'Ti Amo Ristorante' Brings Authentic Italian Cuisine to Lemont

A new Italian restaurant has opened its doors in Lemont—ending a three-year vacancy in one of the towns most-trafficked areas.

Ti Amo Ristorante opened quietly March 9 at 12350 Derby Road, the former site of Oliverio's Italian Chop House and Zeppa Brick Oven Pizza, which closed in March 2010.

Like its predecessors, Ti Amo specializes in traditional Italian cuisine. Its extensive menu includes a variety of appetizers, salads, pastas, pizza, sandwiches, seafood and meat entrees.

"It's affordable, authentic Italian food in an upscale atmosphere," said Marc Lacroix, a manager at Ti Amo.

Although the owners wanted to maintain the upscale feel of the building, they worked hard to make the space comfortable and family-friendly.

"We want Ti Amo to be a place where people go for a night out, but also somewhere that they can bring their kids and have a nice family meal," Lacroix said.

The menu was created by Enzo DeIuliis, a well-known Italian chef in Las Vegas who became good friends with Lacroix while working together in the restaurant industry.

"He's a well-regarded chef, so we're very excited to be using his recipes and ideas in our menu here at Ti Amo," Lacroix said.

Ti Amo is run by a team of managers, none of whom live in Lemont. They were attracted to the building because of its location in the busy Archer-McCarthy-Derby intersection, according to manager Judy Yost.

"We had been looking for a space to open a new restaurant, and this one ended up being exactly what we were looking for," Yost said.

In addition to its dining room and full-service bar, Ti Amo offers carry-out services and will soon begin deliveries and catering.

Yost said she and her team are excited to bring Italian food back to Derby Road.

"The building has been empty for such a long time, so we're excited to be here and hopefully show everyone how great the place  is," Yost said.

Ti Amo is open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Business hours will soon be expanded to include lunch and Sunday brunch.

For more information on the restaurant, visit Ti Amo's Facebook page or www.tiamoristorante.com.

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