- Enzo & Lucia, a beloved Italian restaurant located in Long Grove, Illinois, has been serving authentic regional Italian cuisine for the past 23 years.
Chicago is home to some truly incredible Italian restaurants. No matter what you’re craving, from scratch-made spaghetti in River West to crispy calamari in Little Italy, you’ll have a hard time not being able to find the Italian dish of your wildest, Barolo-driven dreams. And for those who live downtown, venturing anywhere outside the city for an Italian meal seems like an insane task — why would I leave the confines of the metropolis when everything I want is right here? And yet, outside of the hustle and bustle, is where some culinary treasures reside. That’s what Enzo & Lucia is — the cozy, comforting gem beyond the city limits. City dwellers, don’t be afraid. The suburbs won’t bite.
Long Grove, a town that sits about 40 miles north of downtown Chicago, has been the home of Enzo & Lucia for the last 23 years. Owned by Glenn and Renata Cardelli (but still named after the original owners), Enzo & Lucia is a longstanding favorite in the community, serving up delicious authentic Italian cuisine, from classic regional staples to beloved family recipes.
The menu came together by tapping into the various regional cuisines that Renata and her husband’s families grew up on. Hailing from both Northern and Southern Italy, the menu reflects the importance of relying on your roots to create something beautiful, with dishes like chicken Vesuvio, melanzana parmigiana, fettuccine in a slow-simmered bolognese, and homemade gnocchi from Renata’s mother’s recipe.
Enzo & Lucia is a love letter to Italian cuisine
Part of the joy of dining at Enzo & Lucia lies in the food, to be sure, but there’s more to it. The Cardelli family has created a cozy, comforting environment that makes diners feel like they’re part of the family, too. “We do care about all of our guests. Wanting to feed people and (for them to) like your food is in your DNA if you’re Italian,” said Renata Cardelli in The Chicago Tribune. “If a diner isn’t happy with what they ordered, I’d rather they ask us to make it right than go away dissatisfied.”…