When we think of mothers, the one thing that immediately comes to mind is the best comfort food we can imagine. What can we say? We have food on the brain.

We’re celebrating mothers this weekend, so instead of a traditional weekend special, Merlo on Maple will feature some of the best comfort food Italy has to offer.

We will have a special tasting menu inspired by the typical cuisine from the south of Italy. It differs slightly from our typical Northern Italian cuisine, but it remains Italian, authentic, and delicious.

For the Mother’s Day tasting menu, Chef Silvia will offer 5 courses.

First Course: Fave Fresche, Pecorino Sardo e Cipollotti
Fresh fava beans, pecorino from Sardinio, and spring onions

Second Course: Fiori di Zucca in Pastella
Zucchini flowers, buffalo mozzarella, and anchovies in tempura

Third Course: Pasta Imbottita (pictured)
Pastry dough filled with homemade semola macaroni in … Read More »

La Settimana di Pasqua al Merlo (The Week of Easter at Merlo)
Antipasto

La torta pasqualina
Flakey tart comprised of twelve layers of very thin dough filled with stewed artichokes, Swiss chard bietolina, Parmigiano Reggiano, ricotta, and whole eggs.

Primo

Lasagna aperta con asparagi, carciofi, ricotta e mozzarella alle spugnole fresche
Open-faced lasagna with asparagus, artichokes, ricotta and mozzarella, topped with fresh morel mushrooms.

Secondo

Agnello con cacio, uova, piselli e carciofi
All-natural braised baby lamb finished with egg yolks, Pecorino cheese and lemon juice. Served with peas and a whole artichoke.

Dolce

Torta Caprese al limone con Baba’ al Rum
Italian flourless lemon and white chocolate cake and Rum Baba cake.

Ready to try this special 4-course meal? Click here to reserve your Merlo on Maple table.

Chicago Restaurant Week (February 1 to February 10) is coming up! We’re excited to take part in this year’s culinary celebration, and you can be sure Chef Silvia has some memorable authentic Italian dishes in mind. How do we know? We took a look at her Chicago Restaurant Week menu, of course!

Merlo on Maple will have both a $33 and $44 3-course offering available. Guests will choose one starter, one main course, and one dessert.

Ready to look over Merlo on Maple’s Chicago Restaurant Week menu?

Click here to view and print it!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or email events@merlochicago.com.

To take part in Restaurant Week at Merlo, all you have to do is make your reservation for a meal between Friday, February 1 and Sunday, February 10. Once you arrive, you will have the option … Read More »

The 8-course Culinary Tour at Merlo on Maple is available at Gilt City for just $59. The special has been very successful, but there’s still one reservation we haven’t gotten: yours!

This is a wonderful opportunity to sample a variety of Chef Silvia’s favorite authentic Italian dishes. Pair the food with the perfect bottle of wine and you’ve got yourself one memorable evening.

Here’s what Gilt City has to say about Merlo and Chef Silvia:

“Merlo serves some of Chicago’s most authentic Italian fare, delivered at the hand of Chef Luisa Silvia Marani, whose own origins lie in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Steeped in a rich culinary tradition, Emilia-Romagna and its major city Bologna is the birthplace of prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Naturally, Chef Marani focuses on recipes native to this area. She also imports ingredients like mortadella and aged balsamic vinegar from … Read More »

We’re midway through January, and the Chicagoland weather is getting colder by the day. It’ll probably be a little while before we’re rescued by Spring, so we have a tip for you: get cozy with your loved ones! A warm spot, warm conversation, and warm and delicious Chicago comfort food are just what’s needed to stave off the winter blues.

And wouldn’t you know it, Merlo on Maple–Chicago’s most authentic Italian Bolognese restaurant–overflows with all three!

Our building at 16 West Maple in Chicago is a gorgeous converted townhome that dates back all the way to the 19th century. Once inside, you’ll feel the friendliness the space excels at dispensing.

Chef Silvia prides herself on customizing the Merlo on Maple menu to fit the seasons, so you won’t need to scan the menu for long before you find a handful of warming comfort … Read More »

Chef Silvia recently cooked up a weekday stone crab ravioli special, much to the delight of that evening’s customers. If you couldn’t smell and taste the delicious Italian cuisine, we’ve got the next best thing: photos!

Ever wondered how Chef Silvia is able to replicate the authentic tastes of Bolognese Italian food in Chicago? You’re in luck! We were able to sneak our camera past her and get some shots of her process in creating the Weekend Special from October 2012: Timballo di Ravaggiuoli Vestiti. Before you continue, please be warned: Merlo on Maple will not replace the keyboard you broke after drooling on it.

Making Authentic Bolognese Italian Food in Chicago

It starts, like many classic Italian dishes, with the pasta. Silvia creates the foundation, a layer of homemade ricotta ravioli.

Next, she adds to the flavor with bietina, herbs and Parmigiano Reggiano. The ravioli are then layered along with thin slices of prosciutto, quail eggs, more Parmigiano Reggiano, and tender cheese and cream. All ingredients are at the peak of their freshness, of course.

All of this … Read More »

The Antipasto all’italiana at Merlo on Maple, a traditional Italian appetizer, represents the great respect and love that the Italian people reserve for the pig. Centuries ago, Italian families cultivated relationships with small farms (where pigs were raised) to secure salami for the future. Once they got it, the salami was prepared and conserved so it would be available all year long.

From this availability came the different slices of meat:

Prosciutto: dry-cured ham, thinly sliced, served uncooked.
Salami
Speck: juniper-flavored ham.
Capocollo: traditional Italian cold cut, dry-cured.
Salsiccia (Sausage)

In a traditional Italian home, these meats are stocked and ready in the pantry. When guests arrive for a gathering, the meal being cooked would take time to prepare. So, while the guests were waiting, they would eat something small. A shared bottle of wine, sliced salami, and cheese usually does the trick.

To recreate our Italian … Read More »