Classical Italian, Done Right
ByUp in the north shore area of the Chicago suburbs there’s a little place called Highwood. This town doesn’t boast more than 5000 or so residents. But, because of its proximity to the former Army post at Fort Sheridan, Highwood surprisingly features more than the usual number of gastronomically important bars and restaurants. One of these is Alex’s Washington Gardens, an Old World Italian-style eatery with decades of tradition behind it.
My husband and I first discovered the restaurant after a political fundraiser at the restaurant next door, Bridie McKenna’s (also an excellent place to eat!). While waiting for the valet to return our car in the cold, the hostess at Washington Gardens came outside and urged us to forego our planned dinner at Curry Hut (yet another Highwood highlight) in favor of trying someplace new. Well, she was nice, and it was warm and cozy in there, so we did it.
Here’s what we learned that night: Washington Gardens has been around since the 1940s, when it began to become known for its pizzas. It was a family restaurant, owned by the Scornavacco’s until 2007 when Alex Scornavacco and his partner Bill Bernstein decided to retire. The new owner, Jim Stoecker, has remained true to the restaurant’s character by serving the same dishes in the same classically elegant environment. Today, Alex Scornavacco still shows up almost every day to help out, and to keep the tradition alive. I understand that celebrities have frequented this place as well—but only ones in the know about local culinary gems.
The menu features the kind of dishes you’d expect from a family Italian restaurant—deliciously savory and hearty pastas, steaks, chicken and seafood with tags like Parmigiana, Pomodoro and Bolognese. The pizzas remain among the most popular items on the menu, but the tortellini alfredo, filled with veal and asiago cheese in a sauce with fresh mushrooms, is also a fan favorite. You’ll find all your familiar Italian favorites here, with a few tasty international creations on the seasonal specials menu just for variety. I’ve heard that the desserts are excellent, but sadly I’ve never made it that far.
Basically, Alex’s Washington Gardens is a place that does homemade, classical Italian extremely well. The bread is great, the service is friendly but not overzealous and the atmosphere is romantic. This is a restaurant that feels like a community, especially if you sign up for the emails. They’ll send you discounts and a monthly newsletter to let you know about events and news. Personally, I loved that they sent me a 30 percent off customer appreciation coupon on the morning of January 28, only good that day. Talk about a brilliant strategy to get people in the door on the coldest night of the year.
Expect to pay between $11-$30 per person for your meal. Alex’s Washington Gardens is located on a relatively main thoroughfare along Green Bay Road, so take advantage of the valet parking ($5) if you don’t want to walk a bit.
Washington Gardens
256 Green Bay Rd., Highwood
(847) 432-0309
www.alexswashingtongardens.com
