Bonta is an Italian word meaning quality, goodness and abundance. “That encapsulates what we want to do,” said Antonella Granito, owner and operator with her husband, Nunzio Bottiglieri, of the Bonta Italian Deli and Wine Shop in Lincolnshire.
“Through trial and error and growing confidence,” Granito said Bonta has slowly and steadily evolved from a deli sandwich shop and market to more of a cafe with an expanding menu of entrees for patrons to eat there or take home.
The authentic recipes for such dishes as stuffed red peppers, lasagna or calzones (all priced for under $10), are “50-50” between Granito’s mother and Bottiglieri’s mother, said Granito, who lives in Mundelein. While neither she nor her husband have formal culinary school training (her background is in social work), they are Italian. And that’s the main ingredient. “Growing up, you’re always in the kitchen,” she said with a laugh. “Eating meals with the family is a big deal. Your mom gives you tasks; it’s important that kids help buy the groceries, cut the tomatoes and bread the cutlets. The next thing you know, you’re 12, and you know how to cook.”
Everything at Bonta is made from scratch and on the premises, including a daily selection of soups. “If you’re a sandwich person, you have to have one of our subs,” she said. “We call them paninis, but we don’t do the Americanized version where it’s almost like a grilled cheese sandwich. We use quality Italian bakery bread, our meats are either imported from Italy or Boar’s Head, and we put on an outstanding dressing of olive oil and balsamic. Nothing is pre-sliced; all meats and cheeses are sliced to order.”
Liz McClain, a regular patron, calls Bonta “a nice little restaurant” and recommends the fettuccine alfredo. “I make a pretty good one, but theirs was better than mine,” she said. “The sauce was creamy, and there was plenty of it, and the chicken was nicely seasoned, and there was plenty of that as well. The portion was big enough for a meal with leftovers.”
The ingredients are either imported from Italy or made locally, such as the bread and coffee. “As the owner of a small business and as a Lake Country resident, I always hope that someone will choose a local business versus a franchise or chain,” she said, “because the money goes right back into the community. It helps our economy.”
Five years into the business, Granito reports that Bonta is expanding. Up until now, they have made do with only a makeshift kitchen. “We are renting the adjacent unit and finally putting in a full kitchen, including a brick oven so we can do pizza,” she said. She expects the new kitchen to be fully operational within the month.
While the emphasis has shifted more from the market to the restaurant and catering aspect of the business, Bonta still devotes a portion of the space to grocery and take-and-bake items. “We need more seating to accommodate our lunch rush,” she said.
Granito takes pride that Bonta is family-owned and operated in an area dominated by chain restaurants. “Our place is very comfortable and homey, and the food is reasonably priced,” she said. “We know our customers as well. I feel if we can get people in for one meal, they will come back. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I really think we are a unique space and a diamond in the rough.”
Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday.
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Contact: Bonta Italian Cafe is at 430 N. Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire. Call 847-383-6233 or go to www.bontamarket.com.
Donald Liebenson is a freelance writer.