Bar Cargo ( 605 N. Wells St.; BarCargo.com ) is a pizzeria bar that's the newest offering from the Stefani Restaurant Group, which is behind from the Broken English spots to MAD Social to The Flamingo Rum Club ( next door to Bar Cargo ).
The spot, my friend and I were told, is known for its authentic Italian fare ( complete with consulting chef Massimo "Max" Moresi ).
This made what happened at the brunch we went to all the more bafflingas it was the non-Italian dishes that shone. ( By the way, the brunch menu is available on weekends as well as the regular menu, making for an incredible number of choices. )
The best items we tried were very different. The crab-and-avocado Benedict is a feast in itselflots of avocado and flaky, delicious crab served on charred ciabatta, topped with a generous ( but not too generous ) helping of hollandaise. On the other end was a Nutella-stuffed French toast with berry compote that sounded like it'd be too sweet, but actually wasn't.
Also excelling were tenderloin sliders accompanied by arugula, gorgonzola and red-wine shallot confit.
However, as previously indicated, the traditionally Italian dishes puzzingly came up short. A dish called Giovanni Rana's ravioli ( with butternut squash, brown butter, sage and hazelnut ) sounded delicious, but the pasta was a bit overlooked. And the carbonara pizza ( a white pie with pancetta, pecorino cheese and egg yolk ) was something my friend described to the server as "flavorful," but which we both agreed had so much salt that it overwhelmed the nuances of everything else on the pizzaparticularly surprising for a Stefani spot. ( But the drinks were great, particularly the beermosa. )
Fortunately for Bar Cargo, it's a relatively new spot ( having opened last November ), so maybe this young dog can learn some new tricks regarding its more traditional fare.
Andersonville Restaurant Week
The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce is hosting this winter's Andersonville Restaurant Week on Feb. 23-March 4, highlighting some two dozen Andersonville eateries.
Each of the participating restaurants will offer at least one menu option priced at either $10, $20 or $30 per person; however, many are expanding their focus this year to also include breakfast, brunch, drinks and lunch as well as dinner options. A few of the participating spots will include Appellation, Bar Roma, Big Jones, First Slice Pie Cafe, Hamburger Mary's, Hutch American Kitchen + Bar, Reza's and Vincent.
Visit Andersonville.org/events-2/andersonville-restaurant-week/ .
Note: Restaurant profiles/events are based on invitations arranged from restaurants and/or firms.