Business & Tech

Rossini di Lucca Opens for Business in Palatine

The Italian restaurant on Dundee Road near Route 53 is serving a northern and southern Italian mix, and is owned by Frank Sbragia, who has been in the restaurant business for more than 50 years.

Italian restaurant Rossini di Lucca is now open for business in Palatine, just in time for the upcoming holiday weekend.

The restaurant is located in the former Woodcraft property at 1280-1286 E. Dundee Road, and is owned by Long Grove resident Frank Sbragia.

Sbragia has owned several successful restaurants over his 51-year span in the hospitality business, including Salerno’s in Mt. Prospect, Rossini’s in Niles and Sassi in Prospect Heights.

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“In my restaurants, people really connect. It’s heartwarming to see my customers enjoying true authentic food; recipes handed down in my family and those I have created myself,” Sbragia said.

Sbragia was born in Florence, Italy and moved to the U.S. when he was just seven years old. He got his first taste of the restaurant business by working with his father, who was a chef in Italy and went on to work in the business after they moved here, when Sbragia was just 10.

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“I grew up in this business, I love this business, it’s all I’ve known,” Sbragia said.

The name Rossini di Lucca has personal origins to Sbragia. Rossini is Sbragia’s mother’s maiden name, and Lucca is the town in Italy he was born in.

Recipes on the vast menu are a true mix of northern and southern Italian selections - and only the freshest ingredients are used in each recipe - everything is made from scratch, Sbragia said.

Specialties include Frutti di Mare, Pappardelle Bolognese, Taylor Street Sausage and Peppers, and Filet with Burcini mushroom sauce. All pastas are handmade.

Homemade soups and panini’s are also a highlight, including homemade bread, and imported Italian meats and cheeses. Fire roasted pizza is another one of the business’ signature items.

The restaurant’s décor includes marble and granite, hues of red and yellow, and a splash of the roaring twenties, with whimsical accents.

In addition to the expansive main dining room, there also is a private dining room in the rear and a giant island style granite bar with booth seating.

In all, the restaurant can seat up to 250 people.

Menu items range in price from $10 to $30, and in addition to beer and liquor, there is an extensive wine list.

Rossini di Lucca is opened every day of the week. Lunch and dinner are served Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday hours are 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. and Sundays from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Pick-up and delivery are also available, in addition to a full catering menu, which can be found at salernoscatering.com


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