'Deconstructing' Cucina Paradiso

Esteemed Chicago Tribune food critic Phil Vettel has chosen to make Oak Park's among the latest entries in his "Deconstructing the Menu" feature, in which he explains "what a menu is really saying."

The longtime Trib writer — he originally reviewed the restaurant favorably in 1996 — calls the offerings "a modestly priced comfort-food menu" before delving into to some fun factoids about certain dishes.

Did you know, for instance, that the Rustic Salad, a medley of greens, pears, strawberries, walnuts and Gorgonzola drizzled in a balsamic reduction, outsells every other salad "3 or 4 to 1"? Or that the Veal Meatballs Polenta was inspired by co-owners Nick and Anthony Gambino's grandmother's recipe?

Take a look at some of Vettel's other insights here.