C'era Una Volta - South Elgin

A relatively new restuarant whose name I believe translates at once to a time. This intimate Italian restaurant is a breath of fresh air for the area. It seems to be a family business, and you can expect that family type of treatment. Only a few visits were all it needed to convince me of the high quality of food. When I asked my server to give the chef my compliments, he came out in a busy night to thank me. Looking for a new place to try this is worth a visit.

Super delicious and loved the atmosphere! My mom and I came here on a Sunday night. Our waitress was wonderful and the whole staff treated us great. The Bruschetta was delicious. She got the Steak salad and I got the Alfredo and everything was on the point. Definitely will return!

Great food. Great service. Waiter Pete had great recommendations. Wine list quite extensive, including Italian vintages. No American Italian restaurant that was a pleasant surprise. Everything tasted very fresh and homemade including desserts.

As I arrived at the restaurant I was greeted by Nick one of the owners I believe. It was a very pleasant experience and the pizzas are just the way we eat them when we are in Sicily our home town. I would recommend anyone that is looking for real Italian food to stop by and try these guy out. Thanks Nick.

Some really good, solid efforts coming out of this relatively new kitchen, supported by a friendly wait staff. Seafood options are, to this New England native, surprisingly good and resoundingly fresh. The baked clams (cherrystones) with and herb-laced breadcrumb stuffing are delicious, and the Manila clams and PEI mussels in the linguini Mediterraneo were tender little morsels of marine sweetness. The calamari in the same dish, however, while tender enough and pretty flavorful, were so large and unwieldy compared to everything else on the plate that they tended to overwhelm. Wine selection is quite good- had a very enjoyable Nero D'Avola this visit, although it would be nice to see some of the great Italian whites- Vermentino, Verdicchio, Falanghia, Greco di Tufo- in addition to the usual Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling. Caponata that comes gratis with the bread is a nice treat, the bread itself is good but not remarkable. Keep up the good work, C'era Una Volta, look forward to my next visit when I am in the area.