Buon Giorno, Il Vicolo

The first thing Vito Tufano wants you to know is that he's put his entire heart into creating Il Vicolo Trattoria.

The former Pasta Shoppe space at 116 N. Oak Park Ave. has undergone a major overhaul – new floors, marble trim, fresh paint, new bar, new tables and chairs and the elimination of the Pasta Shoppe's front counter space.

Completed in about two months, the renovation was a major undertaking. But the hard work is part-and-parcel of what Tufano, a native of Naples, Italy, pledges to bring to his customers.

"We want the best food, the best service and to take care of our customers," Tufano said. "Nothing else."

Taken together, the result in a brighter, cleaner feel inside the restaurant. The outdoor dining area remains a charming addition to busy Oak Park Avenue.

But enough about the room. Il Vicolo — "the walkway" in Italian, a nod to the restaurant's al fresco section between Oak Park Avenue and the Avenue parking garage – is about simple, southern Italian food.

The menu includes several salads and a roster of antipasti selections, including prosciutto and melon, traditional bruschetta and an Insalata di Pesce Cata Napoli, with calamari, octopus, shrimps, clams and mussels dressed in a lemon garlic oil.

Seven pizzas are available, all baked in the traditional Neapolitan style — thin, crackery crust topped with traditional Italian ingredients like arugula and prosciutto, basil and fresh mozzarella, and a quattro formaggio pie with four Italian cheeses.

All pasta selections are handmade. "If you want to eat it, we're making it right here," Tufano said, gesturing toward the kitchen.

And it's served in many forms. Pappardelle, gnochhi, linguini and the like. Il Vicolo also serves a Timballo de Carne, a layered pasta topped with Bolegnese sauce and dusted with parmigianno.

Fresh fish and hearty meat dishes, like the Tagliate di Manzo (a New York strip steak grilled with rosemary, garlic and olive oil) and a Costata di Maiale Saltimboca (pan-seared pork topped with fresh sage, prosciutto and mozzarella in a Pinot Grigio sauce) make up the entrees.

Il Vicolo's wine list isn't large. Instead, it's to the point. There are Tuscan reds, Sicilian Nero D'Avolas, Umbrian whites and a handful of domestic selections. The bar also serves up Esse imported Italian coffee, as well as traditional apertifs and digestifs like Limoncello.

For Tufano, an Addison resident who said he's owned Italian restaurants in Canada and Mexico, the hard work of running a highly anticipated spot in foodie-centric Oak Park is only just beginning.

Not that he's worried.

"Everything here," he said,"is done from the heart."

Il Vicolo Trattoria, 116 N. Oak Park Ave., is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Phone: (708) 386-5801