Dominicks Pizza and Ristorante Review – West Dundee, IL

Dominicks Pizza and Ristorante Review Dominicks Pizza and Restaurante in a 20+ year old dual-purpose establishment in the Chicago suburb of West Dundee, IL

I say “dual-purpose” as it has two adjacent storefronts in the strip mall on the east side of Illinois 31, just north of I-94. On the right side, you’ll find the entrance to the dine-in restaurant, a smallish eatery serving traditional Italian appetizers and entrees.

There are three rows of tables, maybe 15 in all. Maybe more.  The ambiance is nice. Subdued lighting, tablecloths, linen napkins, abundant cutlery.

A friend suggested it, offered to take me, it was a “special menu” night, but apparently, the regulars knew that they could order from the regular menu, as well, and some did.  I have no complaints about what I ate, but I might have made a different choice from the larger, regular menu. Just sayin’.

I don’t usually go out for pasta. Just not dazzling enough, and I’m at the age where I think everything is expensive, and restaurant pasta would surely fall on that list. I can think of three outstanding, memorable restaurant pasta. The Cafe DeNapoli in downtown Minneapolis, which was open for 65-70 years, now gone. A restaurant in Soho in London. And some no-name place in Bratislava.  Oh. One more. Hong Kong.  Oh, and the Italian Village downtown Chicago is “OK” but getting kinda tired.

But that’s it. I’ve been to Olive Garden once, over thirty years ago, wouldn’t think of going again, chain restaurants are just heating up the equivalent of TV dinners these days, made in some commissary a thousand miles away.

Anyway. Dinners at Dominick’s include soup or salad and fresh bread. Entrees run from $15 – $22 more or less. If you’re going for a tomato sauce, you can choose plain marinara or a red meat sauce.  Both are thick and on the sweet side.  (Tomato sweet, not sugar sweet).

I went with simple, spaghetti with meat sauce. I inquired about meatballs (I like to try them everywhere) and yes, they could add them. At the conclusion of the meal, I found they were $5 for two (in sauce), so I’m at $22 for (generously)  $3 worth of food ingredients.

I did like the meatballs (pix below).  They are large and very dense.  In the cross-section you’ll note some herbs, I’m going to guess these are beef and pork, not highly seasoned, but because of their density, I’m going to guess very little bread crumbs or egg for binders.

In all menu choices, the servings are large and most everybody I noticed took something home (me included, that’s why you have the pic of the meatball). I didn’t take pix in the restaurant, the tables are close, didn’t want to disturb anybody who might be trying to get laid, or telling their spouses they wanted a divorce or were going to jail or whatever couples talk about in quiet restaurants these days.

I didn’t try the pizza, and I’d like to. Prices for that looked competitive with other joints in the area, about $25 for a 16 incher. And I’d buy some ala carte meatballs if they offered them. The takeout menu is fairly large and includes many of the dinners from the dine-in side, but at a considerably lower price. They do not include salad, and perhaps the portions are smaller. Pretty sure everything there is made in-house.

And that’s what I know about Dominick’s. Dine-in menuTake-out menuOrder online for pick up or delivery (limited area, of course)

Dominicks Pizza and Ristorante Review

Meatball, as big as a tennis ball.

 

Dominicks Pizza and Ristorante Review

Meatball dissected

Dominick's Italian Ristorante Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Dominicks Pizza and Ristorante Review

Dominicks Pizza and Ristorante Review

 

4 comments to “Dominicks Pizza and Ristorante Review – West Dundee, IL”
4 comments to “Dominicks Pizza and Ristorante Review – West Dundee, IL”
  1. Have you been to Andre’s, this cafeteria-style Italian place in Los Angeles? It’s pretty cheap, you can get a decent-sized plate of spaghetti with a couple pieces of garlic bread for around $7. If you add a small salad, which is enough for two or at least one-and-a-half people, that brings it up to $9.

    I usually order the spaghetti with meat sauce there, or else half spaghetti and meat sauce and half marinara or mushroom sauce (the mushroom sauce is like a marsala sauce). It definitely has this diner or cafeteria flavor to it, you wouldn’t mistake it for spaghetti bolognese from a nice Italian restaurant; but I like it for what it is.

    • Can’t say that I have been to Andre’s, where in L.A. is it? I’m fond of Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica, for old timey dinner, Dan Tanas’s, and for pizza these days, I’m all about Melody Pizza, New York style, out by LAX. On Sepulveda.

  2. Have you been to Andre’s, this cafeteria-style Italian place in Los Angeles? It’s pretty cheap, you can get a decent-sized plate of spaghetti with a couple pieces of garlic bread for around $7. If you add a small salad, which is enough for two or at least one-and-a-half people, that brings it up to $9.

    I usually order the spaghetti with meat sauce there, or else half spaghetti and meat sauce and half marinara or mushroom sauce (the mushroom sauce is like a marsala sauce). It definitely has this diner or cafeteria flavor to it, you wouldn’t mistake it for spaghetti bolognese from a nice Italian restaurant; but I like it for what it is.

    • Can’t say that I have been to Andre’s, where in L.A. is it? I’m fond of Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica, for old timey dinner, Dan Tanas’s, and for pizza these days, I’m all about Melody Pizza, New York style, out by LAX. On Sepulveda.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *