“Paisano’s on Broadway Italian Steakhouse”- worth the drive..and then some!

[rating=5]We have been to many Italian restaurants. Many years ago, I fell in love with one in the Vernon Hills/Mundelein area called Gilardi’s. For people in the North Shore it was a favorite. As the years went on, new owners took over and none of us knew what had happened. Recently we found out that Phil and Karen Gilardi had moved to Richmond Illinois and opened up Paisano’s On Broadway Italian Steakhouse. For those who do not know Richmond, it is a small town near Antioch and Fox Lake ( the Chain O’ Lakes Area) and since 2007, the Gilardi family has been sharing their delightful recipes with the people of the area. Alan and Vickie who joined Jane and I tonight drive through Richmond on their way to Lake Geneva regularly and often stop on Route 12 at Anderson’s Chocolates. They never knew that Broadway held such great dining just around the corner.

Yes, the restaurant is Italian ( through and through) with sauces that will give your taste buds new life. The restaurant is huge and is very like the Italian Village in Chicago in wall coverings and little alcoves in the dining areas. They also have a wonderful outdoor patio which they share with their sister restaurant Seaside Prime by Paisano’s. We peeked inside and saw a wonderful reason to come back to Richmond ( as if we needed one after the fabulous experience). Richmond is a small village, about 45 miles from Chicago with a population of 2,000 plus. I think they were all out last night and most of them dining at these two restaurants in town. This was Wednesday in Richmond and the place was busy as can be ( both inside and out) and service was amazing.

We started our dinner with cocktails. Vickie and I had Vodka martinis and Jane had a dirty martini. Alan had a marvelous glass of wine. They have a great selection of wines and special cocktails available. Our appetizer ( they have an enormous selection) was the Paisano’s Calamari which is a combination of fried and toasted in a special vesuvio sauce. We all loved it and we felt that the flavors were perfection. We also shared a Lobster Bisque that was tasty and had a great crust. Speaking of crust, both ladies are bread lovers and truly enjoyed the fresh bread brought to the table with cheese and olive oil.

We did four entrees and despite their name including steak, opted to do their specialties. Veal Picata ( medallions of Veal sautéed in a lemon butter sauce with garlic, capers and white wine. We loved the Broadway Shrimp- tossed in Italian breadcrumbs pan fried in red pepper- great flavor and not spicy at all. The Rigatoni Bolognese topped with a ground beef sauce along with tomatoes finished with parmigiana and Romano blended with a touch of cream was to die for! Our last selection was the Halibut, grilled and rolled in a macadamia nut batter.

I must tell you that the steaks looked terrific and when we return  (and we will) a steak will be on the plate for me, such as the Steak Sicilliano , a one pound prime Black Angus NY strip sautéed in garlic and olive oil with roasted peppers served with vesuvio potatoes. They also have pork chops that will get your taste buds salivating. To finish our dinner.

Desserts are plentiful but if you are truly doing Italian, homemade gelato ( we did cotton candy, birthday cake and strawberry) should be part of the meal and of course, the homemade Cannoli. Our server Matt made sure that our every need was handled. This young man knew the menu and the specials by heart and was able to explain the sauces to perfection.

Paisano’s is a dinner spot located at 5614 Broadway ( just of Route 12) with hours daily from 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m. For reservations, call 815-678-4500 and to take a look at the menu visit www.paisanosonbroadway.com ( you can take a look at Seaside Prime as well).

The dinner is worth the drive !

They have party rooms available and a complete family style menu for take home. If you are seeking a fun location with great service and food you will not be disappointed.