Handmade pasta just part of the appeal at Saranello's

When the spinach and ricotta cannelloni arrived at the table, we eagerly tore into the tender tubes with our forks. The rich filling gently oozed onto the plate and mingled with the creamy bechamel. Already appreciative of this marvelously mellow and satisfying dish, I became even more so upon realizing that those crepe-like sleeves, and all of the pasta on Saranello's menu, are made daily by hand back in the kitchen.

Chef Mychael Bonner oversees the staff in creating the Wheeling restaurant's signature from-scratch pastas each day. They feed fresh dough into a machine that presses it and creates the desired shape. Bonner matches small shells with roasted vegetables, pairs thick pappardelle strands with wild mushrooms and sweet Marsala sauce and mates penne with hardy eggplant ragu.

All this work happens in the kitchen where celebrity chef and “Iron Chef” challenger Rick Tramonto once worked. Tramonto's restaurant group turned Osteria di Tramonto over to Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises in 2009. LEYE operated the eatery at the Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel as Osteria di Tramonto for a while before closing it for renovation. After a major facelift that expanded the bar area, cloaked the formerly open kitchen behind burgundy drapes and transformed the opulent dining room into an elegantly rustic space, Saranello's opened last October.

The moderately priced menu fits with the rustic-leaning decor; the food is well-crafted without crossing into modernist territory.

Take the antipasti for example: There's nothing highfalutin' about parmesan-crusted onions, stuffed artichoke or roasted beets. The bruschetta. made with homemade mozzarella (yes, they make their own cheese, too) and roasted peppers standing in for tomatoes, is a vibrantly seasoned starter and is about as cutting edge as it gets.

Familiar sides, salads and meaty entrees fill the menu, but don't mistake familiar for mundane.

The pork and veal meatballs are made with meat ground on site and served in a spicy tomato sauce. Smoked pancetta kicks up the chopped salad, and homemade sausage tops the square, thin-crust pizza.

The kitchen staff gives as much attention to the meat and seafood options as it does to the pastas.

Roast chicken Vesuvio, chicken topped with house-made giardiniera, pistachio-crusted whitefish accompanied by Brussels sprout slaw and New York strip steak accented with aged balsamic and sea salt all competed for my affections. The veal limone, however, won my heart — or, should I say, my stomach.

I had no use for a knife as the edge of a fork easily cut into the tender trio of perfectly cooked fillets. The lemony sauce held the line between too tart and too bland and brightened the accompanying sauteed spinach. My partner and I split a side of cauliflower gratin, which was hearty and not over-the-top cheesy, but fell flat compared to the vibrant veal. I think the steamed asparagus or the mascarpone-infused polenta might have been better side options.

If four or more are in your group, consider the four-course family-style menu for $34.95 a person.

Not knowing what wine to pair with your entree is easily solved with Saranello's rolling wine cart. All 16 of the by-the-glass wines are available to sample tableside. Find something you like and order it by the glass (most $9 and less), carafe or bottle. A number of signature cocktails, like the gin-based Pear of Lemons, also go well with dinner, or can be sipped before or after dinner in the spacious lounge, where you can get half-price appetizers from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

The dessert menu also promises a rolling cookie cart, but that didn't make its way to our end of the dining room, which is probably a good thing. We already had our sights on the chocolate mascarpone pie, which exceeded our expectations as a heavenly, not-quite-cheesecake rich treat. Warm rustic apple tart, banana tiramisu, bread pudding and three flavors of gelato — roasty pistachio, vanilla and rice pudding — also are available.

The service at Saranello's was friendly and helpful, but a bit rushed. Granted the dining room was at capacity and others waited in the lounge, but don't assume that just because I ask for half my veal to go (it was a generous helping) that I'll pass on dessert.

We also weren't offered soup or salad, so I'll have to save my comments on the antipasti wedge until next time.

• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not review restaurants it cannot recommend.

Saranello's Ristorante Italiano

601 N. Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling

(847) 777-6878, <a href="http://www.saranellos.com" target="_blank">saranellos.com</a>

<b>Cuisine:</b> Handmade pasta and traditional Italian meat and seafood

<b>Setting: </b>Elegantly rustic with light wood, leather and cast-iron lighting

<b>Entrees:</b> $11.95 to $38.95

<b>Hours:</b> Dinner 3 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Also, lunch 11:15 to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday.