It worked well enough that there are now a dozen Francesca's around Chicagoland, and this Touhy Avenue room carries the original's name and the original's menu, too. That means the zesty, earthy cooking of Rome, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio, served in a trattoria that's casual enough for a Tuesday and lively enough for a birthday. The pasta section is where regulars live. Dana's Bolognese is spaghetti in a tomato-meat sauce finished with basil and pecorino, nothing more, and it doesn't need anything more. The rigatoni alla vodka gets crumbled sausage and fresh mozzarella, and the bigger plates run to a garlicky, chili-flecked Pollo Arrosto alla Romana and a braised pork shank over saffron risotto.
Save room for the profiteroles with pistachio gelato and chocolate sauce. The smart play is the weekday aperitivo, Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm: spinach-and-ricotta arancini with black truffle fondue for $9, fried Roman artichokes or meatball sliders for $10, $8 bruschette, $10 Aperol, limoncello or Hugo spritzes, and $8 house wines. Dinner runs from 4 to 9pm, until 10pm on Friday and Saturday. Reservations, pickup and delivery are all available.
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