Chicago - July 18, 2006

Garden Variety

Erba Opens

Every summer, you vow to grow an herb garden.

And every summer, you reach for the dried basil for the salad.

Put some flavor in your favor at Erba, a new osteria which opens today in Lincoln Square. With all entrees priced less than $20 and an outdoor patio (and herb garden), this Northern Italian gem is poised to become your new go-to spot.

The menu is pure Piedmonte, with plenty of hand-crafted pastas; roasted fish and meats; and clean, high-quality flavors. The house-made grappa, limoncello, and old-world charm (accents of dark oak, cherry, and mahogany) keep it real, while dessert (deconstructed tiramisu and collapsing ricotta souffle) has just enough edge to warrant the trendy restaurant row address.

Erba, by the way, means “fresh herbs” in Italian. But it’s also slang for that other kind of herb. You know, the one that stimulates appetite.

Which is why you’re here in the first place.

Erba, 4520 North Lincoln Avenue, at Sunnyside Avenue (773-989-4200).