By Kevin Haas and Chelsea Meyer
Rock River Current
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You Gotta Try This is the Rock River Current’s dining feature focused on signature dishes at your favorite local restaurants. Want to see one of your favorites here? Email news@rockrivercurrent.com to suggest a local staple.
Where: The Pomodoro and Baked Wings
Address: 6500 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park
About: Scott and Brittany Frank bought the previous Ciao Bella about three years ago and remodeled it into The Pomodoro, which means tomato in Italian, in February 2021. Roughly half the menu carried over from Ciao Bella. Baked Wings was born out of the pandemic as a carryout service and is now available in-house, too.
Owners: Scott and Brittany Frank
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.); 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday (kitchen closes at 11 p.m.); 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday (kitchen closes at 9 p.m.)
You have to try: Baked Wings
What’s in it: Baked Wings has a separate menu featuring dry rub seasoned wings, baskets, chicken handhelds and more inside space shared with The Pomodoro. We had the garlic Parmesan and the super spicy ghost pepper options.
Why you should try it: “Chicken. I love it. Fried, baked, boneless, wings, it’s probably one of my favorite foods. If you’re looking for some mouth-watering, meat-on-the-bone wings, Baked Wings is the place to go. You know that restaurant you go to and you always say, ‘I’m going to try something new!’ But then you get the menu and you just end up ordering the same thing you always get because you love it so much? That’s how I feel every time I go into Pomodoro/Baked Wings. They have a ton of different flavors, too, from barbecue to garlic Parmesan to my favorite, ghost pepper. If you can take a little heat, they are literally the best wings in the area in my opinion. They have that nice crispy outside but so juicy and flavorful on the inside. They come bone-in and boneless. You can also choose from all drummies or flaps or have a mixture of both. Pair your wings with their homemade buttermilk ranch or their crazy delicious Garlic Bread Cheese curds. Now that’s what I call a meal.” — Chelsea Meyer
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You also have to try: Salmon Izzabella at The Pomodoro
What’s in it: Choose from grilled or blackened salmon covered with a light lemon cream sauce, asparagus, capers, tomatoes and linguini tossed with spinach.
Why you should try it: The salmon Izzabella has been the most popular menu item by far, dating back to when The Pomodoro was still Ciao Bella, said Deb Heyer, who has worked there for 11 years.
The lemon cream sauce adds a touch of sweetness to the meal without overpowering the flavor of the salmon. We had the grilled option, but for those who like a little more spice you should order it blackened.
“Some people think blackened means burnt,” Heyer said. “It’s not. It’s just a little kick to it.”
For starters: Our appetizer was mozzarella Pomodoro, the restaurant’s take on classic fried mozzarella. Instead of the finger-sized sticks, the Pomodoro hand cuts a healthy portion of mozzarella then flowers it, dips it in egg wash, fries it and bakes it with a slice of provolone cheese on top.
“If you think of a traditional mozzarella stick that we’ve all had a million times: This is just a fresher, larger, over-the-top version,” Scott Frank said.
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Photos: The Pomodoro Italian restaurant in Loves Park
Pro tip: The Baked Wings menu isn’t passed out in The Pomodoro, but it’s always available if you ask for it.
Phone: 815-654-9900
On the web: thepomodorokitchen.com