Che Figata -Naperville

Not downtown Naperville, but in City Gate plaza, near the Calamos Investment building. We went last week and am still thinking about the two versions of Bolognese (white and red) that we tried. The owner Mark has an impressive resume of restaurants he has helped open. Everything is imported from Italy and if you happen to run into Mark and let him know it's your first time, he might have you sample some stuff on the house. He even sliced a small piece of Prime Rib they make every Saturday and Sunday, which was delicious with a porcini rub. They also have a small market you can buy some sauces and bread that they make fresh. Can't wait to go back, good wine list too.

https://www.chefigatakitchen.com/

2155 City Gate Ln
Naperville, IL 60563
(630) 579-3210

We went to Che Figata with my mother last night. Quartino of red wine (can't remember which one) for mom, barrel-aged negroni for me and Off Color Troublesome for Mr. X. Enjoy the bread service -- the bread is excellent and is served with an EVOO, sun-dried tomato (?) dip. We selected a variety of items to share.

POLENTE RAGU - Polenta board, Sunday ragu, wild mushroom, rose cipollini marmalade

CAVOLFIORE ARROSTO & RICOTTA DI PECORA - Roast cauliflower, spring garlic, sheep milk ricotta, watercress, apple, local curried honey, balsamela Acetaia San Giacomo

SALAMINO PICCANTE (pizza) - Spicy charred pepperoni, caramelized cipollini,
Calabrian pepper, buffalo mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano

RAGU DELLA DOMENICA STILE CHE FIGATA - Braised short rib, meatballs, Italian sausage, San Marzano, rigatoni, Parmigiano Reggiano, EVOO

IL MISTO DELLA DOMENICA - Sunday pan-dripping pit-roasted prime, braised
short rib, foraged mushroom ragu, roasted garlic, thyme, collected jus’

Overall we enjoyed our meal. The pizza crust was fantastic. It is Roman style, which they describe on the menu as "made using a different technique, letting the dough ferment for 72-96 hours. This results in a very different-looking and tasting pie. Typically oval instead of round and moister, thicker and heartier." I also really enjoyed the polenta. There were meatballs, the ragu, pickled mushrooms and a spread of soft polenta. Really delicious. The weakest dish to me was the Il Misto Della Domenica. Basically it was an open face Italian beef. Not noted on the menu is that it is topped with cheese and has a side of house-made giardiniera. The meat was delicious, but the dish needed something. The giardiniera added crispness, but wasn't flavorful.

They had a decent crowd for early on a Sunday evening. Service was generally good, but the number of diners did seem to surprise our server. I hope they do well with the hotel business and nearby office tenants. I know their neighbors in the senior living community across the street might find it expensive and too fancy. Since mom wasn't paying, she stopped commenting on the prices.