This gem of an Italian restaurant has been around for many years & keeps right on going. Located in the basement of a Dearborn Street office building, the decor is less of a grotto and more of a rustic locanda. A happy hour buffet at the bar for $12 plus drinks, with an excellent assortment of Italian wines available by the glass, is a good choice. You could make a meal out of the buffet, but then you would miss the rest of the wonderful menu. The emphasis is Northern Italian with lots of raviolis and a good selection of fish & seafood. For starters, I've enjoyed the beef carpaccio with arugula & parmesan and polenta with creamy gorgonzola sauce. I recommend the arugula salad with fresh buffalo mozzarella and the beet salad with warm crusted goat cheese. As entrees, I liked the grilled scallops with roasted potatoes and the veal scaloppini with pancetta and artichokes. I also enjoyed the asparagus ravioli with the sun-dried tomato sauce. The desserts were great - a lot more chocolate choices than most Italian restaurants. The warm chocolate torte had a creamy & delicious filling. Service is excellent.
