La Scarola
721 W. Grand Ave.

The Basics

Where you’ll find it: 721 W. Grand Ave. Just east of Halsted and across from the famous Funky Buddha Lounge. (312) 243-1740.

When it’s open: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday; 5-11 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 4-10 p.m. Sunday.

Reservations: Thinking ahead, and from recommendations of others, we called to make reservations. Highly recommended. However, don’t expect to be seated on time. We waited 20 minutes for our table. Luckily enough, there was a full bar ready to serve us.

What you’ve heard: Rave reviews and recommendations from true Italians and the city’s true “diners.” We had to find out for ourselves.

Visual Aids

First impressions: Walking into La Scarola, one might think, “Oh No!” because it’s so busy and crowded, with lots going on. Not sure where to go, or stand. Then we realized something: It is Tuesday night, raining, all the tables are full, and there is a swarm of people waiting to be seated. Made us wonder what it was this place had to offer.

The atmosphere: Three dining rooms of 8-15 tables each. The front room is a bit more involved, lots more activity since that is where the kitchen sits. The middle room, again more active with the bar. And then the back room, where we sat, is quieter and more relaxed. ... Our eyes were kept busy as we pointed out the celebs on the Wall of Fame. Pictures of Jeremy Piven, Nicholas Cage and Ozzie Guillen overlooked us as we dined. And as any true Italian restaurant would have, a plethora of Sinatra pictures. ... The restaurant itself is very clean, vibrant and alive.

The Experience

At your service: Although we waited 20 minutes for our table, timing was a non-issue. Once seated, each entrée came without delay. Yet at the same time, never once did we feel rushed. The meal moved along at a very comfortable pace. ... With two of the four of us being former restaurant servers, who tend to critique every dining experience, we all give the service thumbs up.

Get your drink on: La Scarola provides a variety of drinks, including a wine list with a mix of Italian and domestic choices. Due to our individual tastes, we chose to order by the glass. Keeping it simple, we selected the house chianti, cabernet and pinot grigio. For being house wines, they were very tasty — we enjoyed them quite nicely, and our waiter was happy to keep our glasses full.

Menu variety and prices: Ahhh, this was a tough one. Where do we begin? Appetizers, soups, pastas, entrées and nightly specials! All sounding just as good as the first. Pastas and entrées were moderately priced from $8-$20, and for the portions we received, we were easily making two meals out of each.

Description of what you did decide on: We decided on the brushetta and baked calamari to start our experience. The brushetta came as four servings of French bread, topped with your typical spread of tomato, basil, onion and oil, yet much more than your typical flavor. We were debating between the fried or the grilled calamari, and as recommended by our waiter: “The fried calamari is tastier, made with a flour batter, pad fried and seasoned with garlic and lemon.” He then topped his description with a kiss to his fingers. Agreed. Fried calamari it is! A good choice was made when two “non-calamari” eaters even enjoyed this dish. ... On to the main meal, where “Ooooh,” “Oh my God,” “Wow” and “Mmmmmm” should explain it. What we ate — The Lorenzo: Bowtie pasta with chicken and shrimp smothered in a spicy chipotle sauce. Lasagna: Traditional, and a safe yet still very delicious choice. Goat cheese rigatoni: A lighter dish, yet rich in taste. Goat cheese lovers, this one’s for you! Cheese ravioli: Ordered by one, shared by all. No leftovers here. This was the winner of the night. Not your typical cheese ravioli dish. Recommended once again by our now very helpful and knowledgeable waiter. This is by far something everyone should experience — cheese ravioli with spinach and tomato topped with melted mozzarella. ... All portions were beyond healthy. Most everyone left with a doggie bag (unless of course you got the cheese ravioli, because you and everyone else will find a way to finish it in one sitting). ... Already full, we still found way to finish the night with something sweet. Once again, our waiter informed us of our dessert choices. We choose the tartufo, which we later found out was unavailable — must be a popular one! We opted for the chocolate mousse cake and the tiramisu. Tiramisu, majority ruled, was better than average. Careful with the chocolate mousse cake, as there is a cherry fruit surprise in the middle. Neither of these impressed us as much as our main meals. Our recommendation: Don’t leave room for dessert, eat more entrée!

Something that caught your eye: After ordering the appetizers, the waiter suggested that we don’t fill up on the bread. It was rather funny in his Italian accent. ... Walking up to the door, it seemed like a place we would more than likely pass up, except of the overwhelming number of people dining and/or waiting to dine.

What you’ll tell your friends: What a great experience. ... Overall, highly recommended. We’ll be back. ... Give it the horns. ... Fun and delicious!

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