The kitchen doesn't skimp on the portions nor on the good, crusty bread from neighboring D'Amato Bakery. Tops among the impressive appetizers is radicchio alla Rosa, packages of grilled radicchio containing dense mozzarella cheese wrapped in prosciutto, drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Almost as impressive was a massive portion of black mussels in a sinus-clearing spicy tomato sauce. And I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the baked portobello mushroom, topped with melted mozzarella and surrounded by roasted red peppers. There's little seafood on the menu, but the daily fish special is probably a good bet, as it was when the feature was risotto di mare, in which slightly gummy risotto supported an array of seafood, including clams, shrimp, calamari and more of those good mussels.
Service is spotty.
I'd yank down the artificial grape arbor over the bar, a dated and corny touch. 1132 W. Grand Ave. Misto means mixture, and indeed the menu is a blend, incorporating Italian, American and even French influences. Both dishes are odd but manage to work. When the kitchen errs, overexuberant seasoning is often the culprit.