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mokenamessenger.com dining out
the Mokena Messenger | August 24, 2017 | 25
The Dish
Family recipes, atmosphere and ownership drive Mokena’s Balagio
Menu boasts
traditional,
homemade and
fresh Italian fare
Amanda Stoll, Assistant Editor
With a large selection
of pasta, fish and chicken
items, along with a madeto-order
mentality, there is
something for everyone at
the new Balagio location in
Mokena, which opened in
March.
The single-page menu provides
a variety of traditional
Italian recipes for a range of
taste buds and diets, including
vegetarian and glutenfree
options. Additionally,
the bar selection provides
plenty of cocktails and wines.
“I opened up my first
Balagio [in Homewood] in
1997, and we try to bring
the Chicago atmosphere to
the [southwest suburbs] with
the dining,” Mike Galderio
Sr. said. “Cooking with my
grandmother all the years,
[I] learned a lot of recipes.”
He said many of the menu
items have come from employees,
as well, including
homemade pastas and bread.
“We got pretty lucky when
a couple local restaurants
closed and all the Italian ladies
came on board with us,”
Galderio said. “It’s all fresh
ingredients, and we try to
stay with that, because that’s
probably the key to our success.
We’ve been doing it for
a long time.”
Galderio Sr., who is a
Frankfort resident, runs the
two restaurants with his son
Mike Galderio Jr., and the
two of them split their time
between the Homewood and
Mokena locations.
“It’s definitely a tough industry;
I’m not going to lie,”
said Galderio Jr., who studied
hospitality management
Frutti di mare ($21) — featuring shrimp, calamari, mussels,
chopped clams, linguini and spicy marinara — is one
of Balagio’s many pasta options. Gluten-free and whole
wheat pasta are available upon request. Photos by Amanda
Stoll/22nd Century Media
at Eastern Illinois University
while working summers and
weekends at the Homewood
location, which opened in
1997. “I really don’t know
what I’m going to get day to
day, so it’s always a surprise.
It’s a good surprise, too,”
Previously, the family was
a partner in Ciao Ristorante
& Bar in Matteson.
“I was 8 years old when
we first [opened Ciao], peeling
potatoes and stuff like
that,” Galderio Jr. said. “So,
I just kind of grew up in it
... bartending, bus boy, I’ve
probably done every job in
this except for cook.”
He said he loves the look
of the Mokena location, with
modern touches, natural
lighting and a sophisticated,
sleek bar. The Mokena location
is not as large as the
Homewood location, making
the dining area more
intimate ,while still having
space for group gatherings.
Balagio in Mokena hosts
groups of 40-50 people for
luncheons, parties and showers.
Galderio Sr. said patrons
have been excited about the
recently completed patio at
Balagio, with seating for 60
people around cafe tables
and covered, cabana-style
Balagio
9716 West 191st St. in
Mokena
Hours
• 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Tuesday–Thursday
• 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday
• 4–10 p.m. Saturday
• 3–8 p.m. Sunday
For more information ...
Phone: (708) 719-3370
Website: www.balagiorestaurant.com
seating, where people can
tune in to a game on a TV.
Large, sliding glass doors
open between the bar area
and the patio for an extended,
outdoor seating space.
“I’ve been doing this for
32 years,” Galderio Sr. said.
“It’s a passion of mine, and
it’s good to see the look on
people’s faces when they’re
happy about something —
especially the food.”
And good food makes
people happy.
The eggplant marinara
($9) appetizer is a customer
favorite, with lightly breaded
and fried eggplant, ricotta
cheese and marinara sauce.
The appetizer menu also
features steamed mussels
($11) with fresh tomato sauce,
The salmon ($21) entrée at Balagio in Mokena is served with garlic lemon aioli, house
potato and vegetables.
basil and crostini; fried calamari
($12) with tangy cocktail
sauce and fresh lemon; and
baked goat cheese ($9) with
black olive, marinara sauce
and toasted crostini.
Pasta dishes are at the core
of the menu, with owner
favorites being the shrimp
francese ($21) with egg-battered
shrimp, angel hair pasta
and lemon butter sauce;
and the country-style rigatoni
($15) featuring Italian
sausage, tomato, mushroom,
red pepper and garlic cream.
Other entrée items include
a veal piccata ($24) with
tender medallions, lemon,
capers, roasted potato and
vegetables; chicken Romano
($18) with artichoke hearts,
Roma tomatoes, white wine,
Romano cheese and roasted
potato.
Although Galderio Sr. said
Balagio is not a steak house,
he knows steak is a go-to for
some people, so the menu
includes a 12-ounce New
York strip ($29), served with
bell pepper, smashed red potato
and vegetables.
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