***** When one thinks of Long Grove, one thinks of the business area that is known as “downtown” in the Long Grove area. Many fine shops and dining spaces are there as well as some fun bars, but, one must know that there is more to the antique suburb than just that section of Robert Parker Coffin Road. If you go North to Route 22, you will find that there is a small strip center and in that center is a dining space that is part of Long Grove, yet , not downtown ( if one can call the main area “downtown”). Yes, on the corner of Robert Parker Coffin Road and Route 22 ( also known as Half Day Road), you will find a wonderful space called Sorelle Italian Street Food serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The dining room is unique in that it feels quite European and there is a wonderful patio that is perfect for the warmer months ( of which this year they have been plentiful). Here at Sorelle, located at 3976 Illinois Route 22 in Long Grove, you walk in, place your order from the huge selection, pay for your food, and then go to your table. A server will bring your food to the table when ready. There is a place for the silverware and napkins, plus water and glasses so you can take care of the table and be ready for the arrival of the scrumptious meal you are about to dine on.
Jane and I were joined by our friends Alan ( yes, another Alan) and Vickie. As is our custom when doing a feature, we select an assortment of mainstay dishes so we can do a tasting and report back to you. There are a great number of dishes to choose from so we had to have a slight huddle to decide where to go as far as ordering. We opted for one salad- the Pear and Arugula Salad and surprisingly this was better than I have had at some of the high line Gold Coast restaurants. There were plenty of walnuts and the dressing was perfect. Of course we had an order of garlic bread ( terrific, and I apologized to Seattle Sutton for this one).
They have a host of sandwiches that are served for lunch and dinner and while the dinner menu is petite and served from 5 p.m.- 9 p.m., we found items that were terrific. Roasted Salmon Piccata- fresh salmon, oven roasted and finished in a sauce that is buttery with lemon served with smashed potatoes, veggies and capers- delish!
We had a platter of Mussels Marinara. They were a little on the zingy side, but for Alan and myself, that meant less for the ladies, and more for us- they were juicy and a whole lot of them,
Nonna’s Sicilian Lasagna was one of the highlights of our meal. A hand -crafted pasta wheel ( 3 of them) filled with fresh ricotta cheese, creamy flor di latte mozzarella and house-made besciamed, topped with their own san marzona tomato sauce and a touch of parmigiana cheese. These were “to die for!” We also did a bowl of noodles, to get afeel for their pasta and sauces.
While we skipped the sandwiches ( they did look amazing- oh well, next time, for sure), we did try the pizza doing the Margherita. It was the tamest of the three offered as the ladies protest when we get a little spicy. The menu is very huge and in spite of the dinner menu being small, there are so many choices of salads, pastas, and sandwiches, I think you could come every day and not duplicate in a week. Since they have a great wine selection, we did a white wine- La Scolca- Gavi from Italya bianco secco- perfect with the meal and then for dessert, their coffee ( premium organic that is terrific) and our host Mario brought us a few plates of their baked goods.
Take a look and you will see some great items. I had never tried Nutella and one of the pastries was filled with this. It was as chocolaty as any chocolate I have ever tasted, but not near the number of calories, and I am sure my cardiologist would prefer this.
The dinner was a wonderful experience and I must tell you this restaurant is very family orientated. FYI The name Sorelle and logo is about the owners three daughters. Lucky us, we got to meet them tonight and I am sending them off to Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre for the play “Arthur & Friends Make a Musical” ( now playing).
Sorelle has both inside and outside seating and several nights a week, they have live entertainment. You will feel that you are away from home, have a great meal and not worry about the cost. A definite treat for all tastes.
They are open: Wednesday-Saturday 8 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Sundays 8 a.m.- 8 p.m.
Again, the location is 3976 Route 22 in Long Grove
phone 847-320-1965
They are growing and expanding and will soon open up in Glenview at The Glen, where they will serve up the same concept and wonderful food. We will keep you informed as to the details but I can guarantee that when they open those doors, Jane and I will be there to welcome them and enjoy some of their marvelous food!
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