Gusto of Wilmette

Two other restaurants have failed, in this location. The place is huge and perhaps TOO big to succeed. We think this is the most likely to succeed, so far. — The overall impression is that prices are very upscale while food is just average. We were seated at a very dark table but we asked to move to something brighter. The two of us had a good dinner but it wasn’t worth the $ 82. Minestrone was tasty. We shared a salad that was gorgeous but over-​produced and boring to taste. Entrees were whitefish and eggplant parmesan. Food was fine but lacked seasoning. Italians like BASIL and I didn’t taste ANY. The breadbasket was filled with a few pre-​manufactured herbed rolls and no bread. We each finished with a scoop of spumoni (@ $ 4). Having said that, for a Wednesday evening, the place had few empty tables and people seemed happy. — Review: Better than Dave’s Italian Kitchen but not good enough for Tuscany prices.

I was excited to try out this new restaurant in town but after my experience cannot recommend. My parents and I came here a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday night around 7. We did not have a reservation and I know that this is risky at dinner time on a weekend, but we wouldn’t have minded a wait. When we arrived, we were not so welcomed by staff who proclaimed «I guess I can see what I can do» …there were plenty of tables and we were seated immediately. I did not appreciate this and was already turned off. We ordered the special Venetian appetizer which was actually pretty good. I ordered a simple rigatoni Rigo for dinner and it was okay but I almost wanted more spice with it. At the end of dinner we were handed our bill and our waitress never came around to grab it. We left and handed it to some other staff member. Overall, it didn’t leave a great taste in my mouth…

We have gone to the Glenview location for years, and will continue to go there. Not the Wilmette location. The food is good. The service is beyond horrible. Our dinner Friday night started with one of the busboys taking our drink order. We were ready to order food, but he went away, and I was not able to get his attention. Ten minutes later, he brings our waiter «H» to us. Very strange. We ordered, and the appetizer came. We waited for a long time for the empty plates to be removed. The entrees came, and we ordered another drink. One came, but one did not. I had to try to flag H down for mine. He said did not remember. No apology for forgetting it, and my drink was wrong. I tried to tell him, but he did not come back until it was time for the check. As a matter of fact, twenty two servers total passed by our table to go to other ones. No exaggeration. I tried to get the attention of the first 12 or so, but after that I started doing a slow burn and kept track of how many ignored us. Eye contact did nothing. By this time, there were maybe eight tables filled in the whole place. They were more concerned with blowing out candles and setting tables for the next day rather than taking care of patrons. When he finally came, I told him how upset I was. He said he was sorry, and that was it. No manager, nothing. As we left, there was no one at the host stand. I took a card and tried to call the next weekday, so I would not have to leave this review. The manager was off, and the person answering the phone started asking questions in a rude tone. At that point, I gave up and decided to write this review. This would never have happened at their other location.
Tips: Do not put up with horrible service at the Wilmette location. Learn from our experience, and ask for the manager at the first sign of bad service. Better yet, save yourself some aggravation, and have a great meal at the Glenview Gusto. It is definitely worth the drive. That I give five stars!

What a pleasant surprise. The food was phenomenal and service was even better. The lasagna was one of the best I’ve had and they were extremely accommodating with my son’s food allergies. The entire family can’t wait to go back!

I have been to Gusto’s twice and really enjoyed it both times. The décor is really classy yet comfortable. It looks like they have a lot of options to host intimate groups of diners. The valet service is a great touch.
Our waiter last night was a young man who was exceptional. His explanation and detail of the specials was insightful and very descriptive. I didn’t really look at the menu, I ordered from the specials. I had a great cup of soup. Fantastic bread. Main course was a salmon dish that was simply awsome. Top it all off with a great cup of coffee and the best tiramisu I have ever tasted.
We lingered after the meal and never felt rushed, it was a great experience. This restaurant is a great addition to the area.

This restaurant is great on so many levels! Sweet generous local family run, you can tell everyone working there is included in the family, and when I ate there I was welcomed into the family right away! The food is so delicious, on point everytime, every dish! Fresh handmade bread, creative menues, tender & juicy meats, etc… This is the kind of restaurant that you could eat one dish (for me it’s the steak) everytime, or go through every dish on the menu and you’re libel to be satisfied everytime. This is the kind of restaurant that you could go for the food, the atmosphere, or the community, and each one by themselves would be enough, but you get the others as a bonus anyways. If you live nearby, or you’re passing through I recommend this place become a regular landmark in your life!

Wine list is sorely lacking. Nothing but attitude from the staff. Menu is heavy with baby animal dishes. Ugh. Never going back there again.

It upset me to push myself to give this restaurant three stars. We went on a Tuesday evening to celebrate my daughter’s 50^th and her father’s 73^rd birthday. (We had other parties for them as well, thank the Force.) Also, my close friend, a sophisticated palate, had loved the little café in the corner of Carrillon Square, so I wanted, in the end, to be generous for her sake somehow.
As soon as walked in the door, my daughter said «Indian Trail 2.0». The Indian Trail was a long-​standing restaurant in Winnetka that served good home-​cooked American food. It was affectionately known as The Cane and Crutch. A glance around the seated tables left no doubt as to the comparison.
I had called, so we were seated promptly — small wonder as the interior is quite barn-​like. Okay, I’ll soften that to banquet hall, which it quite literally was set up for in a couple of rooms. I chose this eatery on the strength of the reviews and the fact that it’s so convenient for my husband and me. Our daughter had driven up from the city and I didn’t want her to have to drive more.
As soon as we were seated, our waiter asked for our drink choices. I asked for a glass of sparking and he recommended the Prosecco as smoother than the other choice. What was written as dry was in fact pretty sweet. Hmm. My daughter had two glasses of a Cabernet that was fine, and my husband had a nice dark beer.
So. The mussels — a usual favourite for me — were highly touted in one review. That person was certainly not there when I was. The mussels were tiny and served in a white wine garlic and tomato sauce which proved to be flavorless. HUGE disappointment. My lovely daughter and I shared a beet salad that was okay, nothing to write home about. I then chose fried calamari. It was okay, nicely fried, but again, not so much flavor. My daughter tried a mussel or two and wisely gave up on the venture. She then decided on the salmon. Now this was a calamitous disappointment. There were 1 and ½ inches of the fish that were cooked properly — not dry. Sad birthday dinner for my girl. My husband had the Ravioli Quattro Fromaggio with marinara, as suggested. He quite enjoyed it.
As we were finishing our entrees, and discussing them, we turned our conversation to the election 11 months from now. It was now about 7:30 (We had come at around 6:00), and the dining room had almost emptied. The conversation was lively, as opposed to quiet, but not boisterous… until…our waiter began to join in. He was of a quite strong opinion on the state of our country in general. The conversation became almost one-​sided and from his point of view, happily so.
We broke in to order dessert. I had mentioned the birthdays on the phone and at the door. Nothing. We were grateful for a lack of song and dance, but a quiet congratulation and maybe a cookie or scoop of sorbetto would have been all I had hoped for. Oh well. The country was in too sad a state for celebration, I guess. We received our order: tiramisu and crème brûlée. The tiramisu was all right, but the crème brûlée followed the theme of the evening — flavorless and rather thin. Ya know? Many a mediocre dinner has been saved by a spectacular dessert. Alas, that was not to be.

Stopped in to Gusto on a Wednesday evening for dinner with my wife. What a great experience! Service was top notch through our dinner beginning with a timely, and well-​made cocktail to start our meal. We shared a grilled Octopus app followed by Chicken Vesuvio for her and the Corvina special for me — all tasty and well-​portioned! Adding to our enjoyment was the lively, and not too loud, dining room decorated in warm and inviting Tuscan tones.
Tell your friends — Wilmette now has a destination Italian restaurant — great food in a friendly environment — that has become a «go-​to» for us!

Aside from tasty food and quality service, one main attribute I look for in a restaurant is when a restaurant takes the time to get to know you as an individual (or a family), and Gusto Italiano hits the nail on the head. I’ve been dining at Gusto Italiano in Wilmette since it opened, and I already have my fair share of positive memory burns. It’s a warm, comfortable atmosphere. Their food and wines are above-​standard, and their staff is professional, and friendly. By the way, I highly recommend the restaurant’s signature Bourbon sour.

This is our new favorite restaurant in Wilmette. We’ve been here four times in the last three weeks. The food is fantastic. The rock shrimp crustini appetizer is not to be missed. Delicate texture pops with flavor. The grilled calamari has great flavor and texture (opposite of rubber bands). I think it’s the best I’ve ever had. It comes with arugula and wonderful grilled zucchini and yellow squash planks that I really love. I’ve had really great filet Mignon with sautéed spinach and grilled asparagus here a few times. I also loved the whitefish with spinach and pomodoro sauce. Guys love the pot roast which is a generous portion. They also love the penne pasta dishes.
Love that they open at 4 pm for early dinners!