GIO: 10 Years of Basic Italian in Evanston

“Gio IS pasta. I’m one of the last restaurants alive that make their own,” said Giovanni Garelli owner of Gio in Evanston.

Half-Italian on his mother’s side and half-Spanish on his father’s, Garelli knows a thing or two about pasta.  His dinner-only, Italian, white-cloth establishment, which celebrates its 10th anniversary on May 15, has nine different varieties on the menu. They include gnocchi, macaroni, fettuccine, the flat lasagna noodles and all the stuffed variations like ravioli, cannelloni and mezzalunas.

A customer favorite is the pappardelle, requested just as much in summer as in winter despite its hearty consistency. “We tried taking it off the menu because - who wants to eat something heavy in the summer - but customers got upset,” said Garelli.

The wide homemade noodles are mixed with healthy chunks of velvety lamb shank in natural jus and served in a rich red pepper ragù ($14).  

If pasta is number one at Gio, pizza is a close second insists Garelli. In fact, a light lunch option might be, say, the salad pizza.

“One day I was having a salad and thought, ‘you know, this would be great on a pizza,’ and it’s one of my biggest sellers,” said Garelli.

Made of Italian flour, the dough is rolled into whatever natural shape it feels like taking that day - so don’t expect a pie with perfect circumference, radius or diameter.

 “It’s more organic that way. We let the dough go to where it wants to go, we don’t have sizes,” said Garelli. Ranging somewhere between 9-11 inches, the thin-crust form is sprinkled with a little Provolone cheese before going into the oven. Once ready, it is topped with roasted garlic, Fontina cheese, tomatoes, radicchio and arugula for a light, refreshing meal ($12).  

And what of main dishes? Garelli estimates that among his offerings the spread is roughly 80/20 northern dishes to regional Italian cuisine.

For appetizer, try the Insalata Caprese made with homemade Mozzarella. Gio rolls it with marinated, sundried tomatoes, basil and olives for a burst of flavor ($6).

The grilled baby octopus is in homage to the fishing villages along the Italian coast. Served with escarole, a broader, milder relative of endive, it is covered in a tart red wine glaze that celebrates the smoky flavor of the seafood ($8).

And the Atlantic salmon is seared on both sides to add crispness and seal in the honey-balsamic glaze before being finished in the oven. It is served with fingerling potatoes, celery and pancetta, a trio which Garelli calls “good, Italian medicine” ($16).

With 25 wines by the glass, Gio is just “good down-to-earth, flavorful Italian food, as authentic as we can make it,” said Garelli.