Do you get that "Groundhog Day" wooziness driving down the South Elgin Randall Road corridor, which is bursting with monotonous businesses without much character? This may explain why so many diners hungry for a change of pace are filling the seats at seven-week-old C'era Una Volta.

Once upon a time (the literal translation of C'era Una Volta), owners Salvatore Trupiano and Nicola DiTrapani were kids in Sicily. Now they're bringing a lot of their familial food memories to life at this rustic yet modern eatery. Sal, who was the espresso barista at his family's restaurant when he was 12, comes from a construction background building countless restaurants in the area -- hence the modern granite bar but also the reclaimed wood and barn doors recalling the Sicilian countryside.