The Italian Way
By Naperville Magazine
Appears in the February 2025 issue.
By Peter Gianopulos
New trattoria opens in downtown Aurora

When new residents moved into the recently restored Hobbs Building in downtown Aurora in 2022, they secured more than just plush new home in a gleaming National Historical Landmark. They scored box seats in a growing restaurant mecca.

At the time, JH Hospitality Group was in the early stages of reappointing parts of the Romanesque Revival jewel with a handful of restaurants. The first restaurant, Leilani Asian Fusion, opened last summer, marrying an Asian-fusion menu with a mysteriously dark ambiance that’s one part chic izakaya, one part modern speakeasy. Two doors down, Giardino Trattoria & Pizzeria, 12 N. River St., is the perfect accompaniment: a bright, sunlight-soaked greenhouse of a restaurant that draws inspiration from sunny Tuscan roadways and lush Italian gardenscapes.

At Giardino—which translates as “garden” in Italian—faux greenery drapes down from the rafters. Olive trees stand guard over different parts of the restaurant. And the menu from executive chefs Ruben de la Cruz and chef de cuisine Martin Balderas celebrate Italy’s obsession with seasonal cooking and garden-fresh flavors. It’s all primavera, all the time in here.

“We’re making everything from scratch, the Italian way,” says de la Cruz. Case in point: Giardino’s Neapolitan-style pizzas are moisturized with imported buffalo mozzarella and crisped in a wood-burning oven crafted from Volcanic rock. Handmade pastas—bowls of rigatoni in a vodka sauce and pappardelle Bolognese to name a few—are prepared using specialty flours. And bar manager Jackie Enkhbold’s cocktail program showcases Italian wines and spirits, including an unconventional martini made with white wine appropriately christened Italian Sun.

Throughout the menu, there are subtle nods to the bounty of the Italian table. Giardino’s agrodolce is a slow-simmering reduction of whole cherry tomatoes, garlic, and balsamic into a burbly jam, which is lacquered atop thick slices of oven-baked fontina cheese. Expect bowls of fire-roasted tomato bisques, panzanella tossed with a cranberry vinaigrette, and steaks dressed with salsa verde so vibrant it’ll matches the rafters.
Photos: Sarah Cervantes