Trattoria RnB is not your typical Italian restaurant. Their menu is inspired by more traditional, Neapolitan cooking. So if you are expecting your alfredos and chicken parm with lots of sour marinara sauce, this may not be the spot for you.The place is small, with a few seatings inside, and a patio outside. It was quite hot inside, but it was also very hot outside so it probably felt hotter than it actually was. I got invited to try a 10 course tasting menu. But we didn't end up getting all 10 courses because it was tons of food and there was a bit of miscommunication between myself and the staff. Staff was incredibly nice about it and we came to an understanding. I did end up having the opportunity to try so many things. Here is what I tried.I started off with some Italian Taralli, a salty, peppery cracker. It was very dry, and something I didn't really enjoy.I was impressed by the drink selection; although small, every single drink I had was amazing. My first was the Hibiscus Heaven (gin, grapefruit liquor, lemon juice, hibiscus ginger beer). A refreshing drink after how hot it had been that day. My first course was the homemade focaccia with roasted red pepper, roasted zucchini, and artichokes as a topping. The focaccia had olives and cherry tomatoes. I loved it! I think my favorite pairing was the focaccia and the roasted red pepper.My next course was the burrata with flatbread focaccia. I enjoyed this dish; the olive oil, and the burrata really mended well together. I wish I had more flatbread but I was told the burrata is often eaten by itself. I'm not a huge Burrata fan, but I enjoyed the bit I had. Honestly, I feel as if this should come in a smaller portion, depending on how many guests there are.My next course was the Parmigiana (eggplant parm). Which was absolutely delicious! The marinara sauce the eggplant was cooked in is amazing. It isn't too tangy or too sweet. It is perfect and full of flavor. It is one of my favorite evening courses.For the next course, I had a chance to try Suppli for the first time. Fried balls filled with rice and cheese. I was not much of a fan sadly. I understand why people would like this, but the textures were very off for me.Pizza was the next course. A traditional slice of pizza. With garlic, cherry tomatoes and basil. I actually loved it, it didn't have any cheese on it, but the flavors from the tomatoes and garlic really made up for it. You could tell it was fresh out of the woodfire pizza oven, too.We had the chance to try this homemade salad, Vendure Della Casa (eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, artichoke, and frizelle) . It was supposed to be a palette cleanser, but I thought it was way too bitter from the lemon. Now, here is where things went a little downhill because of miscommunication. I never said I don't eat most seafood, it is not an allergy for me, I just don't eat it. I should have properly told the chef this before beginning the tasting. However, despite this. I was still open to trying the things he prepared for myself. I had a chance to try the Cozzo alla Tarantina (mussels with fresh tomato) and the Saute di Vongole (sauteed baby clams). I am not the biggest mussel and clam enjoy-er, but I tried it. Outside of the unpleasant texture, I did like the sauces the seafood was cooked in.By this moment, I could tell the miscommunication somewhat soured the experience. The staff was very kind about it. They offered me my next drink and I got the Sgroppin (lemon sorbet, prosecco and vodka). I really enjoyed this drink, it was the perfect blend of refreshing and smooth. It honestly tasted like juice. One of the highlights of the evening.Our next courses were pasta, and to be perfectly honest. I did not enjoy either of them. I felt as if the pasta was too al-dente. Almost hard too hard to chew. I got the Ziti Spezzati Alla Genovese and the Spaghetti alla Nerano. I enjoyed the slow cooked ragu of the Ziti but I felt like both pastas were undercooked. I only took a few bites before I sent it back.Overall, I enjoyed the tasting. I was able to try new things that I typically would not pay for. Next time I come, I will make sure to properly communicate with the chef.
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"a very popular italian restaurant in wicker park. TLDR; very busy (during peak times with dine-in and takeout orders) with not too much seating, reasonable prices given the huge portions of pasta (easily 2 servings), decent taste.we came at 7pm on a saturday and it was very busy but since we were a party of 2 we got a table in 15 minutes (otherwise 45+). recommend waiting near the restaurant because if other parties don't show up they will move down the waitlist pretty fast.service was decent, a bit rushed and took awhile because it was very busy so understandable. took awhile to get a waitress to order but our food came in ~20 minutes after.// signature farfalle pollo ($18.00) //signature cream sauce pasta with farfalle pasta, sliced chicken, and some sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. came with one piece of bread and parmesan on top. as mentioned, very huge portions for italian restaurants. thought the pasta sauce would have more of a sundried tomato flavor but it's traditional cream sauce with some chunks of tomatoes. food was not the most hot, borderline lukewarm so it got cold really fast. // strawberry, walnut, and pear salad ($15.00) //good portion for a salad, could be an entree. really enjoyed the combination of strawberry, walnut, pear, and the goat cheese (which ties it together in my opinion).would say it's decent italian food, nothing extraordinary but i would definitely come here for the portion sizes (especially if u want some leftovers (: )"
