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Typically, I am not a fan of Italian food. It tends to all be the same: pasta, cheese, sauce, bread, etc... and, for whatever reason, decent pasta, cheese, sauce, and bread is always priced ridiculously high, so I tend to avoid it. That said, my hubby and I went to Trullo for our anniversary last Monday night. I didn't have high expectations, I just wanted to get something yummy that wasn't too far from the house. The atmosphere here isn't exactly lively -- the music was lousy and our waiter, I am quite sure, was actually undead. My head could have rolled off my shoulders and on to the floor and he wouldn't have flinched. Aside from that, the service was flawless, and maybe that's what they were focusing on... who knows? Waiting tables isn't rocket science, but I am sure it probably requires more concentration from some than others.
Anyway, the food was really good. We split the mussels as an appetizer, which I could not recommend more highly. I got the special, which was pasta stuffed with lobster and crab in a cream sauce. It was ULTRA-rich and delicious. I had four on my plate and ate 1 and a half. I took the rest home. My husband had ravioli in vodka sauce with sausage on the side (thats how it comes). The portions were huge, and he said the sausage had to be homemade. He liked it. I thought the ravioli was just, "OK".
What WAS awesome about Trullo was the bill: add to the appetizer and 2 entrees a tirimisu -- grand total, only $53.00!
NICE.
I will, however, skip the tirimisu next time. I've had much better and I suspect, instead of going with my standard, I should have asked for a recommendation from the staff... although, I didn't see, "more brains" on the menu.
Wow......wish I had known just how great this place is and allowed a lot more time for dinner. Came here last night before a show at The Book Cellar and did not allow that much time for dinner.The menu was not huge,but..it all looked great! The wine list was fabulous and our server was very prompt and also had a sense of humor!
We both had the Eggplant Parm.It was just perfect! The dish was served layered,with the pasta on the bottom. The ingredients were fresh as could be and the seasoning was just right. Hubby would have liked a bit more garlic,but,honestly,it was not missed.Portions were gigantic and prices were more than fair.
Yep...we'll be back and we will be sure to have the time to enjoy the experience at a more leisurely pace.
Trattoria Trullo to the rescue! Saturday night my friends and I ran into a managerial disaster at Caro Mio (see my review) and needed a last minute place to carbo load before the marathon. We walked into Trattoria Trullo at 6:20 with no reservation, a six person group in a city where 45,000 people are looking to eat Italian. Should be a recipe for disaster, right? Not this place. Although the poor hostess looked a bit harried by the size of our party we were immediately seated and taken care of.
Bread flowed like wine, wine flowed like, err, wine and we all ate delicious dishes. I had the ahi tuna special with shrimp risotto (yum), my best friend had a ravioli with a creamy vodka sauce that was to die for (we kept fighting to dip bread in her sauce bowl), and the two marathoners enjoyed spaghetti with four ginormous meat balls. While the food was great, the customer service was excellent. We had the most adorable waitress, who kept apologizing for making us wait for our food even though I found the wait more than reasonable. Everyone had a great time and was able to relax before the big race. Thank you Trattoria Trullo for giving us a wonderful evening and for treating us with kindness and grace.
Tried out this restaurant with the H and we enjoyed our food. We both agreed that the sauce on both… Read more »
This place is amazing. Amazing. Very reasonably priced food and wine, unique menu and a nice atmosphere (check out the booth just next to the door).. and they're open late for a nice sit-down place. The Cavatelli is fantastic, the sauce has care and love in it, all the pasta is homemade and the specials have all sounded amazing each time I've gone. If I had written this review a year ago or even a week ago I would have thrown down 4 maybe even 5 stars.
I have given it 2 stars instead because of the creepy fucking waiter we had last night. He kept kissing my girlfriend and talking to her in Italian and saying weird, bizarre shit that if I ever said to anyone I'd probably get popped in the mouth. Hey, I'm a nice guy, but this guy was cruisin' for a brusin'.
Excellent restaurant in Lincoln Square. I do mean excellent.
I'll make this quick....fantastic wine list. Go by the glass or by the bottle either way. $7.00 per glass.
Caesar salad (with anchovies on the side) really incredible. I also had the Veal Marsala - my god....sooooo good. Wine sauce, mushrooms, potatoes and veggies all highly delectible. Hubby had the usual Pasta with meatballs and sauce. Really good.
Service attentive and helpful. I highly recommend.
Real Italian meals and with nice outdoor seating. A huge plus in my book at the end of summer. Indoors or out, very nice ambiance. The front room inside is more casual. The rear room a bit more formal. Either way....great food and atmosphere.
My wife and I went back here after a great experience a year ago. Different experience this time.
The special was arrincini rice balls and mine was cold in the middle. I sent it back and they gave me the same dish but reheated in the oven. The texture, color and flavor completely changed and I was surprised they gave me the exact same dish.
The dish would have been good if cooked thoroughly and properly.
This place is going down hill.
Fried eggplant, fresh mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, and home-made pasta shells made up the dish I choose when my fiance and I went to Trattoria Trullo for the first time this weekend. Wow! It was SO good...and it was huge! I ended up only being able to eat 1/3 of the dish (I usually finish my food at a restaurant). I got 2 more meals out of this dish.
Along with the fantastic food, our waiter was hilarious and very attentive to our needs. Our water glasses and wine glasses were always filled. When we decided to get the Caprese salad for an appetizer (after we had ordered our food already) he put it in as a rush order and we got it within 5 minutes.
I definitely recommend this place! I've lived in the neighborhood for 6 years and never thought to try it since it looked kind of unauthentic on the outside, but now I can't wait to go back!
I've had some very mixed service at this restaurant. The first time I came here, our waiter disappeared the second we received our food, and even when our wine glasses and plates were empty, he was nowhere in sight. The owner (Giovanni?) actually came over, apologized for the bad service, and bought us dessert with complementary lemon cello shots. Since I live right around the corner, I stop in sometimes to buy wine to take home. With such a great wine selection, I can always find something for around $16 that would retail at a much higher price. Giovanni has opened up bottles just so that I can try a bottle before buying one. What great hospitality! The food here is a little more authentic than most other Italian restaurants, so while others may love it, I prefer the "American-Italian" style restaurant. The ravioli in vodka sauce is excellent though, and I have yet to nail cooking the sauce at home. I love this place for the wine, but I'm not as excited by the food.
It was a cool drizzly fall night and my wife and I had a last minute chance to get out by ourselves for a romantic date. It was a rare occaision where we both thought Italian sounded good, and a friend had recommended Trattoria Trullo. We don't go out for Italian very often, but I will likely do Trattoria Trullo again.
Very pleasant atmosphere and good service. Wife had cheese ravioli in a vodka sauce that was very good. I had a risotto that was pretty tasty, not the best I've ever had, but still good. Our server helped us pick out a superb wine that paired very well with our dishes. But the total highlight of the night was dessert. The wife liked her Tiramisu, but we both agree that the canolis were absolutely out of this world. I'd love to go back just for dessert sometime.
In a city full of overpriced mediocre Italian food, Trattoria Trullo stands out as a pretty good value for what you get. Its not the most fantastic Italian meal I've ever had, but our evening was very pleasant and I can't argue with that.
OK... So I went back after a friend of mine gave me a hard time about my previous review. it was, a lot better. The water situation must have been resolved and their sat us in the back where things were a little more tolerable.
I had the special. A pan seared salmon with angle hair pasta in a light wine sauce. It was very very good. The bread and olive oil as a starter was very good as well.
Trattoria Trullo is a quaint Italian Bistro nestled in Lincoln Square among the many restaurants and… Read more »
There was a young waiter named Nate
Who brought me pannini on a plate
It was full of meatballs, mozzarella and sauce
And with mucho gusto I ate.
My friend Satish and I took advantage of the $7.95 lunch special - paninni or pizza with beverage. Nice deal. Excellent food. Fun server.
Bathrooms: Clean
Service: Excellent
Price: $40 per pp w/tip
Food: Excellent
Atmosphere: Italian hip vibe
I love this place! Our server was European cool! Griliglia Mista was fricking amazing, Pizza Trullo was mouthwatering delicious, Caprese Salad and Pizza Mortadella again fantastic.
It hit on all cylinders, great for a romantic couples night or a small group of friends or family, plenty of room, I recommend the back dining room, has a lot of energy when busy.
Server made an Italian red wine suggestion that paired perfectly with the meal, sorry cannot remember the name.
Ciao!
Trullo is a great place to lunch al fresco. The outdoor patio is small, but nice enough for a leisurely lunch. There are many vegetarian options for under $9, including a delicious porcini mushroom risotto with mascapone. The risotto was cooked perfectly. It had that slightly nutty, yet creamy texture. The sauce wasn't too rich either. Delicious! My server was extremely friendly. The prices seem a little steep for dinner, but moderate for Italian cuisine.
LOVE THIS PLACE!!
We were originally on the way to Garcia's Mexican Resturant when I parked in front of this place and my husband and I decided to give it a whirl. It's very small and we had always been intimidated by it because of the size.
GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES!!!!
I couldn't tell you the name of what I ate but it was to DIE FOR! It was shell-shaped pasta in red tomato sauce with beef rollups (Spinach inside i think?) and it was out of this world. I almost blacked out, actually....
We ordered dessert also - Canollis. They came to us in the most beautiful fashion...four cannolis with strawberries in the middle and caramel and chocolate drizzled elegantly around the plate. We almost didn't want to eat them because they were so beautiful!!!
If it's a nice night, eat outside. Awesome!
Seriously- they put crack in the balsamic for their caprese- there is no other way it is THAT good.
I had the Cavatelli Crudaiola- it was described on the menu as: homemade cavatelli pasta in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and pulp of a fresh tomato, arugula, basil and ricotta forte cheese. My pasta dish was only so-so. I added in some of the cheese on the table for our bread w/ olive oil and it was much better. I should've ordered something with more of a cheese base bc that is what I was really craving.
My husband had the meatball sandwich and was very happy.
I should've had a glass of wine but we were having a late lunch/ early dinner and then off to do some baby-related shopping.
What a great way to end our outing at Maifest than to sit on lovely patio enjoying wonderful Italian foooodies!
The bread was to die for and kept me more than satisfied as we waited for our food to come out.
My sister and I shared a pizza and my husband got a squid dish. I cant remember what my brother-in-law ate. Everything was spectacular though. My sister also had a salad with AMAZING balsamic dressing. Everyone keeps raving about that dressing and I definitely can agree with them!
If I had to say something negative, I would say that I would want more pasta options on the menu. However, sometimes maybe its a good sign if your menu is small due to the quality vs quantity philosophy. We definitely thought everything was of great quality here!
I have been wanting to try this place since I moved to the square about a year ago. My best friend from home and i were having a much needed catch up dinner, and i thought this would be a great place to do so. I made a reservation and we were seated right away. It was a gorgeous day out, so we opted to sit outside.
We both ordered wine....and we both had cork in our glasses. It was kind of gross. And the thing is, this was not cheap wine. So that was kind of bad. I ordered a plainer pasta with a tomato basil sauce and my friend got the ravioli in vodka sauce. I was happy with mine, but it didn't blow me away. My friend was happy with his.
The service was good, and I don't have any complaints there. We weren't even tempted by the dessert menu altho my friend did order some dessert wine. AGAIN...CORK IN THE WINE! EW! I don't understand the deal with this place and cork!
Overall, I had a great time here but I don't think I'll be back. The prices are way too high and the quality of the food doesn't really match. Next time, I'll skip it and try one of the other delicious places in the square instead.
This place is da bomb! Venture to Trullo often and it always hits the spot. I super dig the grilled seafood and rapini app....large enough to be ordered as an entree, but why stop there. The pizzas are well done with a cracker thin crust, the pasta sauces are homemade, and their flourless chocolate cake rocks. Just plain yummy.
Servers can be slow, but their sweet personalities make up for it. Great location in the square for sidewalk dining.
I've been here a couple of times. Always had good service - friendly, helpful, and attentive, but not overly so. I like the space too. The restaurant has a smaller, quieter dining room up front and then a larger dining space in the back for bigger, noisier groups. And when its nice, snag a table on the sidewalk out front. Its on the busy corner of Lincoln & Lawrence so its great people watching while you dine.
On to the food....the balsamic is amazing here so try something with it (I recommend the bruschetta or caprese salad). I've tried both pasta & risotto dishes and both were good. Not mind blowing, but consistently good. They also added pizza cooked in a wood burning stove some time ago. I just recently tried one of them and it was very tasty. The crust is so thin its like a cracker almost (which I love). I will definitely go back to sample a couple other pizzas because I've had the really thin crust other places, but not where its so perfectly crispy & just a little burnt on the bottom. Yum! They also have a decent wine list...although I don't know much about Italian wine so really just having a few to choose from would have been good enough for me.
All-in-all this is a great option if you are in the area. I'd recommend coming in the summer, getting a glass (or two, or three) of wine, sitting outside, and people watching while you enjoy some good food.
My parents were in town unexpectedly on a Friday night. Most of the other neighborhood spots had an hour or more wait. Trattoria Trullo had a table waiting! The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and offered good wine pairings (without automatically deferring to the most expensive bottles on the menu). Great appetizers and delicious entrees! We'll definitely be back!
As I'm sure I have already mentioned, I'm not a huge fan of Italian. I sort of see Italian food as another category of American food. It is good, just not exciting to me. Having said that, this place is pretty solid. I have been to it once for dinner and once for lunch and both times it was a good experience. The service has been very attentive and their outdoor area has a great atmosphere. I wouldn't go very far from my neighborhood to get Italian and don't know that i would make it a point to visit Trattoria Trullo for their food if I lived in a different neighborhood, but the food is solid enough and the atmosphere is great, so 4 stars!
Do you hate it when you're about half a block away from the bus stop and a bus pulls up, and you think, 'I should run for it. Nah, it's gonna take off before I get there'? Then it just idles while passengers listlessly trudge on or off? Then your hopes are up and you break into a tentative jog, then into a sprint, only to have to stop at the intersection while two cars sluggishly craaaaa-aaaa-aaaawwl by as their drivers chat on cell phones about OMGlikeyouknow? Then the cars pass and the bus rumbles off as you dash across the road, waving frantically, while its passengers gaze at you with their dead, dead eyes? Then you wait for 20 minutes with no sign of another bus, so you walk to the train instead only to have the gate come down in front of you so you can stand and watch the train pull in and away, in the direction you were going?
Well, that happened to me on the way to Trattoria Trullo. Then it rained on me. In mid-December, it rained on me.
So. I was on the way to meet a friend for dinner and arrived in a nasty mood. Then I opened the door and was greeted by a pleasant hush. As I stood admiring the handsome mirrored bar facing the entrance, a sweatered gentleman asked how many would be in my party. Upon learning that I was meeting someone, he directed me to a separate dining room in the back where my friend was already seated, with water and bread at the ready.
Bread. It was nice and crusty, just warmed over, and better than I've had at several other Lincoln Square Italian restaurants. Elevated with some olive oil and freshly grated parmiggiano.
Water. My glass never stayed empty longer than a couple of minutes, although I never saw anyone hovering.
Stracciatella Fiorentina. Chicken, egg and spinach in a flavourful broth, with some noodles thrown in for good measure. The chicken was a little tough from a presumably long swim in the soup. The noodles had undergone an opposite transformation and turned soft. But flavour won out in the end.
Fish special: grilled salmon over shellfish risotto with mussels, roasted asparagus and lemon white wine sauce. Complex. Perfectly seasoned. Delicious and satisfying. Delicious argued for ancora di piu, while Satisfied proclaimed basta!
Pannacotta. This moist, quivering concoction was suitably yielding to my spoon. Infused with faintly anise-tinged liqueur and drizzled with caramel. A lush ending to the meal.
Christmas music. Old-fashioned silence would have been fine, but on a scale of All Things Egregious this ranked a one.
Flat screen TV. NOT A SINGLE ONE. ZERO. NIENTE. Splendido! Meraviglioso! Eccezionale! Ottimo! Eccellente! Fantastico! Mille grazie!!!
To sum up:
What bus? What dead eyes? What stupid drivers? What train? It rained?
The food is quite good here, but not as good as the views in this place. Italian beauties working the bar are worth it alone.
I've been to Trattoria Trullo a few times now and have had mixed experiences. Overall I've been pleased with the food each time, there have been some hits and misses (the peas in my gnocchi dish on my last visit were too hard) but most of the food is tasty. I like that they're happy to split plates and they give large and hearty portions.
Some problems - the service is uneven, I've had good service, neglectful service and indifferent service. On our last visit the waiter took our order and then never returned. Thankfully they do hire awesome busboys and they brought us the check after we waited awhile for our server to reappear - he did at the end to take payment, I hope he shared the tip with the busboy who did most of the work. Also while we were there the bartender was having a VERY loud conversation with another member of the staff about her drinking habits ... she was loud enough we could hear it across the room while we heard only a murmur of talking from the table *next* to us. I found it distracting from the overall nice atmosphere the restaurant has.
They also have a $20 minimum for credit cards - its not difficult to meet a minimum in a place like this but I find the requirement ridiculous and it goes against any merchant card agreement. Sorry, but taking a hit for the fee for using a card is something a business does, it seems a tacky requirement in a restaurant that has $15-20 entrees. If you don't want to absorb the cost of using a credit card then don't accept them period.
The link here on yelp is incorrect since it seems the restaurant doesn't have a website and the time listed on metromix that the restaurant opens (10am?!) is also wrong ... we went sometime after 11am on a Saturday and it was still closed.
We went back for lunch - service seemed to improve ...?? at least from our experience. The waitress… Read more »
My hubby came home from work early tonight to surprise me (he works all the way out in Deerfield)--he wanted to catch me before I started preparing dinner & take me out to a place of my choosing (very sweet). So, after telling me I had to choose the place, I decided we should try Trattoria Trullo. I have walked past it several times & wondered what the food would be like.
Well, I am glad we tried it, but to be honest we most likely will go elsewhere in the future. It was simply not worth the $50 we spent for dinner.
The food was so-so, not the worst Italian I have had, but also not the best. We started with the Caresse salad (the highlight of the meal) which our server so nicely split for us before delivering (he was great!). It really was delicious--loved the touch of balsamic vinegar dollops in the corners of the plate (5 pts for plating). Then we each had an pasta entrees--this is where it went downhill. The pasta dishes were under seasoned--we each put a salt in our dishes (i never do that). My pasta was a little hard for my liking and my husband's dish had ham in it that was a little on the bland side. We skipped the desert as we were full from the meal. I will say this, the portions are just right--a rarity for Italian places.
Our server was wonderful--very knowledgeable, patient & friendly. He was attentive to our needs, but not overbearing or pushy. The ambiance of the place is nice & the decor lovely. It is really large on the inside--so would be good for groups and they have outside seating.
All in all, glad I tried, but probably won't go back.
So there was a huge event in need of a celebration consisting of lots of delicious food and of course lots of alcohol. My friends and I wanted to try some thing new, so Trattoria Trullo it was! Our service was impeccable! The waiter was so fun, super attentive, funny, and cute too...score! My one friend had a super strong martini that I had to help her finish and my other friend and I split a bottle of wine. Pretty reasonable wine prices. The restaurant itself is fairly roomy with a great atmosphere. I had ravioli in a vodka sauce, my friend had some clam thing, and I'm blanking on my other friend's meal. Overall, we all really enjoyed our meals and the whole experience.
Quote of the night:
Cute waiter: "Would you like another bottle of wine?"
My recently engaged friend: "I'll be tripping over my own feet on my way out."
Cute waiter: "That's okay. You're taken now. No one too impress."
The first visit to Trullo was pretty good except for the fact that the hostess screwed up our reservation and sat us at a table in the front by the door. It was so cold and uncomfortable that we couldn't enjoy our meal, although the food was excellent.
Our second visit was last night. The restaurant was completely empty, four tables total and no one was at the bar. You would figure the service would be good since they had nothing to do. Well, think again.
Our server was fine, nice and friendly. But, it was obvious he was relying on others. For example, the bartender. The same woman was there as last time we visited and let me start by saying that her service was so bad the first time around, she completely ignored us.
The second time it took 25 minutes to get two mixed drinks. I watched her talk to her other co-workers for ten minutes after our order was placed and then for the remaining 15 minutes she walked (or say strutted) through the place four times to go to the bathroom. Finally, when she came back, and after she repeated to primp herself in front of clients I saw the server get frustrated, she huffed past him and finally got our drinks.
Needless, to say we did not order another drink. Horrible service, by far the worst ever. Just a side note, her skirt was so short it was obscene, and obviously she spent more time trying to cover herself then to serve drinks. If that's what you are going for get a job at one of the Cubs bars, not an upscale restaurant that obviously overcharges by at least 30%.
We will not be back....
I read everyone's reviews before going here for dinner one night, and I was totally disappointed by our experience there.
We walked in, without reservations, at around 7PM on a Sunday. There were a number of empty tables, but we were told that they would have to check to see if there was anything available.
I ordered the risotto con porcini e mascarpone, and my mom had orrecchiete con cimi di rapa, both of which were forgettable. Trader Joe's has the same risotto (minus the mascarpone) in the freezer section, but at a fraction of the price.
Our waiter visited our table once to take the order, and once again to drop off the check. No checking up on us, no offering dessert.
I had high hopes for this place because the patio and bar area look so cute, and because its right down the street from me. However, the cold service and lackluster, overpriced food didn't really do it for me.
I figure that so many people on Yelp cannot be wrong, so I'll give Trattoria Trullo another chance for lunch some day, but I don't need to repeat my dinner experience again.
Swooning for Italian on the "square." (Lincoln Square, that is).
On one of the first nice days of the season, we scored an outside table for lunch nestled quaintly near a flower box of budding blooms. An ample dose of sunshine, coupled with copious bread baskets, olive oil and cheese...I am a happy lady.
The food is well priced and composed of fresh ingredients. I had the grilled chicken pesto panini...I wasn't overly impressed with the bread, but it can be ordered on wheat, which I would do on a return trip. It comes with a side salad that is delicate and filling, and topped with a superb house dressing.
The prices are astounding...$7.95 for the panini. Excellent.
Service was on par, though it was a slow lunch crowd.
I would definitely return for dinner...I was quite impressed with the ambiance, location, food and final check ;)
When my dining companions discovered that cafe selmarie was closed on a Monday afternoon for street cleaning (ugh) we made our way down the street and found Trattoria Trullo. We scored a table on their outside patio on a beautiful day...always nice to add some color to my pasty winter skin.
I ordered the spinach salad, which was quite tasty....and I loved the goat cheese on top! My dining companions seemed to enjoy their paninis as well, which looked tasty and very large. I also liked that they had the option of wheat bread for their paninis for those of us health conscious eaters. And for those of us who aren't as health conscious....the bread basket was filled with delicious warm, soft bread.
Cute atmosphere, attentive service, and delicious food....I'll be back!
We went here for a late-ish meal after having seen it reviewed on Check Please! We had called a few other restaurants that were on our way to O'hare and nobody seemed to be open on New Year's Day. Trullo was though, and what a treat.
Dining room is kind of cheesily decorated, and the cases of wine stacked up all over the bar area were kind of a turn-off..who wants to eat at Binny's? Our server was nice and very attentive but she did not really offer any suggestions and seemed to have trouble answering questions about the menu.
Luckily, the food spoke for itself. The bread basket was pretty outstanding, some wheat bread and a truly delicious little mini foccacia loaf. We started with fried calamari, hard to screw this dish up and of course we devoured it, with a nice spicy tomato sauce. Followed that with a salad of spinach with mushrooms, pine nuts, figs, mild goat cheese and a cherry vinaigrette. Very satisfying.
Our pasta course was kind of a miss, although it might have been my fault for ordering something that I don't usually enjoy that much. We had the orrechiette con bracciole, little ear pasta with three rolls of roast beef stuffedd with herbs. I always seemed to end up getting really dry bracciole, and this happened once again here. The pasta was nicely cooked al dente, but the sauce was quite bland and could have used some garlic, wine or red pepper, maybe all three. LIke I said, I never really like bracciole and I must not have been thinking straight when I ordered it, but still, it was not very good.
I don't drink but my date ordered a glass of Stefano Farina, which I think was a Puglian blend (Trullo is a Puglian restaurant, focusing on food from this more obscure Southern Italian region, which at least is pretty cool). I tasted it and thought it was either opened for too long or corked to begin with, but she thought it was fine.
My entree made up for a lot of the mistakes made earlier in the meal. I had the veal with artichoke and asparagus. Artichoke and asparagus were kind of sparce on the plate, not making their presence known any more than the green beans, zucchini, potatoes and carrots that also accompanied the meat, but all of the vegetables were very, very, very tasty. Everything had a delicious tang that I guess came from the same white wine sauce that the veal was cooked in. I was stuffed after the first few courses and could only handle a few bites of this bright, flavorful plate, but I took most of it home and it was still really amazing even as microwaved leftovers. I would order this dish again in a heartbeat.
Dessert was a pretty standard pannacotta, quite good but not really very special. Dinner was pretty fairly priced, we basically had 5 courses for around 60 bucks a piece including tip. Not my favorite Italian place, but definitely not bad. Will I be back? Probably not, too many places around town to try and I don't live in the neighborhood, but worth a visit if you're craving Italian in Lincoln Square.
I went here with a friend on Saturday night and was seated promptly without reservations. The location is nice and the restaurant itself has a clean, cute feel to it.
My friend had the soup of the day, a shrimp bisque and a caprese salad. She enjoyed her dishes except the olive oil was heavy and overpowered the balsamic.
I ordered the Fettuccine All' Aragosta (fettuccine pasta with lobster meat, spinach, creamy garlic sauce). I loved this dish, the lobster was fresh and had great flavor while the garlic sauce was surprisingly light with great flavor.
I will come back again, the total bill was only $28
Some girlfriends and I stopped in after watching "Sex and the City" at the Davis Theatre down the street. We were after some wine and dessert, which this place had plenty of. It was late, so the place was pretty empty inside (outside, of course, was still full). We took over three tables pushed together and began ordering.
The service, while slow, was very endearing. My red wine was perfect (can't remember what I had but the temp was just right), and thank God I split the terramisu with a friend---it was HUGE! Everyone nommed away on their desserts, and we ended our nosh very content and glowing.
I'm curious about their pasta, so I guess I'll have to go back!
Last night we had reason to celebrate, my dear husband got a promotion, so we wanted to go out to eat. Somewhere close, so we could walk. We chose Trullo, as we hadn't eaten there yet, I had only gone for drinks (more on that later).
We arrived and chose to be seated in the back, I like the front for people watching, but was only in the mood to look at my husband, so we went for the back. Our waiter, Nathan, was absolutely charming and attentive, please ask for him. Feeling the need to celebrate, we got a bottle of Prosecco and it was delicious. We were served a basket of warm bread and the focaccia was like nothing I've had before, it was so light and soda-bread-ish, I loved it! I opted out of appetizers as I wanted room for dessert and cappuccino. We each ordered one of the specials. I had the Lobster Cappellacci, husband had the Veal Piccata. His was good, mine was amazing! There were mounds of delectable crab meat piled on top of my little pockets of lobster cappellacci goodness and the sauce was so rich and good.
Our waiter was lovely, attentive, but no too attentive, and was really kind about the fact that we were celebrating. That was nice. We saved room for dessert. Husband got the Ricotta Panzerotti and that was a fantastic little bundle of turnover-style goodness. I got the flourless chocolate cake. It was presented so beautifully with tangerines & strawberries, fruit glaze on the plate, ice cream scoop and powdered sugar. Fantastic! I had a cappuccino with it and just about had to be rolled out of there. Very very good.
I reserve my star for the fact that I had been there before, for drinks. We had gone out to the Huettenbar, it was too packed, and walked down and sat at the Trullo bar. Each of us ordered, and each person was told they didn't have what we ordered in stock (mine was even on their menu). It was an exercise in frustration. None of us had what we wanted, the bartendress was a bit embarrassed by the selection, and I wasn't sure if I would be back.
I will be back for dinner again though. When it is nice enough to sit outside, I will be happy to go back and review THAT experience!
Who doesn't like Italian food? This has become my go-to place to go to for a nice meal in Lincoln Square that won't inspire too much controversy.
The Fettuccine All' Aragosta has copious amounts of lobster and I had servings for days. The Insalata Spinaci is delightful; I particularly enjoyed the wild cherry vinaigrette. Pollo Alla Griglia was also pretty good, lemon-y and something my mother would enjoy. Hence the lack of controversy.
Their outdoor seating is nice. It is in streetside-nature, but people seem to like that for some reason. It is Descartes Café adjacent, which is a plus if you want to adjourn there for desert or coffee. They are really reasonably priced for lunch, and not unreasonably priced for dinner.
Don't fill up on bread- that's how they get you. But the bread is so good.
Enjoying the benefit of living close to the square, we decided last night to try out Trattoria Trullo.
All I can say is it was a'ight.
The general ambience was nice enough. It was quiet, we were seated quickly, there was plenty of space between us and other diners, and the service itself was good. Our waitress was stunning to look at and ridiculously nice, taking plenty of time to tell us about each of the specials and to make recommendations.
The food itself was not all up to par. I had the ravioli alla vodka - a cheese ravioli in a tomato cream-vodka sauce. Having not eaten all day, I think I inhaled a pretty good portion of it. My only real complaints with my dish was the pasta was a tiny bit too firm and there was an excessive buttery taste which made the sauce a bit richer than I would have personally liked.
My friend ordered the fettucine all' aragosta. The pasta was a bit too al dente, almost having a little crunch, and the cream sauce separated within minutes. The lobster in the dish was overcooked and seemed a bit like...imitation. None of the components melded together well unfortunately.
I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, and will be going back to try again, but given the multitude of options in the area, hopefully they step it up a bit.
My partner and I have eaten here twice and both times left underwhelmed. The place has great curb appeal- cute-looking bar in front and great looking garden on that pedestrian walkwayish part of Lincoln. The first time we foolishly skipped the front to be seated in the warehouse-feeling back room of the restaurant. It has tiny windows up by the ceiling and the painted faux-italian decor makes it seem like an unsuccessful stab at vegas casino ambiance. I had a fava bean pasta dish which was solid, and she had fish, which she found dry and overcooked.
So reading the review and seeing all the happy people relaxing along lincoln, we decided to give it another shot. The bread-basket was so "toasty" that it nearly broke my teeth. Whatever "al-olio" pasta dish I ordered was disgustingly rich- floating in butter. It gave me a stomach ache- I couldn't even sleep that evening. Maybe I was digesting the price of the bill- over sixty bucks for two.
Trattoria Trullo, I've given you your shot, but with all he Italian options around, I won't be back.
My wife and I used to spend every New Year's Eve in Evanston by ourselves. I'd pick up some cajun shrimp from FoodStuffs on the way home from the train and toss 'em in the fridge for midnight. Then we'd gussy up and walk down Central to Trattoria Trullo's original quaint location. We'd pretend to scour the menu for something new, but I'd always end up with the lobster fettucini, and she'd always get some sort of stuffed shell with lobster meat. We'd eat slices of tomato covered with fresh mozzerella and balsamic vinegar and share a bottle of wine. For dessert she'd have some exploding chocolate concoction, and I'd have sorbet in a sugar cone laid on a plate drizzled with powdered sugar.
Oh, those New Year's were fantastic, spending them alone, together, in a quiet corner of Evanston. The owner would wring his hands in the corner, looking so, so Italian. The hostess was always dressed in some insane evening gown, one you'd expect to see in some Italian discotheque. The wait staff looked like it had been plucked from the old country... all of them gathered together in this new land to serve authentic, fantastic food to ring in the new year.
Then one year we invited some of our friends to join us at Trullo. My wife and I arrived a little late and joined them at the table. Since there were already an odd number of people seated, we didn't even get to sit next to each other, or across from each other. We sat on a diagonal. I protruded from the end of the table like a blister. The magic of Trullo, and of New Year's, was gone.
A few months later, Trullo disappeared. It moved from Evanston to a much larger and central location in Lincoln Square. My wife and I have tried to recreate the original experience in this new location, but like they say, you can never go home. The unabbreviated version of that saying is actually, "You can never go home to a restaurant, because it's a restaurant, and not a home." Anyway, with more space to fill, they've had to hire several locals to wait tables. Gone is any feeling that you've stepped into another world. When you walk into Trullo, you feel very much like you're standing in Lincoln Square.
Still there is the aged Italian owner wringing his hands and speaking sharply to the wait staff, the exotic menu, and the discotheque hostess. But for what it's worth, Trullo now feels more like "Olive Garden Advanced." And New Year's is just another day on life's calendar, as we all move one day further from Evanston, and one day closer to Lincoln Square.
Been here a few times.............and I have always had a solid meal each time! OK, i admit........I have only had one item off the menu both times.......and that's cause it's so damn good! Cheese Ravioli in Vodka Cream Sauce! Delicious!
Our wait staff has always been friendly and good.......always bringing more bread to the table.....damn i can eat the whole basket of bread dipped in cheese and oil! Points for them making sure I have enough bread! The salad was good too!
Prices were OK, nothing too high....but nothing really cheap...kind of in the middle if that makes sense.....but I expect those prices for being in Lincoln Square.
Overall, I will be back and I promise to try something new....it's just the ravioli was hard to say "no" too! But yes, i will return!!
Imagine sitting at a sunny window side table, having the restaurant to yourself, a lovely waitress continuously looking after you with a smile while you eat orgasmic food, drink a chilled Peroni and watch people go by..
That was my experience at Trattoria Trullo on my whirlwind visit to Chicago last weekend.
I stopped here for lunch late Friday afternoon and it was easily one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. I was the only one there, so the waitress showered all her attention on me and the food was freshly prepared as per my liking. I felt like I owned the place.
I ordered the Gnocchi Tartufa which is gnocchi in a truffle cream sauce, with parsley and peas. Even though I am not a big fan of cream sauces, this dish was simply amazing. The gnocchi was melt in your mouth delicious - I could eat it even if I didn't have any teeth.
Note: The Gnocchi entree isn't available on the dinner menu.
Christina (my server) was simply fantastic. She was extremely attentive and yet non-intrusive. She could have easily given me an average level of service and I'd have been happy because the food was wonderful and so were the prices ($8 for my dish!).
Instead she gave me one of the best dining experiences ever by checking on me regularly with a genuine concern for my comfort. Not to mention her pleasant and bubbly personality made me not want to leave the restaurant...(OK the food might have something to do with it too).
I am extremely hard to please but I was totally floored by the level of attention bestowed upon me (Yes I really talk like that)
Thanks to its heart warming food and service (not to mention an extremely reasonable lunch menu)..Trattoria Trullo has become my favorite Italian restaurant.
So before I run out of adjectives to describe Christina and the Gnocchi Tartufa and the bread and the beer, I'll end my review here..
:)
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