BarTucci

-Grubbing in Chicago  
An Italian-American BYOB on Harlem

With freezing cold temps come craves for foods that will warm you up. Soup being the most obvious when it comes to a specific type of dish but what are the best cuisines for cold weather food? There’s way more than just one but Italian-American is a cuisine I crave when the first burst of cold comes upon the city. I’m on record saying I’m not a big fan of red sauce Italian but I only mean that from a commonly consumed standpoint. I don't eat it often as it’s not a cuisine I crave throughout the calendar year. But come winter I’m ready for a big bowl of pasta or massive plate of Chicken Parm to warm up with. This is how we ended up at BarTucci when that first blow of cold wind came howling. 

Locals Favorite on Harlem  

I’d always been meaning to try this place that sits in a strip mall on Harlem in Chicago’s other “Little Italy” neighborhood which stretches along Harlem from North to Lawrence. It's BYOB which means it gets busy on weekends with large groups out to celebrate. Like most Italian restaurants it’s popular for big portions of pasta and rightfully so as it all comes from the family’s fresh pasta shop next door called Pasta Fresh. I always like to start a hearty meal like this with a fresh salad of sorts. We opted for the Insalata Italiana which is made with romaine lettuce, cremini mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes, bell peppers, oregano, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil. It’s a fairly standard offering as far as the ingredients go but each of them was crisp and fresh making it a good start to dinner.  

Vodka Rigatoni con Salsiccia at BarTucci 

The pasta portion of the menu is solid in size with 12 options to choose from. Each one of them is a substantial amount of food for a reasonable price as the majority are under $20 a plate. An order of Vodka Rigatoni con Salsiccia was my pick and it hit the spot in all the right ways. I don’t think that it’s a distinctly Chicago dish but it’s one that most spots in the city do right thanks in part to the abundance of quality Italian sausage available in Chicago. This was loaded with chunks of Italian sausage mixed into a flavorful vodka cream sauce clinging to fresh al dente pasta with peas. I had plans to bring some home but none of it made it back. We also tried Linguine Nere all'Aragosta which is squid ink linguine with a tomato cream sauce, brandy, and shallots with a lobster tail on top. I'll typically avoid lobster tail but it’s what the wife wanted and it was actually pretty good but the lobster tail was a bit tough as expected. Frozen warm water lobster tail isn’t that flavorful and never as tender as the fresh stuff but it’s not bad as part of a pasta. If you’re looking for a byob further west this is your spot. From the warm service to the comforting food it's your prototypical neighborhood Italian joint.

Linguine Nere all'Aragosta 

BarTucci 
3426 N Harlem Ave
Chicago, IL 60634
(773) 887-4416
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