Mystery Diner in St. Charles: Nuova Italia Ristorante hits right romantic notes

A unique setting is home to a popular spot celebrating its 10th year in downtown St. Charles – Nuova Italia Ristorante.

It serves Italian cuisine favorites in an 1841 stone church with hints of a castle silhouette that add to the Old World ambience.

Nuova Italia has varied dining areas, a bar with lounge and even an upstairs loft with seating.

We phoned in our order from the carryout menu, and a half hour later a staffer at the host stand handed us our piping hot meal. At home, we were delighted to see the entrees and vegetable side dish packaged in foil containers perfect for gently reheating any leftovers in the oven.

But after our first bites of the shared dishes, it took all our will power to leave anything behind.

The entrees come with a choice of soup or salad, and we picked one of each. We kicked off the meal by sharing a terrific soup with spinach and tortellini.

The salad of mixed greens was accompanied by a bright, herb-infused vinaigrette.

My dining companion selected eggplant Parmigiana, a well-executed standard of lightly breaded eggplant married with a flavorful marinara and melted mozzarella, atop penne pasta for good measure.

I chose the chicken Marsala. It starred wonderfully tender chicken breast sauteed with flavorsome mushrooms in a delectable Marsala wine sauce, served with potatoes and vegetables. The latter were another highlight, a just right al dente mix of squash, zucchini, broccoli, carrots and green beans whose fresh flavors popped.

My companion added a side order of sausage to his meal, and the savory Italian treat arrived in a generous marinara sauce of its own.

The kitchen also offers a wide array of wood-fired pizza and tantalizing desserts that aren’t always easy to find. They include tartufo and panna cotta, an eggless cream custard topped with caramel sauce in Nuova Italia’s rendition, in addition to traditional classics.

The website notes that owner Antonio Lettieri was born in Italy and was a restaurateur there and in Europe before coming to the United States and launching restaurants here. He brings three decades of experience to St. Charles, for a taste of Italy in our own backyard.

Outdoors, one will discover an inviting patio along the southern side of the stone building for some romantic al fresco dining with views of the park across the way.

We relished every bite of our meal and recommend the restaurant to fellow fans of Italian food.

• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at the Kane County Chronicle. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Nuova Italia Ristorante

WHERE: 18 N. Fourth St., St. Charles

PHONE: 630-584-4040

INFORMATION: nuovaitaliastcharles.com