La Cucina Di Donatella

I first heard about La Cucina Di Donatella on NPR.  I kept it in the back of my mind for some time before actually finding an occasion to go, and I was sorry that I had waited so long.  The unassuming restaurant is small, about 10 tables or less, in a very crisp and airy white decor.  You can see the kitchen, and Donatella herself, cooking from any seat in the house.

The wait staff is very personable, it feels like you're at someones house for dinner because you also have to bring your own wine, which makes it a reasonable night out.  With such an extensive menu of pastas, meat and fish (the nightly specials menu is just as long, if not longer than the regular dinner menu) it's really hard to decide what to try so this particual evening we went with our waiter's recommendations. 

We started with the Insalata Di Polipo, served on a bed of spring salad, baby octopus marinated with capers, olives, parsley, garlic, extra vergin olive oil and lemon. I would normally never eat baby octopus but the dish was delicious. I didn't find the octopus to be too overbearing. It actually was very refreshing.

Next came two pasta dishes. One was Fettuccine Boscaiola, home made fettuccine in an assorted white meat sacue and mixed mushrooms sauteed in white wine. Most of the pastas are home made but be sure to inquire as to which ones because the home made fettuccine really made this dish for me. It sounded like a heavy dish but it really wasn't, the different meats (beef, pork and lamb) were in a delicate white wine sauce with finely chopped mushrooms and carrots.

The second pasta dish was Tagliolini Ai Funghie Tartufi - home makde pasta sauteed with a mix of mushrooms in a white wine sauce, black truffle pate, white truffle oil, parmigiano and pecorino. Wow! If you like truffles there is no dish quite like it. The scent filled the restuarant as it was presented, towering with different types of mushrooms. I found it a bit overwhelming but enjoyed the few bites that I had while my dining compainion devoured the dish.

Donatella also makes all her own desserts and no meal would be complete without home made Tirmisu. I've never gotten beyond the Tirmisu to try anything else, its just that good. For summer however they offer a variety of home made Gelatos. The rose flavored Gelato sounded especially interesting.

La Cucina Di Donatella
2221 W. Howard
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Comments

[robin..]

what is the address, please? the mushroom talk has certainly caught my interest....

[Josh]

It's been added!

[Jeffery Ashlock]

I went to this restuarant on October 5th. I found the food was good but they do not give butter for your bread even if you beg for it. I found this to be absurd and the service was horrible, we were treated very rudely by our server. He spoke down to us stating that butter was not a garnish...Whatever. I was very dissapointed because I liked the food but a simple request really changed my mind about this place. I have never been treated that way before in my life. I give it a thumbs down after this episode

[BOB B West Ridge]

The Wife and I love this place,It makes you feel like your in Italy . The food is so diferent and so good. This goes out to Josh hey buddy get off the butter it will kill you. If you really need butter go to Olive Garden and clog you arteries with all the butter your heart can hold.

[ataraxy]

At Donatella's you'll either love or hate the place. You'll love the food if you're willing to give up your American habits (butter on bread, cheese on all pasta, etc), but if you're not open to trying things the way Donatella serves them, you'll hate the service.

I was friends with Donatella and my family were regulars there for a while, so I speak from personal experience when I say I understand why Donatella refuses to serve butter for bread or change anything in her recipes. She is passionate about food and wants her customers to experience true, authentic Roman food prepared the 'right' way. She expressed surprise at how many people wanted to butter their bread or do other things with their food that you just wouldn't find in Italy.

If you can put aside requests for changes in the menu, and not ask for anything other than what she offers, I think most diners will really enjoy this restaurant. But if you require food to be prepared your way, and don't want to try something the way the chef prepares it, you'll be disappointed. Donatella is very particular, which is probably why her restaurant often seems understaffed. I liken the service here to that at the Heartland... it is often slow, but the food, the atmosphere, and the authenticity of the entire experience make going here worth it.

I don't live so close any more, so I haven't been there much over the past year. But if I were closer I would still be going there regularly.

Cin cin!

[Nick]

Passionate, smashonate. Its ego. Nothing less. If a customer requests something, they get it. PERIOD. Let me spell that out for "passionate" people P E R I O D.

And don't give me any of that Italian bullshit. I'm 100% Italian. Right off the boat. I have eaten more authentic regional Italian food in ONE WEEK, than most "knowledgable foodies" have eaten in their LIFETIMES. And in an Italian house, the GUEST GETS WHAT THEY WANT. If my mom served them an authetic ANYTHING and they wanted something, like say uhhhmmmmmmmm perhaps BUTTER FOR THEIR BREAD, my mom wasn't INSULTED OR PASSIONATE enough to be RUDE enough to deny her guest that pleasure. Now, if the guest INSISTED THAT my dad or my mom eat it, well, then they make refuse, but to refuse a request from a guest simple for EGO??? Thats NOT ITALIAN, thats just rude.

[ataraxy]

Uh, lots of yelling going on, Nick. Not sure why you are picking a bone with me for NOT getting all bent out of shape about a restaurant owner's peculiarities. As an Italian, are you just ruder? Or, sorry, PASSIONATE? I never called myself a knowledgeable foodie, but if I were, am I supposed to be ashamed? Who cares if you've eaten more authentic Italian food than most foodies? Does that mean anyone who someone else might call a foodie should just stop trying to find authentic regional food (of any nationality)?

I wasn't denying that Donatella had an ego. I just know her personal opinion on butter or those types of requests. She honestly believed things tasted better a certain way, and she was passionate about showing that to her customers. I'm glad your mom would bend over backwards for people, including those who ate at her house. Mine wouldn't. I didn't grow up in Italy, nor was I coddled. I guess I learned to be gracious in other peoples' homes or places of business instead of expect people to cater to me wherever I go.

Plus, life is too short to be so ANGRY or VEHEMENT in CASUAL DISCUSSIONS with STRANGERS online or in RESTAURANTS that have a MENU. On top of that, all that yelling does the *opposite* of community building.

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I found it a bit overwhelming but enjoyed the few bites that I had while my dining compainion devoured the dish.

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