Table for 4

Rose Angelis
1314 W. Wrightwood

The Basics
Where you’ll find it: 1314 W. Wrightwood, about two-and-a-half blocks west of Racine, between Lakewood and Wayne. (773) 296-0081. www.RoseAngelis.com

When it’s open: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 4:30-9 p.m. Sunday; closed Mondays.

Reservations: Reservations for parties of eight or more, but no more than 12 on Friday and Saturday. A first-come, first-served restaurant.

What you’ve heard: Romantic restaurant tucked away in a quaint neighborhood. ... Great Northern Italian food at reasonable prices.

Visual Aids
First impressions: Smallish front of the restaurant makes it feel like you’re entering someone’s house. ... High tables with stools on the left, and a fully stocked bar on the right with an emphasis on wine. A little bit of a rustic look.

The atmosphere: We went on the Saturday of Easter weekend, so the place was almost empty, which is highly unusual for the popular Rose Angelis. We had no wait. ... Typically, you can wait for an hour or more, but you can reasonably belly up to the bar and have conversations with your group until your table is ready. ... A low-lit, friendly and charming vibe. A hot spot for dates.

The Experience
At your service: The hostess greeted us when we walked in, and we sat at the bar until the rest of our party arrived. We were seated immediately upon their arrival. ... Our waiter was exceptional. Very good service. Since the specials change a few times a week (and there are many), they need to be well-versed. He was very helpful reciting the specials twice for us.

Get your drink on: There is a full-service bar, and we chose a bottle of wine (Pouilly Fousse ’03). The wine list, for bottles, runs from $29-$56. Wine by the glass is typically $6, and a select list of beers, including Moretti, Anchor Steam, Stella Artois and Kaliber, are $4.

Menu variety and prices: Prices for the house specialties and pasta dishes run from $9.95 to $15.95. Appetizers and salads are priced between $3.50 and $8.95. There is a large variety, and plenty of good food to choose from.

Description of what you did decide on: We started off with bruschetta, a hard-crusted Italian bread with plenty of fresh tomatoes, with a basil and oil dressing. The blend of ripe tomatoes and the crusty bread was a delight. ... Also had grilled asparagus wrapped in flavorful prosciutto. It was so good, even the non-meat eater ate some! There was a ricotta dressing that was mixed with some interesting herbs (hard to figure out what kind of herbs they were, but they were tasty). Portabello mushrooms accompanied the dish. We expected this to be warm, but it was served chilled. Unexpected, but definitely a must try! ... Soup of the day was a florentine garlic cream soup. A good mix of flavors with a parmesan cheese garnish. Large pieces of spinach and garlic cloves (almost too much garlic — the cloves were large!). A large helping accented with basil chiffon. And the soup was green! ... Special pasta of the day was chicken and portabello mushroom and spinach ravioli. A large serving; almost too much! Large ravioli with red peppers, spinach, parmesan cheese and asiago cream sauce. The ravioli was tasty, but the sauce was slightly bland. There could have been more flavor, maybe a garlic or pepper taste. Presentation was great, though a smaller portion would have been more appropriate. ... The Caprese salad had thick beefsteak tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and topped with thick slices of fresh mozzarella. Salt and pepper added to this is a must. They offer fresh pepper with every delivery! ... For the main dish, the duck-filled tortellone is easily one of the favorites. This has spinach, tomato and mozzarella. The pine nuts are a delight when mixed with a light marinara. The wine and cognac reduction was a little soupy, as the leftovers spilled through the to-go container, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the leftovers the next day. And at Rose Angelis, there are always leftovers. Two of us had to order this tasty meal. ... For dessert, we ordered one of the specials: white chocolate ganache with a dark chocolate cookie. Half raspberry sauce and half blueberry sauce. The texture was like a candy bar. This had a great presentation; we didn’t want to break into it! A nice mix of flavor and not overwhelmingly sweet. We were stuffed from the great meal (with leftovers), but we had to order something to share!

Something that caught your eye: We were seated in an alcove, near the waiter’s station, which we hoped would have a curtain to take away the not-so-appealing bussing station (though it is a necessity). ... We were seated next to a couple on a date and a party of eight. The alcove was loud and a little dark. The music was turned down very low, though it could have been the voices from the party.

What you’ll tell your friends: Romantic, tasty food with a guaranteed meal for the next day. ... A quaint neighborhood restaurant with an interesting atmosphere at a great price. A Chicago classic. ... Relatively inexpensive for a date place, but intimate enough for a guy to come off looking good for suggesting it!

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