Lincoln Square's famous Italian restaurant, La Bocca della Verita, takes its name from a marble sculpture housed in the Roman church Santa Maria in Cosmadin. Embedded in the wall, the sculpture shows a man's face with an open mouth, which came to be known as "the Mouth of Truth." Word spread about the sculpture's powers and people began to believe that if you put your hand in the mouth and were lying, it would be bitten off. At the restaurant, patrons are greeted at the door by a replica Mouth of Truth, complete with the opportunity to test your own hand. One truth that you can't deny is that La Bocca della Verita has held a special place in people's hearts and mouths for more than 15 years, an eternity in the Chicago restaurant business. Its secret? A combination of lovingly prepared, amazingly fresh food served as it is in Italy, along with a friendly neighborhood trattoria atmosphere. "We're a very family oriented, child friendly casual dining restaurant," explains co-owner Liz D'Ortenzi. "We want you to feel nurtured when you come here, like when you go home to visit mom."
Co-owners Liz and Cesare D'Ortenzi acquired the Lincoln Square space in September of 1989. After joining several storefronts into one and making extensive improvements to the interior, the D'Ortenzis opened La Bocca della Verita in May of 1990. "People thought we were crazy," recalls Liz. "They wondered why we were opening an Italian restaurant in a German neighborhood." Not to mention that in 1990, Lincoln Square was far from the restaurant haven that it is today. But both Liz and Cesare saw the empty space and liked the feel of the neighborhood, which reminded them of Europe. "We loved going to the German-American Festival every year," says Liz. "That was one of the big reasons why we opened our business in this neighborhood."
Cesare, born in Italy, had a history in the hospitality business before opening La Bocca della Verita. His first career was as an electrician for Alitalia, Italy's national airline, which was responsible for bringing advances to the airline industry such as the first black box flight recorders and emergency lighting along the aisles. After spending many years at Alitalia, Cesare opened a disco called Tom Tom in Ostia, the ancient harbor of Rome on the mouth of the river Tiber. On a visit to the US, Cesare stopped in Chicago to see his friend Franco Zalloni, owner of the famous Trattoria Roma at North and Wells. Opened in 1985, "This was the city's first trattoria," explains Liz. "People waited for hours to get in, even movie stars." Cesare happened to be behind the espresso bar on a night that Liz was dining there. "He made me a cappuccino and it was love at first sight," she says.
No cultural barriers held them back, since Liz spoke Italian as her first language. Her mother came to Chicago in the 1950s from Lucca, Italy, an ancient Tuscan town. "She came over on one of the last voyages of the Andrea Doria, one year before it sank," says Liz. (An advanced new ship of the Italian Line, the Andrea Doria collided with the Stockholm and sank just outside New York harbor in 1956.) Her mother's family owned a grocery store for years at Ohio and Wells. At the time she met Cesare, Liz was working as a surgical assistant at several hospitals around the city. Being on call for 24 hours a day became unrealistic when she started her family, so she left her job to concentrate on raising their children. Liz and Cesare have three children ranging from 14 to 19 years: Patrick, Valentina and Margherita who all grew up at La Bocca della Verita. Each child has made a mark on the restaurant's dessert menu through the years, with sweets bearing their nicknames. The surviving one? Kiku, La Bocca della Verita's heavenly warm cinnamon apple custard dressed with berries and almonds. "Margherita means 'daisy' in Italian," explains Liz. "One of our friends told us that the closest flower in Asia to a daisy is the chrysanthemum, called the kiku. So that's how she got her nickname and how the dessert was named."
 What you may think of as Italian food—pizza, chicken parmagiana, spaghetti with meatballs— is really an American evolution. This is not what you'll find on the menu at La Bocca della Verita. Cesare is the mastermind behind all of the restaurant's dishes. "He is the influence," says Liz. "He has brought this level of quality through his remembrance of his mother's cooking and his family's cooking. Our gnocchi al pomodoro is exactly as his grandmother and mother made it." You'll also find a number of signature dishes invented by Cesare that you've never seen before, combining amazingly fresh ingredients in innovative ways. Flavorful takes on traditional dishes include homemade Ravioli Spinaci, Pollo al Marsala and Saltimbocca alla Romana. You'll also find surprises like Sedano & Mela, a refreshing salad made with celery, green apple and shaved parmigiano dressed in extra virgin olive oil, lemon and pepper. Another La Bocca della Verita original is the exquisite homemade Ravioli Anatra filled with duck breast and topped with a tomato cream sauce. And Rigatoni Filo di Fumo is sauteed in tomato sauce with fresh imported bufala mozzarella, smoked guanciale and topped with parsley. The menu features a variety of seafood dishes ranging from clams, to salmon, octopus and Mediterranean silver bass baked under a traditional salt crust.
"The food may take a little longer here, but that's because everything is made to order," explains server Jennifer Yannoulis. She started bussing tables at the restaurant and has worked there on and off for more than ten years. "The only things that are prepped in advance are the lettuce and the sauces." Even the majority of the desserts and pastries on the menu are made from scratch in-house. Cesare hand selects each of the wines on the wine list. "He does a lot of research and looks for wines that have won awards," says Liz. "These are not the kinds of wines that you can buy at Jewel." Both Cesare and Liz are also connoisseurs of coffee. "You have to know how to make a good espresso," says Jennifer. "It's in the grind. I always see Cesare come in and start adjusting the grind for the humidity so it's just right."
Although the food is delicious, there's more to the experience of dining at La Bocca della Verita. It's where you go to savor both your meal and the company. The close-knit staff is like a family that extends its warmth to all who visit. "Mealtime is family time in Italy," says Liz. "That's why Sunday meals have always been so important. It's like an Italian atmosphere here. We want you to relax and take the time to visit with the people you're sitting with." Jennifer agrees. When she and her husband returned from their honeymoon in Italy a few months ago, the first place they wanted to go was La Bocca della Verita for the food and the ambience. "This is true Italian food that follows the standard of the way it's really done in Italy," says Jennifer. "The day we got home from our trip, we went to dinner here. We wanted to have the same kind of experience that we had in Italy."
 One of the reasons why people feel so at home at La Bocca della Verita, is its friendly atmosphere. Handmade touches are everywhere you look, most courtesy of Liz. She envisioned the restaurant's decor, then brought together eclectic elements like fresh flowers and cheerful tablecloths that she sews herself. Liz and Cesare have also amassed an impressive collection of art through the years, from the hand-painted DiSimone tiles on the espresso bar to the paintings and prints on the walls. Most originates from creative friends or acquaintances, and many have a story behind them. One painting came from an Italian executive who often dined at the restaurant. He commissioned his uncle to paint it then send it to the US. "Italian customs didn't want to let it out of the country because they thought it was an antique piece," says Liz. And of course, there's also the collection of snapshots that people bring in of themselves visiting the Mouth of Truth in Rome.
Those who dine at La Bocca della Verita in the spring and summer may have noticed the addition of an outdoor patio for eating al fresco. Recently, Liz and Cesare bought outdoor heaters so that they will be able to extend next year's patio season. Well behaved canine companions are also welcomed outdoors and servers will gladly bring out bowls of water so the dogs can enjoy their own refreshment.
Not only is La Bocca della Verita good to its customers, it has also been a good neighbor through the years. Always willing to host a meeting or provide food for events, La Bocca della Verita has been a member of the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce since it opened. "We believe in making good relationships with our neighbors," says Liz. "It's important to help each other." Those relationships have led to the positive word of mouth and loyal customers that keep its business strong. Says Jennifer, "I work here every day and I want to come here on my days off just to stop in and say hello or have an espresso."
So if you haven't been to eat at La Bocca della Verita yet, by all means go to experience why it has been such a highly rated dining destination for so many years. If you have, come back and eat like family again. Or bring the whole group in for a Big Night-like feast: La Bocca della Verita has a private room that can accommodate 30 to 45 hungry people. Just give them a call for reservations.
La Bocca della Verita
4618 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
773.784.6222
www.laboccachicago.com
Winter Hours:
Tuesday through Thursday - 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Friday and Saturday - 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Sunday - 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Closed Mondays
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