Scotto's Cafe in Long Grove

On the corner of Route 22 and Old McHenry Road sits the new Long Grove Commons shopping center, sort of an upscale strip mall. Surprisingly, it is only 30% leased in its infancy making it look at bit bare, but I stopped in this weekend to a place called Scotto's Cafe that I think is worth a mention.

Scotto's is basically a nice looking fast food stand, serving italian beefs, pizza, and various hot sandwiches. As this was my first time, I can't comment on all of the food there but I had an italian beef (hot) that I thought was a solid sandwich. What I was particularly impressed with was the bread, which they toast before putting the beef and jus on. Everything held together quite well and the bread soaked up the jus without problem. The beef itself was perfectly average - no strong differentiating flavor to it apart from what I've had before - and the giardinerra was standard. All in all, it was a solid italian beef sandwich that won't have Johnnie's shaking in their boots but is still a very enjoyable experience that I would recommend for everyone. (Sorry I didn't have my camera on me at the time). The french fries were above average for a stand - crinkle-cut, hot and crispy. Not made on-premises but they turn out better than a lot of other places.

I give Scotto's a thumbs-up due to ownership, who really cared about our experience and were quite friendly. They mentioned that they owned a place for five years prior to this place, although the name escapes me.

Given that this place has only been open and the shopping center is only 30% leased, I think they've struggled to get going a bit, so if you're in the area and want a decent lunch at a friendly place, I'd highly recommend them.

rdstoll wrote:They mentioned that they owned a place for five years prior to this place, although the name escapes me. . .

Pretty sure it was Marisa's Pizza in the strip mall at the corner of Dundee and Sanders in Northbrook.

=R=