After a chic redesign, this longtime Hyde Park Village staple stands out even in its stylish surrounds. The verdant space calls to mind the tropics and a clubby playlist adds an air of youthfulness, but this is solid cooking rooted in classic Italian American sensibilities.
A well-appointed bar pours enticing quaffs like a frozen blood orange negroni, which also makes for a winning aperitivo. Red-sauce staples, like sausage-stuffed mushrooms and fried calamari are deftly prepared, and tailed by house pastas given their proper due. A raviolo filled with spinach, ricotta and molten egg yolk is dressed with frisée and a bit of balsamic; and, forgiving the pun, a “parm to table” bucatini al pesto prepared tableside in a wheel of Parmigiano is sure to please.