate seeds in a sprightly mint vinaigrette. Squid-ink linguini comes with a generous serving of giant shrimp in a rich but delicate champagne-tomato sauce–it’s a bargain at $13. The filet mignon is wrapped in salty pancetta, which adds flavor and holds in moisture, and served with slightly wilted spinach in a porcini-wine sauce. A traditional Italian assortment of cured meats, cheese, and olives is offered after the main course, but it’s unnecessary after the huge, full-flavored entrees. The mostly Italian wine list ranges from aged Chianti (nice with tomato-based pasta dishes) to full-bodied Barbaresco and Barolo (great with meat). For dessert there are traditional sweets like profiteroles as well as lighter choices like a single scoop of hazelnut gelato served melting in a martini glass after being doused with a shot of hot espresso. The small lounge area in the back has leather couches for those who want to relax before or after dinner.
