Chicago Restaurant Guide
(3 ratings)
(773) 631-0100
5414 West Devon Avenue, Chicago, IL 60646
Dining Specials
Italian Food & Culture History
Restaurant Description
(Chicago, IL.) - Al Primo Canto, modeled after a beloved type of eatery from southern Brazil - has opened in Edgebrook, a Chicago north side neighborhood.
Known as a galeteria, these restaurants - and now Al Primo Canto - specialize in small, young chickens slow roasted over natural hardwood in a brick oven rotisserie.
"What you will experience is an unbelievable but simple and fresh taste of southern Brazil," says Chef-owner Georges Elbekai, who worked in the culinary and management sides of hospitality. "That's what makes a galeteria so good and such a favorite among the people."
Elbekai became enamored with the galeteria after regular trips to the country with his wife, Maria, and children to visit her side of the family. Galeterias in Brazil are rooted in Italian cuisine, a result of the large influx of Italian immigrants who settled in São Paulo and the mountainous countryside. The signature dish of the galeteria is known as galeto al primo canto in reference to the age of the chicken when it reaches the market - a young bird before it learns to crow.
At Chicago's Al Primo Canto, the galeto is seasoned with garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, white wine and a variety of fresh herbs, such as sage, rosemary and oregano. The chicken - like the lamb and beef - is slow roasted in a brick-lined, wood-fired rotisserie measuring 25 feet long and 5 feet wide.
Imported in one piece from Brazil, the oven is a symbolic of Elbekai's commitment to authenticity. "This oven is the backbone of Al Primo Canto," he says. "You must have this to be a true galeteria."
Featuring its Brazilian-Italian inspired fare, the Al Primo Canto experience is a set price and endless feast format. For adults, it is $29; children 6 to 12, $12 and complimentary for those under 6, exclusive of tax and gratuity.
1. They bring you Pao de Queso (Cheese Bread). Our was cold and hard.
2. Then they bring you pasta covered in three different sauces; garlic, marinara, and mushroom. Again, we got cold pasta. Also, I am pretty sure they use some kind of canned pasta sauces. I could have made a tastier pasta at home for under $5.
3. Then they bring out the chicken, beef, and lamb, along with salad and fried polenta. They polenta was OK, but the chicken was bland. Also, although I like meat cooked medium rare, my husband doesn't. They did not even ask him how he would like his meat cooked!
4. We tried to use a gift certificate from Restaurant.com and they put up a big stink about it. Instead of letting us pay with our debit card which in this day and age is the only way people pay for things... they made my husband leave the restaurant and drive to an ATM to get them cash while I sat alone at our table and waited.
Overall, this was a horrible experience for the price. Even with the gift certificate the price was outrageous for the service and quality of food that we received. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PLACE, GO TO A REAL RESTAURANT!!!
* They did have a live band which was OK.
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Number of Reviews: 3
1. They bring you Pao de Queso (Cheese Bread). Our was cold and hard.
2. Then they bring you pasta covered in three different sauces; garlic, marinara, and mushroom. Again, we got cold pasta. Also, I am pretty sure they use some kind of canned pasta sauces. I could have made a tastier pasta at home for under $5.
3. Then they bring out the chicken, beef, and lamb, along with salad and fried polenta. They polenta was OK, but the chicken was bland. Also, although I like meat cooked medium rare, my husband doesn't. They did not even ask him how he would like his meat cooked!
4. We tried to use a gift certificate from Restaurant.com and they put up a big stink about it. Instead of letting us pay with our debit card which in this day and age is the only way people pay for things... they made my husband leave the restaurant and drive to an ATM to get them cash while I sat alone at our table and waited.
Overall, this was a horrible experience for the price. Even with the gift certificate the price was outrageous for the service and quality of food that we received. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PLACE, GO TO A REAL RESTAURANT!!!
* They did have a live band which was OK.
Will try going back to taste something from menu, but now we do not have too much of hope left.
Bottomline: too pricey for a regular dinner of this quality, absolutely nothing special to go from far away to taste.
Al Primo Canto Galeteria Map
Recent Al Primo Canto Galeteria Reviews
1. They bring you Pao de Queso (Cheese Bread). Our was cold and hard.
2. Then they bring you pasta covered in three different sauces; garlic, marinara, and mushroom. Again, we got cold pasta. Also, I am pretty sure they use some kind of canned pasta sauces. I could have made a tastier pasta at home for under $5.
3. Then they bring out the chicken, beef, and lamb, along with salad and fried polenta. They polenta was OK, but the chicken was bland. Also, although I like meat cooked medium rare, my husband doesn't. They did not even ask him how he would like his meat cooked!
4. We tried to use a gift certificate from Restaurant.com and they put up a big stink about it. Instead of letting us pay with our debit card which in this day and age is the only way people pay for things... they made my husband leave the restaurant and drive to an ATM to get them cash while I sat alone at our table and waited.
Overall, this was a horrible experience for the price. Even with the gift certificate the price was outrageous for the service and quality of food that we received. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PLACE, GO TO A REAL RESTAURANT!!!
* They did have a live band which was OK.
