Mike Randolph has reinvented his Loop pizza shop, formerly The Good Pie, into Randolfi’s. It’s got an exciting vibe, starting with the atmosphere, a playful mix of old-school Italian and the nontraditional.
This is not your ordinary Italian menu, either. You’re not going to find pickled potatoes in a seared tuna dish very often. Or sprouts on your desserts. He’s having fun with the food, much of which has a deconstructed character to it. The results, nine times out of 10, are pretty impressive. That said, you also can go in there to get a pizza and Coke, too.
But that would be a missed opportunity. Don’t pass up the Rapini Caesar ($8), which is not a salad at all. Charred rapini is served with chopped egg, pungent anchovy and crunchy bits of toasted breadcrumb, all liberally topped with parmesan—the makings of a familiar salad, sans the lettuce. The handmade pastas are delicious, and most include unexpected little touches, like chopped hazelnuts in Roasted Tomato Garganelli ($9 or $16.50).
Duck liver pate-filled pasta curls is a notable dish that offers the richness of organ meat in a sauce called ‘liver butter.’ The pasta had that excellent al dente texture, soft yet slightly resistant. As a starter, Oven Roasted Cauliflower ($8) is delicious, the florets appetizingly brown and dotted with spicy, oily capers and Parmesan cheese.
The pièce de résistance, however, had to be the simple Margherita pizza ($13) made in the large wood-fired pizza oven. The pizza crust is chewy, with occasional charred bubbles for fresh-from-the-oven authenticity. The San Marzano tomato sauce topping had a bright acidity tempered by creamy mozzarella di bufala and peppery basil.
In the tiny Meat & Fish category, Roast Beef Panini ($16) should not be missed. A ‘deconstructed’ dish of braised short rib with tantalizing capers and tomato bits in light broth, it includes large, crusty chunks of hearty bread, well-oiled and toasted. A topping of horseradish aioli adds cream and yet more fat, making this a rich flavor leader. (You’ll find yourself trimming away some of the fat.)
Whole Roasted Fish, market priced that night at $32, consisted of a head- and tail-on branzino delicately baked with orange bits, lemon and arugula to yield moist and sweet flesh (although not totally boneless!). It came with ‘croutons,’ large chunks of hearty peasant bread, very liberally oiled and toasted to crisp.
The Risotto ($11) is superior and should not be missed if you’re a fan of the creamy rice dish. This one was flavored liberally with lemon and parmesan cheese, and sporadically dotted with ‘caramelized Brussels sprouts’—four, to be precise. While I enjoyed the dish, I think the sprouts should have been peeled into leaves so that every bite of risotto included some. And while I fully agree that high-quality food is worth top dollar, this serving was no bigger than a cup—all the bread on the table won’t help you make a meal of that.
Desserts provide another culinary wild ride. Roasted Pear ($7) is soft, sweet pear slivers drizzled in olive oil, topped with amaretti crumble (crushed amaretto biscotti) and served with vanilla gelato. Ricotta Cake ($8) took the cake, so to speak. It consisted of delectable, spongy and slightly crisped small squares served with diced strawberries, acidic white balsamic vinegar and basil gelato.
amuse bouche
the scene: A clever take on the Italian eatery
the chef/owner: Mike Randolph
the prices: $7-$11 starters, $9.50-$21 pizzas, $11-$22 pasta
the favorites: Rapini Caesar, Roast Beef Panini, Liver Pasta, Margherita Pizza, Ricotta Cake
chef chat » owner mike randolph
family heritage: My father was Italian, but at Ellis Island, the name was changed to Randolph from Randolfi. It was a typical Italian family, loud and boisterous around the dinner table. My father passed away six months ago, and Randolfi’s is a tribute to him.
any family recipes on the menu?: No, it’s traditional Italian food prepared my way.
favorite italian dish: Margherita pizza
favorite cookbook: Nobu: The Cookbook
favorite italian restaurant: An amazing restaurant in the hills around Rome; there were seven of us, and we stayed about five hours.
6665 delmar blvd. | 314.899.9221
Photos: Bill Barrett