Rustica Fresh Italian Kitchen

Gluten -Free pepperoni pizza with their own crispy crust! It would be a repeat of I were a local. I can always appreciate a place that makes their own crust instead of using the standard cardboard one the food service businesses sell them.

Rustica has a lot going for it: a waiting area where we could happily spend the afternoon, especially if the fire is blazing, a sleek bar with a corner (the two of us like to sit at the corner, for better conversation), an attractive and spacious bar area and dining room with booths, and a covered portal with heaters for cooler weather. If you are thinking of making a Kohl’s run, as we were, go there first, then drive or walk the very short distance to Rustica for dinner. Because we eat around 8p, we were very happy that the bar was still busy when we arrived at 7:30p on a Thursday. The menu offers several housemade pastas, several inexpensive bottles of red wine, and the food is priced for locals. The bartender gave us noticeably good service. For starters we enjoyed the beef carpaccio and the creative eggplant timbale (very tasty). Suggestion: add more sauce to the carpaccio and switch out the timbale’s gluten-free bread for the great looking gluteny bread the guy next to us was eating. For secondi we shared and liked the crispy branzino, which was generously portioned, crispy as advertised (along with its accompanying potatoes), and priced much more reasonably than other branzinos we’ve recently eaten elsewhere. Suggestion: because of its crispiness, it would be even better with a sauce. We’ll be back.

Enjoyed eating here. Food was very tasty and filling. For desert we tried the date cake. I didn't expect to like it but - oh my!- the cake and it was moist, rich, and amazingly good. The expresso with its little gluten-free cookie was a perfect accompaniment. *Aranchini: super tasty fried rice balls with mozzarella and flavorful tomato sauce *Fried pork sandwich: a little dry but flavorful with aioli and mayo, truffle fries excellent *Pappardelle bolognese: delicious, filling, nicely spiced *Artichoke and Farro salad: was really filling with feta cheese, artichokes, and more. You can add a protein such as grilled chicken (my choice, with large flavorful slices) or salmon. *Peperoni pizza- yummy and great for kids Would 100% recommend eating here.