I had meant to write a review of Va Pensiero when we ate there a few weeks ago, but the memory is still fresh, and I thought that I might share: Located in the basement of a funky old hotel near downtown Evanston (which used to be a rooming house. I know--I lived there for 11 years!), Va Pensiero is an elegant and intimate bistro specializing in northern Italian cuisine. We decided to sample something off of all portions of the menu to make it a full dining experience, though this did push up the cost more than any restaurant meal I'd ever eaten (what can I say? I'm cheap!). My husband started with a green salad in a vinaigrette dressing, featuring walnuts and thinly sliced Granny Smith apples. I began with an appetizer of three grilled gulf shrimp served on a potato-onion cake (a fancy hash brown patty, really) with a pistachio pesto sauce. Though the pesto was stronger than I could handle, my husband pronounced it superb, and the shrimp and potato cake were fabulous. His salad was also perfectly balanced and seasoned. His entree, veal medallions in a sauce whose name escapes me at the moment, was very good, served with vegetables and a rich polenta. Mine was a lovely filet of Atlantic salmon under a Dijon-herb glaze that offset the fish nicely. The filet arrived in a stack with the advertised saffron mashed potatoes (not overly saffrony, truth be told) on the bottom, molded into a thick disk, separated from the fish by a layer of sauteed spinach, which had a hearty yet not strong flavor. For dessert, we split an apple dessert with an elaborate name. Essentially it was an apple dumpling in a cinnamon-sprinkled crust, topped with a small scoop of vanilla gelato and a thin slice of dried apple balanced against a straw of spun sugar to make a rather geometric presentation. Caramel sauce was drizzled on the plate around the edge of the pastry. Every dish was as delicious as it was lovely to behold, perfectly seasoned (I *hate* the tendency of restaurants to leave off salt entirely in an attempt to please everyone) and in a portion large enough to satisfy without overwhelming (no postage-stamp-sized servings, nor more food than one could eat at a single sitting). The service was attentive, though the iced tea we ordered was served in its glass bottle with an accompanying glass of ice, and when I set my remaining half a bottle aside to take with me, it was almost cleared against my wishes. The dish of sugarlumps proffered as sweetener for the tea was an amusing touch. Pre-dinner breads were served individually, in an interesting assortment, though more was available when required. Prices were not outrageous, and quite acceptable for the quality of the dishes and the expertise of preparation. Even the items that I might not ordinarily have eaten (the spinach, the pesto) were quite tasty! Though we may never go there again, we are certainly glad we had the opportunity (a gift certificate easing the burden a little) to do it once! Va Pensiero 1566 Oak Avenue Evanston, IL 60201 (847) 475-7779
Chicago, IL