Menu Masterpiece: Davanti's Octopus, Risotto Carbonara and More

Welcome to Menu Masterpiece, a weekly column where we try some of the best and most unique menu items at local restaurants, as recommended to us by chefs, restaurant owners and readers. What should we try next? Email michael.sewall@patch.com. 

Menu items: I tried a bit of everything at the soft opening: risotto carbonara, roasted squash salad, mascarpone polenta with pork cheek, pizza giardinera, polpo con rafano (seared octopus), pollo sole mio (grilled half-chicken) and the carrot cake dessert.

Restaurant: Davanti Enoteca, 800 Hillgrove Ave. in Western Springs 

More Menu: The restaurant offers a lot of small plates, a variety of pizzas, pastas, a market fish and more. See the full menu here. 

Read more about the Davanti Enoteca opening in Western Springs. 

Everything I tried at Davanti was delicious, but a few things really stood out: the risotto carbonara was the first thing I tasted and perhaps the best; it has peas and pancetta, as well as an egg yolk that you stir in. 

The salad included roasted squash and goat cheese, as well as faro, hazelnuts and watercress. I know I'll be back for that. And Davanti has a mascarpone polenta that comes with a featured ragu. When I came it was pork cheek, and that too was fantastic.

See the photo captions above for more information about the dishes I tried. 

Check out our business directory for more restaurant reviews:

• La Grange/La Grange Park dining
• Western Springs dining