Village Vintner Uncorks Winery, Microbrewery in Algonquin

A winery/microbrewery and a quaint Italian restaurant opened in recent days in Algonquin.

The Village Vintner Winery and Brewery, which formerly operated solely as a winery along Randall Road in Carpentersville, opened Friday just south of Algonquin Commons at 2380 Esplanade Drive.

The “soft opening” was announced at 3 p.m. Friday and the business still “packed the house,” according to Village Vintner’s Facebook page.

Steve Boyer, owner of Village Vintner, told the Elgin Courier in January that a drop in production forced him to close the doors of his Carpentersville winery on Dec. 31.

Deciding to expand, and to build off an original concept he had for Village Vintner, Boyer moved forward with plans for a restaurant at the Algonquin location, along with his own winery and microbrewery, according to the Elgin Courier article. Boyer has been making beer and wine out of his home for years, according to the article.

The opening of Village Vintner Winery & Brewery this past week will make it only the third combination winery and microbrewery in Illinois and the only one in the Chicago area, according to the Courier article.

The winery and brewery offers a casual dining atmosphere and house-brewed beer and wine, according to Village Vintner’s website. Village Vintner has a full-service bar area as well as a separate wine- and beer-tasting bar.

The handcrafted house brews include a VV IPA, English Red Ale, No Doubt Stout, Nut Brown Ale, Vanilla Cream Ale and Belgian Wit, according to the Village Vintner website. According to the Village Vintner’s Facebook page, its home-brewed beers have not yet been available but should be soon.

Village Vintner also has several white and red wines, as well as fruit/sweet wines and dessert wines available. Village Vintner has more-detailed descriptions available of its many wines on its website.

The restaurant features a wood-fire pizza oven, which allows for “gourmet pizza, delectable flatbreads, tender smoky ribs, and many other mouthwatering wood-fired entrees,” according to Village Vintner’s website.

Pizzas offered include a steak and bleu cheese pizza, asparagus and pear as well as margherita and Mediterranean pizzas and range in price from $9 to $13. Some of the entree options include a balsamic glazed strip steak for $22.90, cedar plank salmon for $16.90 and fire-roasted baby rack ribs at $12.90 for a half rack and $16.90 for a full rack.

Village Vintner’s website has a full menu available. The Village Vintner Facebook page provides updates as well as daily specials.

La Trattoria Opens at the Algonquin Commons

La Trattoria Marianos has opened at 1748 Randall Road at the Algonquin Commons.

The business closed its doors at its Lake in the Hills location — formerly in a strip mall at Ackman and Lakewood roads — in recent months.

The restaurant is run by husband and wife, Mariano and Theresa Scandurra, and offers a “simple, rustic menu." The couple came from Italy in the 1970s.

In a facility that is quaint and “less formal than a regular restaurant,” the Scandurras use fresh, quality ingredients with “no chemicals or preservatives,” and their menu is inspired by original family recipes, according to La Trattoria’s website.

Some of those menu options include mozzarella caprese ($10), steamed mussels ($11), cheese-stuffed tortellini ($15), chicken parmigiana ($14) and linguine with white clams ($19). For a full menu, visit La Trattoria’s website.