Il Brutto

When you and your date can’t decide between pizza and pasta, but still want an excuse to dress up and eat in a sleek dining room on the East Side, head to Il Brutto. It’s a big restaurant that still manages to feel modern and intimate, probably due in part to a combination of dim lighting, dark wood and leather accents, and a staff that’s fully clad in black uniforms. Add to that a large patio built around a massive oak tree—and decked out in twinkling lights—and you’ll get the sense that this place was built for date night.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

photo credit: Richard Casteel

photo credit: Richard Casteel

photo credit: Richard Casteel

The wide-ranging menu covers a wide range of Italian classics—from crudos and crostinis to house-made pastas and confited tenderloins—and it does them all pretty well. But if you want to hit Il Brutto where it’s strongest, stick to just about anything off the antipasti or the pasta sides of the menu. Start with an order of heirloom tomatoes with burrata and basil pesto, or some roasted beets with radicchio and goat cheese—depending on the season—then load the table up with mussels, marinated olives, and a green leaf salad for good measure. If you’re here with a big group, grab a pizza to share, otherwise save room for more orders of cacio e pepe, pappardelle with lamb ragu, and squid ink ciriole with uni and Sardinian bottarga—a briny, jet-black taste of the ocean in pasta form.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

There’s an extensive menu of Italian wines that you’ll want to make a part of your meal, but it’s the cocktails and amari behind the massive bar here that we get excited about, including an olive fat-washed gin martini, and enough vermouths, aperitifs, and digestifs to keep repeat visits interesting. Even better, show up during Happy Hour and you can grab just about anything off the drink menu for half price.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Richard Casteel

50/50 Martini

This is one of our favorite martinis in town, using a classic London dry gin base, but sporting an interesting speckled appearance from the olive fat-washed dry vermouth. It’s simple but unique, and a welcome start or end to a meal.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Burrata Crostini

Rich, creamy burrata with small, briny anchovies, all on a crisp slice of crostini. This is a great combination of textures and flavors and should definitely be a part of your order.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Pappardelle

Gamey and savory, the lamb ragu is packed full of soft, tender meat that coats the wide sheets of pappardelle noodles. This is definitely a soothing, cold weather pasta, but tasty enough to enjoy all year round.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Cacio E Pepe

The noodles have a great bite, and the combination of black and pink peppercorns adds a distinct and almost spicy element that feels original, while still staying squarely in the “cacio e pepe” lane. We like this a lot.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Lamb Scottadito

We’ve tried the lamb chops on a couple of occasions, but we can’t help but feel like Il Brutto has discovered an ultra-tiny breed of lamb that produces these micro-chops. There’s also no question as to how you’d like it cooked, despite ours arriving anywhere from almost-blue to overcooked. But the yogurt sauce is a great accompaniment, and the fried artichokes are one of the better things we’ve had on the menu here.