Sweet home Livorno

Classic Windy City fare drives the menu at new local eatery

Certain foods help define a region. Barbecue goes with Kansas City, gumbo with New Orleans, lobster with Maine. An old advertising slogan insists it was a beer that gave Milwaukee its foamy fame.

In Chicago, it's all about meaty things wrapped in buns.

A new restaurant just over Naperville's northern edge conveniently makes accessible the iconic Italian beef, sausage and meticulously garnished hot dog regarded by many as mainstays of the Windy City diet.

George and Cindy Pappas, who own Livorno's, had their menus printed with the heading "serving up the Chicago tradition." Their Italian beef is made from a recipe developed by James Pappas, George's dad. It's a sentimental favorite for the son, but the other specialties are dear to his heart as well.

And if the feedback he's been hearing is any indication, Pappas is not alone.

"A lot of customers are coming in and coming back, and saying they liked it, and that's really rewarding," he said.

Open since early December, the restaurant is on the southwest side of the commercial development near Diehl and Winfield roads that is anchored by Super Target, Lifetime Fitness and the Cantera movie theater complex.

In addition to the Italian beef, Pappas said the biggest sellers at this point include the Vienna hot dogs - served Chicago-style, of course (the menu says this: "No ketchup! Don't even ask because we don't carry it! OK, maybe for the kids.") - and the chicken sandwiches. The breaded steak sandwiches, which are made from another secret family recipe and come in classic and Parmesan-enhanced versions, also are catching on.

Patrons are warming up to the concept of the fried frankfurter, too.

"It's kind of an East Coast thing," Pappas said. "The frying really brings out the flavor of the hot dog."

The burger lineup, offering a half-dozen options, centers on a beef patty made with ground steak and includes one embellished with barbecue sauce, bacon and cheddar cheese.

Nestled alongside the indulgently meaty sandwiches, if the customer wants them, are french fries made from hand-cut potatoes. Apparently a lot of customers want them.

"People love the fries," Pappas said.

Of course, one does not live on sandwiches alone, not even in Chicago. Pasta - available in tubular, stuffed or "squiggly" shapes and topped with the guest's choice of sauces, which are made by Cindy Pappas - is also a menu hightlight at Livorno's, where special reduced prices are in place on Tuesday nights from 5 p.m. until closing time.

A taste for salads can be satisfied with one of a half-dozen menu combinations, including the barbecue ranch chicken salad, a combination of grilled chicken, tomato, bacon, pasta, cheese and vegetables over mixed greens, topped with barbecue sauce and ranch dressing.

Homemade soups also are a strong point, Pappas said. Cream of chicken with rice is a house specialty, he said, and the no-beans chili is available daily as well. Other freshly made soups featured periodically include split pea, chicken enchilada, chicken noodle, beef barley, beef vegetable and French onion with green apple.

For those who save room, homemade desserts - also made by Cindy Pappas - provide a final temptation. The chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting draws some patrons, while others give in to the Key lime pie or chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick.

The Pappas' recently took on a new partner when Aurelio Silva joined the crew. Cindy Pappas knew Silva from the days when she was catering director and he was chef at the Holiday Inn in Glen Ellyn.

"For years I worked with him, and he's just wonderful," she said.

As co-owner and chef at Livorno's, Silva is in charge of a kitchen where the menu continues to evolve with the development of appetizer selections and other new dishes.

The space isn't often idle. The day crew arrives at 7:30 a.m., and the cooking continues sometimes until 1 a.m. or later, because the kitchen also supplies the full menu served at Spats, the newly opened bar next door with a Prohibition-era theme.

A separate catering menu lists Livorno's specialties packaged by the dozen, pound or tray. Delivery is available for the catering and regular menu items.