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Business & Tech

A Dining Gem You'll Regret Missing

Eclissi Italian Restaurant is small but is the perfect spot for eating out in Skokie.

Skokie’s food scene has a new gem in the 6-month-old Eclissi Italian Restaurant, which offers an intimate dining experience and large plates of truly excellent food.

The tiny spot at 8018 N. Lincoln Ave. is easy to walk right by. The dining room has just a few dark wood tables, each featuring a small vase with fresh flowers, and pictures of plants and wine bottles line the walls. A giant wine rack is positioned between the dining room and kitchen, showing off the restaurant’s collection of nearly 20 wines. Hanging lanterns and soft playing Frank Sinatra tunes add to the mellow vibe.

While the place has many of the trappings of fine dining, you’ll see customers sporting T-shirts and shorts.

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There was only one server working when we came in, so it took a while for us to get attention. The wine menu only shows bottles so I asked about glasses of red wine and was told that there were three varieties available for $5-5.50. My boyfriend and I both ordered a glass of the La Ginestra Chianti ($5.50), which our server said was excellent, and we were very pleased with the wine and the size of the pour. We also went with two of our server’s suggestions for food, choosing the cheese ravioli ($9.50) and grilled salmon ($16).

After taking our orders, our server brought out a basket of very hot toasted bread and parmesan-crusted crackers with a good olive oil for dipping. After we’d been munching on that and chatting for a while, we were surprised when a plate of mini aracini arrived at our table. We were told it was compliments of the house since the chef was a bit behind schedule.

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The dish more than made up for the wait, featuring a set of three balls of risotto, peas and shredded beef lightly breaded in a way that kept the whole mix together but had none of the oily taste of fried food. They’re served in a plate of savory marinara sauce with plenty of grated parmesan cheese that packed even more flavor into each bite.

Our entrees were both excellent and beautifully presented. The cheese ravioli featured au dente pasta stuffed with rich cheese filling and topped with a vodka gorgonzola cream sauce, lightly sautéed spinach and orange zest. The vegetables and zest nicely cut through the dish to keep it from being too heavy.

The salmon was perfectly grilled and covered in a wonderful tomato and caper sauce with a light citrusy taste. It was served with solid portions of fingerling potatoes and rapini, which was still a bit crisp and was loaded with garlic and spiced up with a bit of crushed red pepper.

Once everyone in the restaurant had their entrees, chef and co-owner Ruben Vilanueva began making the rounds, stopping at every table to chat with the diners. His visit went beyond the “How are you liking everything?” to casually talking a bit about the dishes we were having and his restaurant.

A veteran chef who spent five years working at Trattoria Trullo before it moved from Evanston to Chicago, Eclissi is clearly a labor of love for Vilanueva. He seemed genuinely happy to share the establishment's goodies with us and insisted we check out the patio before we left.

We both wound up with leftovers but decided to try dessert. We asked for the mini cannolis ($3) but were told they were sold out, so went with the tiramisu instead. The dish was solid, not too rich or sweet with flaky cake blending with the light cream.

After paying, we walked out to the patio and Vilanueva came with us, sharing his pride as we admired a space that took us entirely by surprise. Much bigger than the inside dining room, the area features plenty of tables enclosed by wooden fences and lined with herb and vegetable gardens that grow ingredients used in the kitchen. With a parking lot right outside, it makes for a convenient and beautiful spot for dinner or a bigger gathering.

It just added to our feeling that while Eclissi might not look like much from the street, it’s a restaurant you should be sure not to miss.

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