A post shared by Monteverde Restaurant (@monteverdechi), Where to Celebrate Special Occasions in Chicago. The restaurant has made loyal customers out of famous Chicagoans over the years, including former President Barack Obama and the late White Sox owner Bill Veeck. Consistently voted as one of the best Italian restaurants in Chicago, Topo Gigio has been a favorite for locals and visitors for over 25 years! 1516 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610-1308 +1 312-266-9355 Website Closed now : See all hours See all (142) Ratings and reviews 500 #38 RATINGS Food Service Value Atmosphere Details CUISINES Italian Special Diets Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Meals Lunch, Dinner, Late Night View all details meals, features Chicago Fire. This frills-free institution is a mainstay for homey, humble Italian comfort food served in a funky, ramshackle space (thinkkitschy knickknacks and walls of signed celebrity photographs) that feels at once cozy and endearingly rickety. The bakery is a destination on Paczki Day, but its also celebrated for its chocolate doughnuts, banana split torte, and three-pound grandpa rye loaves, plus holiday and seasonal specials. The restaurant added a North Side location in August 2022. A South Side classic since 1930, Webers is still owned and operated by members of the Weber family. A post shared by Carnitas Uruapan (@carnitas_uruapanchi). Well, Monteverde and RPM Italian have got it covered on that front. Upscale yet approachable, Sapori Trattoria is a restaurant for all occasions. Escape the bustle of the city at Piccolo Sognos lush garden patio and enjoy an intimate evening filled with rustic cuisine and Italian wines. It's no surprise, however, that the pizza is the star of the show. Location: 737-200 We DO offer Gift Cards. There are remarkable trattorias in virtually every neighborhood of the cityseveral of them are among the, while others date back almost a century. A post shared by Pizano's Pizza and Pasta (@pizanospizzachi), Deep Dish and More: 11 Great Places for Chicago-Style Pizza. John Daley, an Irish immigrant, opened the diner in the late-1800s, though it later changed hands to the Zars, who still own it today. All these things can be combined into one attribute the incredible neighborhood restaurants that still dot the old quarters of Chicago and draw both new and devoted patrons every day. But after one look at the menu, you'll realize that the cutesy interior is backed up by fantastic fare. 7 Oldest Restaurants In The World No-fail Italian favorites include the lemony roasted artichoke, a heaping bowl of rigatoni alla vodka, the massive baked burrata lasagna and the tried-and-true chicken Vesuvio. The proprietary hot dog is a variation of the Chicago-style wiener, with neon green relish, chopped white onions, a kosher dill pickle, mustard, a pickled tomato, and sport peppers for those who like heat. Excellent service." The space is small and reservations go quickly so plan weeks ahead to get a table. The Drifter, as the restaurants basement speakeasy is called, has been preserved out of time and makes for an interesting night in the shadow, smoke, and shade that Italian gangsters might have seen in the 20s. Opened: 1898 Saturday: 11:30am-10:30pm. A popular stop for performers like Aretha Franklin, Josephines Southern Cooking is known for soul food staples like gumbo, fried catfish, and pork chop. The Orange Garden Restaurant is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Chicago, opening its doors back in 1926. It's a solid and unpretentious family-run spot with a good bar for hanging out with friends. That title goes to the owner and chef Josephine Mother Wade, a figure so beloved that she has a street named after her. Buy hand-crafted noodles by the pound or stay awhile and luxuriate over a plate of namesake tortelli, which are stuffed with creamy burrata and topped with brown butter, sage and crunchy toasted hazelnuts. Thanks for subscribing! 10 Largest Food Companies in the World, Your email address will not be published. This is Bridgeport, where locals eat thick pork chop Vesuvio and big bowls of penne tossed with spicy pesto, capers and succulent nibs of prosciutto. (1931-2001) Smoke House / 1825 N Main St. Wheaton, IL. The items on the line rotate in and out throughout the day. This classic tavern-style bar and restaurant has been serving its fine food, self-professed on the sign, since 1881. Online ordering is available here. Sporting just 28 seats in the main dining room, Elinas is one of the most intimate Italian-American joints in town. For decades, people included the restaurant in their holiday traditions. Harolds is the fried chicken Chicago natives crave the most when they leave town, especially garnished with mild sauce. Expect ornate dishes like grand seafood platters, crabmeat and avocado parfaits, squid ink seafood linguini, risotto decked out with ramp butter and spring truffles, and, true to its Gibsons legacy, top-of-the-line steaks, including a mighty 34-ounce Wagyu tomahawk. Predating the Peoples of Republic of China by decades, the Orange Garden Restaurants food is rooted in the classics. Established in 1941 by true Italian chefs, this is one of the city's premier steakhouses, and it has been owned by the same family since it opened. The menu presents options like tortelli filled with burrata, cacio e pepe, spaghetti stracciatella, and chiusoni alla gallurese. Diners are here for primarily one thing: carbs. Every meal starts with complimentary garlic bread, focaccia, and salami before diners dig into clams casino, rigatoni a la vodka, chicken and eggplant parm, cherry pepper ribs, Dover sole piccata, and more all served on vintage china. Monni uses his grandmother's recipe for the tiramisu, making it a must-try dessert. Opened: 1926 The shrimp fettuccine has a beautiful plum tomato cream sauce. Online orders can be placedhere. Reservations for indoor dining are recommended, especially for Friday and Saturday evenings. Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission. Head to the Heart of Italy for this family-run operation thats been around for four decades. I haven't been to an Old Chicago restaurant in years, but my recent visit reminded me of how much I enjoy their food. The restaurant is the ideal setting in which to hunker down al fresco with a bottle of Italian wine (there are over 400 to choose from), a crisp salad, some fresh baked Italian bread, and pretend you're vacationing in sun-soaked Tuscany. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Something went wrong. The chicken pot pie, allegedly invented by a millinery clerk back in the 1890s, is a classic dish. Location: 71 W Monroe St As for Monteverde's intricate and wholly original handmade pasta dishes, options rotate regularly, and span the spectrum from ricotta- and spinach-filled tortelli with roasted miso and ramps, to creste di gallo pasta (so named for the fact that it resembles a rooster's crest, per Lilly's Fresh Pasta) with lamb and prosciutto sugo and whipped feta. 1401 N. Wells St., Chicago, IL 60610 312-787-6604 Sunday-Thursday 11am-9pm Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm Originally a 22-seat stand, this hot dog and chili spot launched in 1924 has expanded significantly and now operates several locations in the Chicago area. Owned by the DiBuono family since 1931, little has changed at Tufanos over the decades. The pork ribs are wonderful as is the Croatian star, cevapi. Though many have moved or changed hands from their original digs down in the old neighborhood, they remain institutions that define the windy city for its regulars and tourists. Facebook/Gene & Georgetti Chicago. It almost feels like a disservice to distillDaisiesdown to a single cuisine, but its rigorously seasonal, locally sourced menu has an undeniableItalian accent weaved throughout. A post shared by ulterior epicure (@ulteriorepicure), Where to Chomp on Italian Beef Sandwiches in Chicago. Prosciutto e Burrata $24.00. A post shared by Cara Esten Hurtle (@caraessie), 20 Hot and Delicious Soups That Beat the Chicago Cold. But the one thing they all have in common: Cooking thatll make nonna proud. Touting recipes from the old country, Bacchanalia produces notable versions of linguine with clams, breaded pork tenderloin, veal scallopini, gorgonzola gnocchi, and more. Theyve been there for 50, some of them over 100, years. Thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads, burgers, steaks and seafood are . Required fields are marked *. A post shared by Gioia Chicago (@gioiachicago), Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Day in Chicago. The signature chili can be served with or without beans and elbow macaroni at the customers discretion. Theyve moved twice over the years throughout Chicagos Little Italy and have three separate locations. Dinotto Restaurant Italian RestaurantsPizzaFamily Style Restaurants (2)BBB Rating: A+ WebsiteView Menu 34 YEARS IN BUSINESS Amenities: Offers outdoor seatingHas WifiServes alcoholTakes reservations (312) 202-0302 215 W North Ave Chicago, IL 60610 0.1 miles OPEN NOW Well, Monteverde and RPM Italian have got it covered on that front. For those able to snag a reservation, "Top Chef" alum Sarah Grueneberg and James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2017 will take you on an adventure of singular flavors, snacks, and types of pasta, from crispy chicken polpettine and stuffed cabbage with porcini bolognese to soppressata meatballs and gianduja cream puffs. Don't miss this James Beard-honored monument to smoked fish on the far South Side, in business since 1948. Then head to longtime stalwarts Tufanos Vernon Park Tap and Brunas Ristorante. This Old Chicago location is new, and they are still working out some quirks. When summer rolls around, the plant-lined sidewalk patio in front of this West Loop restaurant is populated by neighborhood folk sipping prosecco and piling prosciutto atop country bread. Tortellini in Brodo $6.00. But the kitchen is far from tired, going beyond typical pastas and parmigianas to specialize in rustic dishes from Siena. This old family-run city staple had been at the same location on 63rd street since it opened in 1892. Suffice to say, this isn't your typical mom-and-pop spaghetti and meatballs joint. As Lincoln Parks go-to Italian joint for all occasionswhether it be a first date or an anniversary celebrationits easy to get the impression that people are coming here out of habit. The University Village restaurant has been owned by the DiBuono family since 1930 and serves superb renditions of Italian-American favorites, such as lemon chicken and eggplant parm. Situated just off of one of Chicago's busiest intersections, Piccolo Sogno is a tucked-away oasis offering tried-and-true Italian delicacies. Since it opened, its been famous for baked, Chicago-style prime baby back ribs. The oldest Chicago restaurants have been feeding their regular patrons and celebrity guests for decades, some over a century. But after a few drinks, we're ready to order something hearty from the dinner menu. The nduja arancini is decadent and the chicken and dumpling soup is great on a cold day. The sophisticated second-floor dining areadecked out with crystal chandeliers and vintage mirrorsis a bustling and boisterous spot to see and be seen. newsletter, allegedly invented by a millinery clerk back in the 1890s, 6257 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60637. On Wednesdays, a four-course Taste of Piemonte menu is available for $55. 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