Basilico Ristorante

My dad likes this place for its Americanized italian food.  It is just ok.  We shared the calamari salad and the antipasto.  The calamari was well cooked, not rubbery.  The only item was good on the antipasto plate was the reggiano cheese.  I had their version of creamy carbonera.  It was just ok.  Nothing special.  Next time in Chicago, I will push for somewhere else to eat.

Yuck, I thought, when we pulled into the parking lot. I've blown past this place at 30mph for many years and had zero interest in slowing down. Today, I had no choice, because a family funeral luncheon brought me to their doors.
Shocker: the exterior (abandoned-looking mall) is hiding one AMAZING restaurant.
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Outside, bland and unappealing.  Inside, quiet, approachable, elegant. Despite the room being set up with long, banquet-style tables (the group was about sixty people), we could see how charming it would be normally. We were greeted by pleasant, attractive waitstaff, and their service was exceptional.  We asked for coffee, it arrived moments later, before the entire table was even seated!  Drink refills were seamless and items were cleared from the table very efficiently. Our waiter was very helpful and friendly, without being intrusive.   We ate family-style, so everyone got a bit of everything offered and we all agreed the food was excellent, from the fresh, crusty bread to the lemon chicken, to the pastas, salad dressings, veal.... oh, wow.

I want to write more, but there's no point.  It would just be a long litany of how they did simply everything right. When I finish submitting this,  I'm making a dinner reservation for next week.

A staple for our crowd when we travel into Chicago on business and stay by the airport. Very good pasta selections and friendly service.