Trattoria 225

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars



Restaurant: Trattoria 225
Location: 225 Harrison, Oak Park


I grew up in Oak Park and my parents still live there, so I make it out there more times than not (at least I like to think so, though my mom would probably tell you that I don’t visit enough) for dinner. Now, whenever we head out there, dinner is limited to four options. Option 1: Lalo’s. This is my dad’s favorite place to eat. And for the last 10 years or so was just about the only restaurant they would go to. When I’d come back and visit from college? We’d go to Lalo’s. When my wife and I would come up to visit while living in St. Louis? We’d go to Lalo’s. When we’d head out there for dinner after moving back to the city? We’d go to Lalo’s. I think my parents went there every Friday night for like 8 years. They are like the Brett Favre or Cal Ripken of Lalo’s dining – they never missed a start. And I’m not complaining, because I like Lalo’s (fist bump with a manly ass slap). But every week? It can get a little old. Option 2: Barbeque in the backyard. This only happens on Sunday nights, and it only happens in the summer. And I use the term barbeque loosely, as it mostly consists of my dad burning everything in sight. Option 3: Salerno’s pizza. This is a staple when we don’t want to go out. And it’s probably my 2nd favorite pizza in the world. Option 4: Tasty Dog. Their hot dogs have cucumbers on them. But other than that they’re pretty good.

So I was pretty excited last week when my sister was in town and my parents said we were having dinner at Trattoria 225, a new Italian restaurant (rustic Italian dining, to be precise) not too far from their house. Growing up Harrison St. didn’t have a whole lot going on. There was Amanda’s (which was a convenience store we would go to all the time to get my mom Pepsi and buy water guns), La Majada (a Mexican restaurant which is still there and right across from Trattoria 225), and a laundry mat. And that’s about it. Now it’s full of art studios and cute little shops and a coffee shop and restaurants and everything. It’s like this cool little artsy strip that everyone in town seems to love. Quick sidestep here. My old boss had a sister who lived in Oak Park, and when I first met her (about 7 years ago) and told her where my parents lived, she talked about how Harrison was becoming the cool art part of town. She then proceeded to say how she used to be afraid to walk down Harrison, but that it was becoming the kind of place where it was OK for her kids to walk around (as long as it was light out). I didn’t even know how to react. This was the O.P. we were talking about. It’s not a scary place. I grew up there and almost never felt threatened even as a kid (except the one time a kid came into our backyard and tried take my brother’s bike, but my mom came out and put the kid in a choke hold until he tapped out and left running. Highest of high comedy.). And this lady was acting like it was Compton. White people make me laugh.

I was a little late to dinner because I have a job in the city and my parents seem to think they are 85 and made reservations for 6:30. By the time I got there they had ordered an appetizer and drinks. I ordered a beer from the waiter, and he was ready to take everyone’s food order. I made up for the lost time by getting the fresh mozzarella wrapped with prosciutto, grilled Caesar salad, margherita pizza, and the baked penne. And I also got dessert, but I’ll tell you more about that in a minute.

The fresh mozzarella wrapped with prosciutto was pretty decent. But then again anytime you wrap a cheese with cured meat I’m probably going to be more happy than not. The mozzarella didn’t quite taste as fresh as expected, and the prosciutto wasn’t the best I’d ever had, but it was grilled and topped with pesto, so it ended up being pretty delicious. The cheese was nice and soft, but not quite oozing. I’d for sure get it again, but it was also cheese and meat, so take my exuberance with a grain of salt.

The grilled Caesar wasn’t really grilled, at least not that I could tell. So I guess it was more like a Caesar. They served it like Barcello’s (R.I.P.) used to, as just a huge wedge of romaine that you had to cut up yourself. But it was fantastic. Better than Barcello’s. I really like the dressing, and the head of romaine tasted really fresh and crisp. Not too crunchy, not too soft. Not too ripe (can lettuce even be ripe? Is that possible? Can you describe lettuce that way, or only bananas and cantaloupe and stuff? Either way, you know what I mean.). Just a really good salad. And if I ever talk like this about salad again please kick me in the crotch.

I ordered the margherita pizza for the table, so everyone could get a taste, even though I think I ate most of it. It was a wood-fired pizza, which proves that Oak Park really is getting swanking and safe again for the pale of skin. The pizza was just OK. My mom really liked it, but it didn’t compare to Pizza D.O.C., Coalfire, or Spacca Napoli. But it was a solid option.

I really liked the baked penne. It was filled with spiced fennel sausage and pepperoni. And not some tiny, thin slices of pepperoni, but good, sizable chunks. And it was really good pepperoni. In fact, had the dish only had pepperoni, it might have been perfect. Next time I’m going to ask if I can order it without the sausage (which wasn’t bad, it’s just that there was a lot more sausage than pepperoni, and I like the pepperoni a lot better), and double up on the pepperoni. I have a feeling after I order it that way they’ll see the error of their way and change the menu. And name the dish in my honor (The Big Delicious Baked Penne). At least I like to think so.

For dessert the waiter talked me into the apple pie, which was topped with cinnamon gelato. The gelato was really good, and the pie was decent, just not hot enough. If you’re going to serve apple pie, I think you are required to make sure that it feels like it just came out of the oven. Otherwise what’s the point?

The service was great. The place has a nice set up (exposed brick, cement bar, lots of room, plenty of tables). And the prices were really, really reasonable.

There’s not much else to say about the place. It’s not great. It’s not awful. It’s just a really solid option, especially if you’re in the Oak Park area. Just good old-fashioned Italian food done right. Not too fancy, not too simple. A little something for everyone. Hopefully we’ll be heading back (sorry Lalo’s).

Fist bump.


Got a question? Send it to josh@borntofork.com.