Anote on the front page of the menu at Trattoria Trullo in Lincoln Square on Chicago's North Side reads, "From Alberobello, Italy, to the heart of Lincoln Square." Alberobello is a small town and commune in the province of Bari in Puglia, Italy, and it is known for its small, conical limestone houses called trulli (a facade re-creation of those trulli are in evidence in the dining room of the restaurant). It is reasonably safe to assume that owner Giovanni DeNigris hails from Alberobello, and that along with the restaurant's name and some of the dishes, pays homage to his roots.
(John J. Kim/Sun-Times)
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But I would like to see more. Even though regional Italian cooking is getting more play these days, I am still waiting for some bold restaurateur or chef to step forward and really dig deep into the specialties of various regions of Italy (there are 20 regions in Italy, so there would be no lack of dishes to consider) and climb out of the fried calamari, bruschetta and minestrone rut.
To that end, Trattoria Trullo does manage to include some of the dishes that reflect the diversity of the cuisine of Puglia (a k a Apulia). Pasta dishes, for example, include orecchiette ("little ears") and cavatelli ("little plugs"). There is another pasta dish called trofiette Pugliese, but that regional designation is subject to discussion, because the town of Recco in Liguria lays claim to that particular pasta shape (small and squiggly).
Considering that Apulia has the longest coastline of any Italian region (426 miles), Trattoria Trullo does manage to come up with several dishes in which seafood plays a starring role. An appetizer of grigliata mista, for example, featured a trio of carefully grilled seafood -- octopus, squid and shrimp -- arranged on a bed of sauteed rapini and Tuscan beans. A splash of extra virgin olive oil added just the right finishing flavor to this dish, which had color and texture along with abundant enjoyment.
The same three denizens of the deep showed up in the Insalata di mare and were rightfully connected to nothing more than EVOO and fresh lemon juice. (In addition, there were three announced seafood specials.)
An announced special appetizer one night (though it is listed on the lunch menu) was burrata, the cheese of the moment. The overall enjoyment of this dish was exceeded only by the elaborate presentation. The impressive-in-size ball of burrata was centered on the platter and surrounded by a wealth of arugula, roasted red peppers and sliced tomatoes. But it is the lush richness of the burrata (which essentially involves stuffing fresh mozzarella with cream and more fresh mozzarella) that is so seductive and memorable.
Into the pasta: cavatelli crudaiola. The small and tender "plugs" of pasta were bathed in a sauce made with fresh tomato (the "crudaiola" part), basil, garlic, a touch of olive oil and "ricotta forte," which is similar to the usual ricotta only somewhat drier.
The orecchiette con cime di rapa -- ear-shaped pasta, served perfectly al dente got all tangled up with sauteed rapini. Basically two main ingredients, but when olive oil, garlic and some flakes of crushed red pepper get added to the mix, the dish becomes one for the ages. I set a high bar for this dish and Trullo's lived up to it beautifully.
I caved and ordered a dish that is found often (sometimes too often) on Italian menus: pollo alla parmigiana. First of all the portion was enough for two to share. Beyond that, though, the boneless chicken breast had not been breaded to death or cooked to desert dryness. Also the chicken was not entombed in cheese (just a thin glaze on each of the breasts), and the tomato sauce was rich and fruity and fresh-tasting. To add to the enjoyment, and something out of the ordinary for this dish, a julienne of vegetables -- carrots, zucchini, yellow squash -- was tucked under the chicken. Nice idea.
Two desserts were sampled. Wild cherry pie was an announced dessert special. It wasn't very exciting, and neither was the ball of pumpkin gelato sidled up to that wedge of pie. I had heard reports that the cannoli here were very good, and they were. Three small cannoli were stuffed with creamy ricotta and arranged in spoke fashion with a "hub" of vanilla gelato to make it all the more elaborate (the cannoli did fine on their own; the gelato was nice but not needed at all).
Pat Bruno is a local free-lance critic and author. E-mail brunoeats@aol.com. Listen to Pat Bruno talk about food and wine Tuesdays at 6:23 p.m. and 10:23 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 7:53 p.m. on WBBM News Radio 780-AM.
