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.
A senior citizen’s sleeping habits are very strange indeed. You wake up at the butt crack of dawn and fall asleep right after Wheel of Fortune. Even when you are sleeping, your bladder decides to wake you up, or your brain suddenly remembers something you were trying to think of two days ago. Such was the case when Jim woke up screaming the name of a restaurant that we haven’t been to in over 25 years. The name in this sudden epiphany was Tony Spavone’s Ristorante in Bloomingdale, so off we went for a late lunch.
Tony Spavone’s Ristorante
266 W. Lake Street
Bloomindale 60108
(630) 529-3154
tonyspavonesrestaurant.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 South to I-90 East to Rte. 59 South to Lake Street, East to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 37 minutes
Another advantage of being old is that everything seems new. We couldn’t remember what it looked like the last time we were there, but I’m sure it hasn’t changed. The restaurant is truly old school. It has Italian music playing in the background, and you are surrounded by photos of various Italian celebrities. The dining room is huge with a fireplace in the middle.
Now for the important stuff. When we sat down, we were given a basket of warm garlic rolls with olive oil and parmesan cheese for dipping. They had Nancy in mind with the minced garlic on top, and these rolls were awesome. Nancy carefully picked the roll with the most garlic on top and summoned all of her willpower not to scrape off all the garlic from the rest of them.
For our appetizer today, we went with the Italian Antipasto Platter ($14.95). This had four slices each of salami, prosciutto, mortadella. It also included cubed parmesan cheese, sliced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, and pepperoncini. This was a nice start to our old school Italian luncheon.
Jim is stuck in a rut and as usual cannot pass up the Veal Saltimbocca ($17.95). This was three slices of veal topped with prosciutto and cheese in a savory sage sauce. His dinner came with a side of pasta and he asked for spaghetti with meat sauce. All entrées come with either soup or salad and he chose the Pasta e Fagioli soup. The soup was tasty, but he wished it was thicker. The side of pasta was huge and the meat sauce had a slight sweetness to it. The veal was tender, tasty, and outstanding. Half of his meal came home in a doggie bag.
Nancy loves ravioli and not many places make it filled with meat. So, when she spotted the Meat Ravioli ($17.95), she couldn’t resist. There were five large meat ravioli with meat sauce that was exceptional. She chose a salad for her side with garlic dressing, of course. She was happy with her decision and brought home three raviolis in a doggie bag.
To complete our Italian dinner “like grandma used to make,” we had to have the Tiramisu ($8.95) for dessert. This is our go to dessert and it was wonderful and large enough for both of us to share. It was creamy, light, and delicious.
FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.
Tony Spavone’s Ristorante has been family owned for over 41 years. He prides himself on serving meals “like grandma used to make.” If you go there for dinner, you just may be treated to Tony’s serenading the diners. There’s a reason he has been in business for over 41 years, good food, ambiance, and Tony’s watchful eye.
The price for a meal just “like grandma made” $69.82. Not hearing Tony sing at lunch, disappointing…
Jim’s take: They offer fantastic Italian food at an unbelievable price.
Nancy’s take: Why did we wait over 25 years to go back? Must have been, like the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. And we were out of our minds!!!
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