Sept. 02--Classic simplicity can be challenging to achieve.
Cafe Spiaggia, the more casual and affordable sibling to chef Tony Mantuano's signature Spiaggia restaurant, demonstrates this with a new menu in the remodeled space, which opened midsummer. The very good Italian fare is rustic, yet nuanced in a rather sophisticated way. That's an oxymoron, I know, but getting something to taste exactly as it should -- a cube of watermelon or a slice of roasted pepper, say -- takes top quality ingredients and considerable skill.
The kitchen at Cafe Spiaggia knows when to leave it alone -- or give the illusion of it -- most of the time.
Menus are built on family-style dining. There are impressive platters of charcuterie and crudo (raw fish) to share, then starters and pastas served in small plates. All the main dishes except the steak are meant to be shared. And the desserts, anchored to a fabulous array of gelato and sorbets, can also be split.
It may be tempting to skip the charcuterie at $30 for a large plate and $18 for a small, or the crudo fish trio for $38. Don't do it! Especially impressive is the latter, a mosaiclike presentation of bite-size slices of fluke, kampachi and ocean trout decorated with garnishes that contribute flavor, texture and color. I especially loved the trout, with its bite from tiny caper berries and the play of a radish slice posed atop a small spoonful of mascarpone.
Summer is winding down, and there are a few starters you need to order now. The heirloom tomatoes, paired with fluffy bits of lemon ricotta cheese, two types of basil and chives, is an umami-rich dish I loved eating alongside the house sardines, plush fish fillets packed in a bright herbal dressing. Another summery scene-stealer is the farm watermelon, a deceptively simple salad of impeccably fresh melon pieces paired with basil, crunchy candied pistachios and pecorino Romano cheese shavings.
Also impressive, and surely a dish that can last well into fall, is the farm egg with its molten yolk resting atop a sensual bed of polenta and showered with shavings of summer truffle. But the Emilia Romagna on the Plate, crackerlike rounds topped with prosciutto ribbons and ringed with a balsamic glaze and creamy fonduta, meant as a salute to the famed Italian food region, failed to truly excite.
Cooked to an al dente alertness, the pastas almost seem to sit up on the plate amid their various garnishes. My favorite is the gemelli, little twists sparked with bright bits of preserved lemon, prosciutto, summer beans and pecorino Romano. The bucatini is tinted a brickish red from its sauce of Calabrian peppers and house-made 'nduja, a spicy spreadable sausage. It's zesty but not overwhelming. Then there are the campanelle, whose frilled forms remind me of tiny oyster mushrooms. The pasta is studded with fresh corn kernels that pop slightly on the tongue, tiny nubbins of soppressata, goat cheese and chives.
Given all these subtle and superb combinations, what to make of the farro spaghetti with Manila clams, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs and Calabrian pepper? Those poor bivalves are drowned in salt; their charms washed away by an aggressive brine.
The shareable main courses look impressive, with the braised pork shoulder the standout. The meat was meltingly tender, napped in just the right amount of sauce, and was served with more of that lovely polenta and broad petals of red and yellow roasted peppers. It didn't feel too heavy for summer dining, but this is a dish that should transition smoothly into fall.
Also enjoyable was the whole roasted branzino, a Mediterranean fish. Know that it arrived bone-free but with head still firmly attached. The cavity was stuffed with sliced fennel, Tropea onions and neonata, a fishy Italian condiment spiked with dried hot and sweet peppers. On top of the fish are strewn little red grapes, an unexpected touch that really worked with the fish's mild flesh, celery and Marcona almonds. What struck me most was the crisped fish skin that shattered into salty, smoky shards in the mouth.
The lobster pasta paled in comparison. Perhaps it was because the dish had to be made twice; the first version wasn't acceptable, our server explained. The lobster pieces we found nestled amid the bucatini were lush. Fresh pea shoots offered a contrasting crunch, but the dish overall lacked spark.
At lunch, I tried a half chicken (a whole bird is offered at dinner). Topped with a dressing of fresh chopped herbs and grated orange zest, the chicken was very charred on the outside. The flesh itself was tender but, ironically, a tad underdone at the bone. It was served with a dense Italian flatbread grilled nearly as brown. Overall, it was too severe for me to feel comfortable -- and you should feel comfortable eating chicken.
The gelati and sorbets include a cinnamon-rich Mexican chocolate, a salt-flecked corn and a terrific spicy mango. You can order one flavor or three; I'd go for the three for the variety and the visual -- these gelati look so beautiful. Other desserts include a fine conchiglia, a brioche layered with a green pistachio cream and studded with slivers of dark cherries, and a pizzelle panino, essentially a vanilla gelato sandwich half dipped into chocolate. It's delicious, but the chocolate is over-salted to an off-putting crunchiness.
Cafe Spiaggia's wine list is an international one (as opposed to the big house's almost completely Italian selection) and was developed by Rachael Lowe, wine director for both restaurants, to highlight women winemakers. As a nondrinker, I was more interested in Cafe Spiaggia's other options. I was sold on all four of the sparkling house drinks. Though built on ginger, strawberry, grapefruit and lemon, none was a fruit bomb. They were tangily refreshing.
Getting to Cafe Spiaggia reminds me of navigating a jetway at O'Hare. You walk down an anonymous hallway that leads to an anonymous doorway you can easily miss. Once inside, though, the refreshed dining rooms are clean, serene and quietly luxe in that Gold Coast way. One Saturday night, we were treated to an impromptu light show when the dining room ceiling fixtures started flashing. They were soon shut off, and a manager went table to table apologizing.
"This is not a nightclub,'' he said.
No, Cafe Spiaggia is not a nightclub. Despite the wobbly lights or an occasional over-salted dish, it is a place to try something new or encounter a familiar ingredient in a different way. The staff, whose styles range from smoothly polished to just a bit gawky, are friendly and willing to walk you through the menu. (I especially appreciated the server who took it upon herself to check with the kitchen on which dishes were alcohol-free.) I'm looking forward to watching this rebooted Cafe Spiaggia evolve with the seasons ahead.
wdaley@tribpub.com
Cafe Spiaggia
980 N. Michigan Ave.
312-280-2750
www.spiaggiarestaurant.com/cafe
Tribune rating: 2 stars
Open: Lunch, dinner daily
Prices: Small plates, $9-$21; dinner entrees dishes $28-$48 (all but one meant for sharing); desserts, $4-$9
Reservations: Recommended
Noise: Conversation-friendly
Other: Wheelchair accessible, valet parking
Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
