Trattoria Trullo - Evanston?

Has anyone eaten here? I drive by it most days on my way to and from work and have often wondered if it's any good. My office in Wilmette is looking for a place to host a dinner for 15 next week and the location of Trullo is pretty good. How bout the food?

It's been a while, but as I remember, I thought it was very competent, if not exciting, Italian, in a nice space. Sorry I can't be more specific, but as I said, it's been a few years. But just the fact that it's stayed around after the nearby movie theaters closed says something.

Having said that, I think a similar but slightly better restaurant is Gio.

Trullo
1700 Central, Evanston

Gio
1631 Chicago Ave., Evanston

I've had several very good meals at Trullo. It is the restaurant of choice in Evanston for my Italian neighbors from Milan, and my former Italian-American neighbors with origins in Bari. That could be because the owner is Italian and makes them feel at home with a warm welcome. But I remember some very satisfying meals there. The dishes that stood out were osso bucco (classic preparation), very fresh fish, and a pasta with rapini as well as good spumoni for dessert. Straightforward, yes, but well executed cuisine with top quality ingredients.

Gio, recommended by nr706, is another option. The owner is the same fellow who runs Tapas Barcelona, my favorite Evanston destination. However, Gio has a less personal vibe than Trullo, and often students, rather than professionals, serving (which is not the case at Tapas Barcelona). While Tapas Barcelona offers quite a variety of options, the menu at Gio is also less exciting, with fewer specials. IMHO the food is better at Trullo.

That said, when full, Trullo can be very very noisy, such that it is hard to communicate to tablemates. And the price point may be a bit too high for an office function. I guess that depends on whether the tab is split or picked up by the firm.

Though I work very near Trullo, it is one local restaurant I have not yet gone to.

A business neighbor does speak well of it. Also, I've looked at the posted menu and saw they list primi and secondi, so it certainly would appeal to those who want to dine in the Italian manner.

If you do go, please post your observations.

I learned recently that Trullo will be closing soon. No further details.