Delicious pizza and pizza in Little Italy area of Chicago. It is a nice looking restaurant, too…read more We went for lunch on a Sunday (to avoid the crowd and for free street parking). The restaurant is not busy at all. We were seated right away. Our server was nice and attentive. We ordered pizza and pasta. Pepperoni and Whipped Ricotta Pizza - cooked perfectly, fresh ingredients and delicious! Served hot! Short Rib Pappardelle - to die for! This is very tasty, the pasta is cooked al dente. The short rib sauce is ssosooo delicious! We sat by the bar overlooking the open kitchen. It was nice to see the chef make the pizza and make the pasta. Further area is more fine dining with wall of wine. Very classy! Street parking only. So plan ahead.

This is such a cool spot. I wouldn't have even known about it, if it weren't for a local friend…read more Where to start? We came in with a group of about 20! Normally I hate those kinds of large group dinners, but this was the perfect spot for it. The service was absolutely wonderful. I don't know how our server stayed so cool and calm with a group that size. We got a variety of things. EVERYTHING was amazing. If you have seen any of my other reviews, I always get a meatball when I'm at a place that has them. They almost never live up to my expectation. But this place has the new gold standard for a meatball. It was everything you want. It is fork tender, full of flavor, no chewy ground up bits. The pizzas were authentic and thin. With fabulous house made red sauce that wasn't too thick and overwhelming. The flavor was A+ The cocktails were so good! All made from scratch with love. The ambiance was cozy and comfortable. Perfect for a group or a date. They have a full bar, and also great seating with perfect lighting. This is a new favorite for me in the city.

We've been going to Tufano's easily for 40 years + Always…read morebefore a Blackhawk game Went back on Thursday and it's AMAZING, same great service, same chalkboard menu and homemade Italian Joey hasn't changed a bit, it's his place and you're his guest Our family absolutely loves it and it's a must go for us Can't wait for our next trip to Chicago

The Free Valet was the real hero of the night, but since that isn't edible, I'll focus on the food…read more It's hard for me to find a pasta I don't like, and this was no exception. Solid Chicken Parmigiana, and the Alfredo was tasty too. They loaded up on the Bruschetta which I appreciate. Our waitress was very laid back and casual, which I appreciate, but that also came with a relaxed service. Some folks might not be into that, but I wasn't in a hurry so I enjoyed it. Overall a solid space, and I look forward to going back and trying more of the menu

This was my second time visiting Il Porcellino in River North, and it has officially become one of…read moremy Chicago spots! Every time I'm on that side of town, I try to make it a point to stop in. The customer service is always top-tier, but one of my favorite things about Il Porcellino is the ambiance. It has such a warm, inviting atmosphere that works perfectly for a date night, dinner with friends, or even a family get-together. It just has that classic Chicago feel that makes the entire dining experience even better. And the drinks? So good! I highly recommend the Old Fashioned -- definitely one of my favorites. I always order the fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp. The first time I had it, the sauce was a little thicker, creamier, and richer, which I personally preferred. This visit, it was still very good, just a little lighter than I remembered. Either way, I enjoyed my meal and would absolutely order it again. Overall, another great experience. Great service, beautiful ambiance, delicious drinks, and good food. I'll definitely be back because Il Porcellino has become one of those places I look forward to visiting whenever I'm in the area. 10/10 -- highly recommend!

Stumbled upon this gem while looking for a dinner spot to celebrate my husband's birthday while in…read moretown. We absolutely loved it. Table was ready upon arrival. Service was great. Loved the music and ambiance. We had the burrata lasagna and the spinach ravioli with prosciutto. Incredible. Burrata lasagna was so light. Never had anything like it.

Look, great doesn't mean best, but this place was really good. Inside is a really charming…read moreold-world place with only 11 tables. It's a pretty small place. The reservation we got was for the patio, but when we arrived, they didn't have a table for us. We waited probably an extra 15 mins and then the lady was able to arrange an inside table for us. She had been getting a bit of lip from folks coming in just before us, and so she definitely seemed to be dishing out some lip herself. I think that should have been a better experience. I will acknowledge that we did appreciate a table inside eventually when the one just outside wasn't there. Our server once seated was like, amazing. To me she made up for the passive aggressive comments from before. She was so patient and well-spoken and all. Seemed like she was from a Michelin-star place. So to start, the Caesar salad was ok. What was nice in there, it had these crispy chips of some kind in the salad. Overall, the dressing could've been a bit more caesar-y. Then we also had these truffle oil mozzarella sticks and those were pretty amazing. Served with marinara sauce, which was pretty good. But the sticks themselves were like so cheesy and gooey and freshly made, it was great. Then for the mains, we had a vodka pasta and one other one. Both were vegetarian pasta options, which is great. Both had really nice flavored sauces and the pastas were also done right. I forgot to ask for crushed red pepper as some spice boost would've made things even better. Also, one of the pastas was a gluten free - and it was really good - in the sense that I never would've guessed that it was gf. It's a corn-based pasta, in case anyone wants to know. I really wish they had an eggplant parm, but unfortunately they had only chicken and veal parms, only. Lastly, and to top everything else off, we had a soft-serve almond-caramel (not the exact name) gelato. Wow, that was SO good. Nutty flavor and creamy rich. Probably the best course of the night. Just outstanding. I chose it based on ChatGPT recommendation and it was just spot ON. Definitely a place I'll come back to.

Ciccio Mio was the final stop of our seven-restaurant Sunday food tour, and it could not have been…read morea more perfect ending. The restaurant is intimate, warm and moody in the best way - exactly the kind of place you want to settle into for a late dinner. We started with the truffle mozzarella sticks and burrata, followed by the rigatoni vodka and chicken parmesan. That chicken parm was easily one of the standout dishes of my entire Chicago trip. For dessert we had the citrus olive oil cake, and then they surprised us by gifting the table their soft serve. We absolutely did not need another bite of food at that point... and yet somehow that soft serve disappeared. It was amazing. And the service? Top notch. From beginning to end, the hospitality matched the food and atmosphere. Seven stops, a ridiculous amount of food, and Ciccio Mio managed to be the perfect finale.

First visit to Voltare, but won't be last. Incredible food and pleasant ambiance. Even sitting at…read morethe bar! Karl who manages a very busy bar gave outstanding, honest food recommendations. Great dining experience. Highly recommend!!!

The food and the environment were great! What really took it over the top was the service. I…read morespecifically would like to mention Carlos who went above and beyond to make our dinner and evening special.

I've been coming here for nearly 20 years and there's not one time that I have been let down. This…read moreis a must bravo my friends bravo

Food, Service, Ambience all were nothing to write home about. Circuses seem to have missed a beat…read morecompared to other Italian places. Server seemed apathetic- maybe had a bad day. Water glasses were semi full. Best dish were the lamb chops. Tea was interesting in a variety selection brought to the table. Parking was valet and was ambiguous to pricing.

Alla Vita was great! Glad we went with 4 people because we got to try more dishes. They also have…read morean extensive wine selection. We started with three apps. The octopus surprised me because octopus can be hit or miss for me, but they did it really well! The table bread was also pretty good and cheesy. The Caesar was just fine. Nothing special but not bad (which is good coming from me since I'm not usually big on kale). Of course all of the pastas were yummy. The fusilloni was definitely my favorite from the noodle shape to the sausage and cheese. The ricotta dumplings were suuuuuper cheesy which I really liked (though I could see why others wouldn't) and had a melt in your mouth softness. The rigatoni was tasty, but kinda just tasted like a normal red sauce so would probably try something more interesting next time. We really enjoyed the chicken parm, too. Not as good as the pastas, but definitely tasty and the basil was a good touch. We finished with the guava cheesecake sundae. I really liked the little bits of cake, but the ice cream itself was a little lacking for me. Still a nice sweet treat to finish the meal!! We had the perfect amount of food overall for 4 people!

Wanted to love this place soooo badly but we were a little disappointed. Ambiance and decor are…read moreamazing, it's so beautiful and lively inside but there was no AC and we were burningggg up. Had to use the menu to fan ourselves, other patrons were doing it as well. The fritto misto was ok, the breading tasted like it was old or had been sitting out. Not as crispy as we'd hope. To be honest felt like frozen calamari quality. The Alla Vita chopped was pretty standard, kinda reminded me of Olive Garden salad lol. The stars of the meal were the tagliatelle and cappelletti pasta. Both were super flavorful and pasta cooked well. The bone-in ribeye was a little on the sweeter side, definitely lacked a crust and salt. I'd pass on the steak IMO. Our biggest qualm was the timing of the dishes coming out. The pasta came out 30-35 minutes after the appetizer and salad which is fine, but the steak coming out 15 minutes after the pasta kinda ruined it. We'd love to eat the entrees (steak and pasta) together, and not finish our pasta first or let it go cold then eat steak alone.. ya know? We had ordered crispy potatoes but cancelled due to the wait. Ended the night with mango passion fruit sorbet with a prosecco float. Big mistake on the prosecco float haha it was so tarte and bitter, would def recommend trying the sorbet alone! Overall, glad we finally got to try this place. Focus more on the pastas and skip the steak. Very beautiful inside.

What a blast .. Cam best bartender in Chicago.. this is a must do in Little Italy . Total funread more

Heidi and I made it out to Little Joe's for the first time tonight and had a blast hanging out with…read moreKevin and his crew! Kevin had his Jambalaya on tap in the kitchen and it was exquisite. Spicy, hot temp and very fresh. Bar had some good taps and tons of non beer options for those that don't drink beer. It looks like the bar usually has a mexican kitchen and tacos available for purchase. Bar has touch tunes and a patio, great ambiance. For seating, you can pick from high tops, the bar and booths. We will definitely be back soon to this great neighborhood spot!

Excellent experience at Viaggio, the food was delicious the atmosphere was wonderful, and the…read moreservice was outstanding. A special thank you to co-owner Dave Flanzbaum for his friendly, attentive, and professional service he made our visit even more enjoyable. Highly recommended.q

The best. Such a…read moregreat time, great atmosphere, and fantastic service. 5 stars all the way!!! Owner Dave was so nice and made every accommodation for us being late the first night and we missed, but we rebooked for another night and it was awesome. On Thursday it's live music and the singer was amazing! We got sat toward the back so we could hear and still have conversations. The food was excellent! We had the Mussels, linguini clam (tons of clam in it), the risotto special, and veal lemone. Not a single miss, it was so good. Our server was so nice, attentive, and personable. I'm glad to see that it's still at a high level and real. It was packed by the time we left so make sure you get a reso. When I return to Chicago I will be back and this will be one of my go to spots. - VIP, David

Starting with the bread with the olive oil balsamic vinegar and freshly grated cheese...yum…read more Followed by a margarita pizza and calamari for appetizers! Excellent! My husband ordered the risotto with truffle and I ordered the gnocchi. Highly recommend! All with an amazing waitress Lulu who went above and beyond and completed our amazing experience at this great restaurant!! Can't wait to come back!

We had the best service!!! Trevor gave amazing recommendations as well as giving us the best…read moreattitude and making out-of-towners feel welcome!!!! Will definitely come back any time I visit the city! Food was amazing!!!!