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The words simple, rustic, affordable and good summarise this charming spot in the gentrifying South Loop neighbourhood, and it achieves particularly high marks for its seafood dishes. When the weather’s nice, grab a table on the outdoor patio. There’s also a lovely local twist: a hidden door in the back harks back to the city’s speakeasy gangster days, and there’s even a table for two crafted from a safe.
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Billed as an 'Italian steakhouse’ due to its prime steak and pasta dishes, most people recognise this restaurant by the famous [name] over the door. The bespectacled local personality was a play-by-play announcer for both the Sox and the Cubs baseball teams, and his love of the game is everywhere, from the baseball memorabilia to the bar, which measures the exact distance between the pitcher’s mound and home plate. A tad touristy, but the steak is great.
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For more than 20 years, the city’s only four- star Italian restaurant has offered refined dining complemented by sweeping views of the city and Lake Michigan. Chef Tony Mantuano’s award-winning specialities include diced raw Kobe strip steak with Piemontese white truffle essence and lemon, and hand made chestnut spaghettoni pasta with porcini mushroom sauce. Contemporary art and tuxedoed waiters add to the pageantry.
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A Chicago institution, this cosy, bustling spot is so Old Country Italian you almost expect to run into Sinatra here (indeed you can, in a way, thanks to a giant oil painting of Ol’ Blue Eyes). Bring your appetite, because portions here are huge, and the wine is reasonably priced. There’s also a location on Michigan Avenue, just off the Magnificent Mile, to attract the tourists, but locals appreciate the warm atmosphere at its original location, near the University of Illinois campus and the pizza parlours of Little Italy.
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