Italian chef brings extensive family-style menu to Vernon Hills
A well-known Italian chef with an extensive resume has arrived in Vernon Hills to launch a new pizza and pasta restaurant.
Gianni Zonca, who was born in Torino, opened Fiamma at 102 Hawthorne Parkway last week. Julian Rios serves as manager at the restaurant that means "flame" in Italian. All the pizzas are cooked in wood burning ovens using Zonca's recipes.
Fiamma is a casual restaurant that serves "everyday Italian food," Rios said. It's located where Portofino Italian Bistro used to operate. "We're bringing back the family-style menu," he added.
Rios added that it's the type of restaurant customers would find in Chicago. Zonca has operated the kitchens at popular eateries in Chicago including Balo, Follia and La Madia.
The Vernon Hills eatery, which seats 250 people and features a patio that will open later this month, specializes in a variety of pizzas with either red or white sauce. Homemade marinara sauce is used as well as cheeses that make its own sauce as a base for the white pizzas. "They're cooked in a wood, Italian-style oven," Rios said.
Other highlights at the eatery include paninis made on homemade Sardinian bread, a variety of pastas and roasted chicken with Italian herbs selling for $9.95. Roasted Italian style salmon, $11.95, has been popular as well as chicken or egg plant Parmesan, $10.95. The fried calamari, $8.95, appetizer and the pear salad are other highlights, said Rios, who most recently worked at Piatto, an Italian restaurant in Edgebrook.
The extensive wine list features selections from Chili, Spain and California.
The eatery, with a bar area, if family friendly, Rios said. "It's a casual, upbeat atmosphere," he said.
Chris Georges owns the eatery. He also owns Opa Estiatorio located next door and Elly's Pancake House in Mundelein.
The eatery is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call (847) 680-4300.
Kim Mikus covers retail and small business. She welcomes comments at (847) 427-4567 or kmikus@dailyherald.com.