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Meet us where the flavors of Spain and Italy delight
Compared to some of the other restaurants in the Hemingway District, Rustico is new to the scene. But it didn’t take this Spanish-Italian fusion restaurant long to start winning awards.
Established in 2017 by chef Gabriel Padilla, Rustico brought home the 2021 Best Restaurant award from Restaurant Guru.
The accolades are certainly well deserved! The Spanish and Italian cuisine here is served fresh and delicious on shared plates of tapas, paella, or pizza. If you don’t feel like sharing, the entrees of grilled lamb or chicken specialties will make your mouth water and fill your tummy!
For the tapas, share a plate of Short Rib Crostini or Queso de Cabra (baked goat cheese and marinara sauce with garlic bread).
Share in a traditional seafood paella to be transported back to the coastline of Spain, or try the pizza with prosciutto and arugula to be transported right back to Rome.
For a treat, go for the house specialty Bistic Rustico, which is a grilled ribeye with rosemary potatoes and a truffle demi-glaze.
Rustico is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to noon and Sunday from noon to 9pm.
Check the restaurant’s Facebook page for special menus and events like the recent “Italy Meets Slovenia” evening with a three-course meal and a featured speaker.
Tapas for sharing range from $10-$15 at Rustico. Pizzas are around $18. Paellas are about $25 while entrees hover around $30.
A glass of wine from Italy or Spain is about $10.
It was the dream of Rustico Chef and Owner Gabriel Padilla to open a restaurant of his own. After 25 years of working in well-known restaurants such as Piccolo Sogno and Cafe Iberico, Padilla brings his knowledge of fresh Mediterranean cuisine to Oak Park.
Stop by the restaurant to see Padilla at work!
Located at 722 Lake Street, Rustico is just a three-minute walk from the Oak Park Stop on the Green Line of the CTA “L” train.
