Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with My Sun Day News.
Ads that you see on social media are like betting in Las Vegas. Everything looks good on the internet until you “throw the dice.” Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. It’s a real “crap shoot.” We were very skeptical since we’ve been burned in the past, with restaurants that looked totally different when we went there. We found a restaurant that we thought was a sure “bet” because it had an item on the menu that Nancy hasn’t had in 40 years, a deep-fried panzerotti. With this in mind, we decided to “roll the dice” and head out to Pasta Mia Pizzeria and Pastaria in Bartlett.
Pasta Mia Pizzaria and Pastaria
116 Bartlett Plaza
Bartlett 60103
(630)736-1290
pastamiabartlett.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 South to I-90 East to Ret. 59 South to Bartlett Road, East to Main Street, South to Restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 31 minutes
This venue is an end unit in a shopping center with a beautiful exterior. They have lots of outdoor seating with outdoor lights, heaters, and flowers. You know you are in the right spot when you see the parking space curb stops are painted green, white, and red, the colors of the Italian flag.
The interior was spacious with painted brick walls which made the dining area feel homey. As a matter of fact, this restaurant has been family owned since 1988. There were 20 tables, a bar with high-top tables, and a gaming room.
We started off with a classic Italian appetizer (?) the Quesadilla Italiano ($17). This was a 15-inch diameter flour tortilla with Italian beef, giardiniera, mozzarella cheese, and served with marinara sauce. This was awesome, and we were surprised that other Italian restaurants never thought of it. The waitress warned us that the giardiniera was really hot, so you can have it inside the tortilla or on the side. We “gambled” and ordered it inside the tortilla. She was right, it was hot, hot, hot!!! On a scale of one to 10 on Jim’s sweat head-meter it measured a 16!!! It was so hot. How hot was it? My tongue was even starting to sweat.
On to our entrees. Nancy’s main purpose today was to get her Panzerotti ($14). This was a pizza turnover stuffed with mozzarella cheese and sauce. She added pepperoni for a $2 upcharge. The waitress asked if she wanted it baked or deep fried, and of course she had to have it deep fried, the way she remembered it. For those of you who have never had one, it is a ginormous Italian pierogi and it is out of this world.
Jim spotted Auntie Vera’s Pasta Caprese ($19). This creative dish was cherry tomatoes sauteed in garlic, olive oil, basil served with penne pasta and fresh mozzarella. He added a side of their Italian Sausage ($6). My eyes popped out when the waitress placed the sausage in front of Jim. It was the longest sausage I had ever seen. Jim said his dish was differently delicious.
We were on a “roll,” so we decided to have dessert. We chose our all-time favorite Tiramisu ($7). This was a welcome finish to a great meal.
FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.
The only downside to this restaurant would be all the entrees are ala carte, soup or salad is not included. For some reason, we didn’t even receive any bread at our table. Otherwise, this restaurant is a keeper.
The price for “gambling” on a new restaurant and “winning” was $78.52. Nancy finally getting a panzerotti, priceless…
Jim’s take: My pasta dish was different and delicious, but the sausage stole the show.
Nancy’s take: I loved everything from the appetizer, to the entrée, to the dessert. They were all spot on.
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at: thediningduo@gmail.com
