La Bocca Della Verita To Close Monday
By Melissa Wiley in Food on Jan 1, 2014 7:00PM
The mouth of truth has spoken, and it’s bad news. After 25 years in business, La Bocca della Verita, christened after the marble Roman face apt to bite prevaricators’ hands off, will shutter Monday, Jan. 6.
Owner Liz D’Ortenzi has reported that the landlord will not renew her lease for the restaurant she opened with her late husband, Cesare, in 1990.
In the wake of Chicago’s Italian food renaissance, with newcomers like Nico Osteria and Cichetti serving increasingly daedal dishes with high price points and lots of squid ink, this low-key Lincoln Square charmer has kept things simple, luring locals with its wistful al fresco seating just steps from the Davis Theater and Old Town School of Folk Music, bright Raffaellesco pottery, vintage Roman Holiday regalia, and pasta carbonara alike. But despite its loyal customer base, challenges have mounted in the past year for D’Ortenzi, who plans to reopen the family business in an as yet undetermined locale, a prospect that should hearten those of us still mourning the close of the neighboring Lincoln Restaurant.
After a fire last February, D’Ortenzi’s insurer allegedly refused to reimburse her for damages because she has been renting the space month by month rather than securing a longer-term lease. The volatile landlord-tenant relationship also dissuaded her from renewing the restaurant’s liquor license earlier this fall, which would have entailed what D'Ortenzi deemed too large a financial investment.