Il Covo
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“Italian men making Italian food” appears to be the motto of the revamped Il Covo: I heard it twice on the phone and once in person when I went to scope it out. But it’s not just marketing talk–the concept works. This bilevel Bucktown Italian spot–under new management and with new chefs in the kitchen–is much improved from its earlier days as an uninspired purveyor of Australian-Italian fusion cuisine. The team (which includes vets of Pizza D.O.C. and Trattoria D.O.C.) offers a solid menu inspired by rustic Sardinian cooking, with seafood, roasted meats, and hearty ragus taking center stage. We started with an ample plate of lightly grilled vegetables–zucchini, radicchio, endive, asparagus–accompanied by a decadent grilled disk of melted scamorza cheese and a sheet of buttery beef carpaccio with arugula and shavings of mild pecorino Sardo. Bucatini amatriciana was a broad bowl of long, thick noodles dressed in a sauce of pancetta, onion, and tomato–immensely satisfying, if a little salty thanks to the generous amount of bacon. Pollo alla Sarda, a pair of chicken paillards rolled around mozzarella and prosciutto, was equally rich (and again, kinda salty), but the flavors were well balanced. The dark decor remains the same for now (as do the slightly too-high prices), but co-owner Dominico Fronteddu says they plan to spiff the place up soon, after his parents come over from Sardinia with a load of carpets and stuff. –Martha Bayne
Punta Cana
3441 N. Halsted
For more on restaurants, see our blog The Food Chain at chicagoreader.com.
