Love Italian food? Who doesn't? La Scarola is a diamond in the rough. It is a petite little restaurant right off Grand and Milwaukee, and if you blink, you could miss it! But don't, because you would be missing out on some fabulous Italian dishes. La Scarola's atmosphere is very Old World Italian. The walls have windows that have been painted on, and they look as if they are looking out onto a vineyard. There are photos of local and national celebrities that have patronized the restaurant, and an ivy trellis leads to the back room. When you recieve your menu, it looks like one you'd get in a Greek diner.
Then, they bring out lots of bread! For my entree, I had the Pasta Lorenzo, which is bow-tie pasta with chicken and shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes in a light red chipotle sauce. It was wonderful, and it had a nice little kick to it. I also got to try the Penne alla Vodka, which was superb-just the right amount of cream in the red sauce, so it wasn't at all heavy. Last but not least, I tasted the Chicken Vesuvio, which was delicious as well, the potatoes were perfect!
La Scarola is a very tiny, intimate restaurant, so with a bigger group, the seating can be challenging. But definetly worth the challenge!
La Scarola
Located at 741 W Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: 312-243-1740
Hours: M-F 11am-3pm for lunch, 5pm-11pm for dinner
Sat 4pm-11pm
Sun 4pm-10pm
