Terra Gusto - Chicago, IL Review

We live a few blocks from the new Terra Gusto in Lincoln Park.  We have been to their other location.  In fact, I have written a reviewof it!  So we took the kids last night.  The food was fantastic.  Really a step above most good Italian restaurants that we go to.  That said there were some issues.  The restaurant was very cold when we got there and they said they it would warm up because of the open kitchen but the first 15 minutes were a bit bone chilling.  The restaurant is very small and sat close to the door which made it a bit worse.   The waiter was knowledgable but honestly he rubbed me the wrong way.  He was a bit abrubt and condescending.   And their timing on bringing dishes was terrible. Even when they told us the meat entrees would come 5 minutes after the pasta course, it was more like 15 minutes.  And a pet peeve of mine, I wanted the glass of red wine brought at the same time as the pasta and he forgot and I had to remind him.  And then he brought my coffee after desert had been consumed which also drives me crazy.

All that said, the food is amazing and I will likely go back.  Some of my favorites:

•  The polenta with spicy lamb sausage, onions & roasted tomatoes organic baked polenta served with Crawford farms spicy lamb sausage, onions, tomatoes & ricotta salata

•  The lasagnette neri con gamberi & cappesante - black pasta "rags" in a spicy white-wine garlic sauce with shrimp & bay scallops

• The gnocchi di semola al burro con pecorino e pesto genovese roman-style semolina gnocchi tossed in a rich butter sauce with sweet sheep's milk cheese & fresh basil pesto