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    Francesca's North

    3.8 (329 reviews)
    ModerateItalian
    Open 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Order Francesca's North Takeout or Delivery

    Francesca's North Photos

    FRANCESCA'S NORTH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Francesca's North

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    Vintage Angela returning from Italy with her beloved Aunt and Uncle.
    Katherine L.

    You asked... so I'm going to 'RAVE'!!! Our family selected Francesca's North to host our Step Mother's funeral reception luncheon last weekend -June 20th - I cannot tell you how I was deeply moved not only by the amazing cuisine (Your open kitchen with talented chefs), but by the absolutely professional, polished, personal and GENUINE serving staff! Moisés, went out of his way to serve and attend to our specific table, not missing a beat, always with a smile as were other servers during our lunch. Our stepmother was an old school Northern Italian gal who placed style, family, food above all. I'm positive she was smiling from above as her loved ones enjoyed such a special meal, especially the sausage pizza - her favorite! FYI, the sausage is devine! Your fresh curated decor, delicious food and amazing staff were a beautiful way to celebrate life! Congratulations to the Manager for inspiring such a dynamic team! Please please please take a moment and recognize Moisés for his excellence! Heck acknowledge the entire team that day!! I look forward to returning the next time I'm in the Midwest! With Gratitude.....Kate

    Kristen L.

    The restaurant had a nice little section in the back for parties and separate restrooms. No automatic soap dispenser or paper towel dispenser or flush though. The fried calamari was crispy and light. The marinara sauce went well with it. I do like the lemon slices. The mushroom polenta was delicious. It was a little like a stiff pudding where I could cut off a piece of it. It tasted buttery or cheesy as well as a light mushroom flavor. The salad was fresh with green beans and snap peas. It had a balsamic vinaigrette that wasn't too tart. The rigatoni was al dente, which I liked with the typical marinara sauce on it. The sausage was flavorful. The salmon was moist and tender, very delicious with the spinach. The grape tomatoes were cooked. The cheese cake was light and creamy. It wasn't too heavy. They refilled my glass of water and tea quite regularly. I needed a lot of water from a long couple of days.

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

    I like the atmosphere and menu here. light italian. We always can find something we like on the menu or specials and like the wines.

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    15 years ago

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    Page 9 of 9

    Ask the Community - Francesca's North

    Trattoria Oliverii

    Trattoria Oliverii

    3.4(165 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    We were pointed here by my daughter and her family as this is their current favorite restaurant…read more Well, she didn't let our party of 4 down, and we had a delicious, delightful Saturday night dinner here. I'm going to go with 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for our outing. Everything we ordered was delicious and top quality and the portion sizes were generous for their reasonable prices. Maria was our friendly and capable server. I made a reservation for 6:15pm, and it was needed as they are popular and their smallish space was at capacity. The patio was open out front, but it was a humid night and al fresco dining was not a desirable option by anyone. My only knock and the 1/2 star deduct is for their tight quarters. The tables are small and tightly packed, both in the smallish dining room, as well as on their patio. There is a cozy mom-and-pop vibe here, but it's honestly not the most comfortable dining, but at least tonight we had a corner table for a little more personal air space. It also got a bit loud. We had 2 appetizers and 3 entrees, and we had to have the appetizers first and with plates removed before there was enough space for the entrees. Dining for a party of 2 would be more comfortable at least, and I wouldn't hesitate to return for their great food and good value. For food and drink, we shared family style: - calamari fritte appetizer, $17 - crostini portobello appetizer, $13 - farfelle con salmone, $30 - vitella piccata, $32 - fettuccine con frutti di mare, $30 Complimentary warm French bread was provided. I also had a couple of Revolution Anti-Hero IPA's ($6 each). There is a 3% credit card fee fyi. There is also free public parking for local businesses right across Shermer Rd at the train station lot. Overall, a highly recommended, delicious, and quaint Italian restaurant and as mentioned I wouldn't hesitate to return!

    I love this restaurant. The food is fantastic. This is my favorite place to take my wife to…read moredine. It's feels romantic every time I've dined here. The bread is amazing. The calamari is tasty. Have had fried and grilled. My favorite dish is the vodka penne with crumbled sausage. Great deserts. My wife always finds a good wine. This place is an absolute GEM. Bravissimo!!!!

    Photos
    Trattoria Oliverii - We had a leisurely dinner!  A dining room view when we were almost the last to leave!

    We had a leisurely dinner! A dining room view when we were almost the last to leave!

    Trattoria Oliverii - Pumpkin ravioli in brown butter sage sauce with almond cookie crumble

    Pumpkin ravioli in brown butter sage sauce with almond cookie crumble

    Trattoria Oliverii - Storefront

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    Storefront

    Barnaby's of Northbrook - Crimp crust at this location

    Barnaby's of Northbrook

    3.8(505 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    WOW! The pizza here is delicious and the ambience is so cozy…read more You order at the counter here but there is plenty of booth and table sit-down seating. The decor is so cozy, it reminds me of my grandmas house in here haha, I love it. My partner and I split a pizza and it was plenty of food for the both of us. I also got a diet root beer , which is typically pretty hard to find so I loved that. We only waited maybe 10-15 mins for our order. Definitely recommend checking this place out!!

    We went to Barnaby's around noon on a Friday and it was fairly busy. Our first surprise was that…read morethere is no table service. I ordered and paid for two small pizzas at the counter, and learned I had to go to bar for drinks. The same cashier came over to take my drink order, where I paid separately. In about 15 minutes, our pizzas were ready at the counter: One with only cheese, and the other with sausage. We immediately noticed the ruffled-edge crust, which looked more like a pie for dessert. We both took a bite of each pizza, and immediately disliked the cornmeal crust. It tasted to me like it was made from Jiffy corn muffin mix, with a cardboard-like hardness. My wife disliked it so much she barely ate one small piece of pizza. I liked their cheese and sauce, and especially liked the sausage. I managed to eat two pieces thinking I'll give it a chance, but hated that crust so much I couldn't eat a third piece. There are plenty of other items on their menu other than pizza, which are the only things we will consider for any future visit. The dining room is large with a dark, traditional wood decor. Parking is free in their own lot. Having no table service, other than cleaning tables, logically results in a tip and cost savings. Now that I know this is how Barnaby's operates, I am not down-voting them based on service.

    Photos
    Barnaby's of Northbrook - These guys know how to make pizza.

    These guys know how to make pizza.

    Barnaby's of Northbrook - Onion, mushroom and green pepper cooked crispy

    Onion, mushroom and green pepper cooked crispy

    Barnaby's of Northbrook - The bar - full of plastic steins. Reminded me so much of the late 80s, early 90s

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    The bar - full of plastic steins. Reminded me so much of the late 80s, early 90s

    Merlo's

    Merlo's

    4.0(31 reviews)
    3.4 mi

    We had a hard time connecting to make a reservation. Open Table has no availability. We called and…read morewaited then got a call back that they were closed and remodeling. It would be nice if they updated their website about this.

    We came for the first time on a Wednesday evening. We sat outside because the weather was decent,…read morethe only issue was the cars are parked so close to the tables, that if someone has just pulled into the parking spot, the heat emanates from their car right onto your chair. Wish the tables were a little bit further away, or maybe along the wall, anyway, that was probably the only issue with the tables outside. The menu is extensive, with a wide variety of dishes. My better half got the pork chop, which was pounded thin yet still on the bone. It had a very nicely seasoned breading with lots of garlic and a few herbs. It also had three or four fresh cayenne peppers, which were sautéed with a butter type sauce and poured over the pork chop. It was nicely spicy with very good flavor. My entrée was the chicken Milanese, which was virtually identical in preparation as the pork chop, except obviously no bone, and no peppers or spicy butter sauce and was served with an arugula salad, which was delicious. Our two table mates got salads, one with grilled chicken, which was nice and warm and the other with shrimp. We also shared an order of the sautéed broccoli. It was amazing! It had nicely crisped and toasted garlic pieces, some lemon and olive oil. It was one of the most delicious broccoli side dishes I've had at a restaurant. Even though I took a pass on dessert, they ordered the cannoli which came two to an order. Am going to have to say that the cannoli shell itself was not very good. I tasted a tiny piece of it, and it seemed to have a little stale/refrigerator flavor and was not crisp or fresh tasting. That was the least favorite part of the meal. Everything else was delicious. Service was solid and there were a decent variety of wines by the glass available. We will definitely return to try other dishes that sounded great!

    Photos
    Merlo's
    Merlo's - Brick  chicken

    Brick chicken

    Merlo's - Salmon  entree

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    Salmon entree

    Gusto Italiano - Chicken Vesuvio

    Gusto Italiano

    3.5(195 reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$

    IMPORTANT: IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN A WHILE, TRY IT AGAIN UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT…read more As I note below, I had been to the bar, but not the restaurant since it re-opened earlier this year after a water leak required them to close and remodel. We were expecting an "okay" meal and I'm delighted to say that they exceeded every expectation. This spot is a traditional, old time Italian spot and is a TOTAL home run. Greeted by the manager whom I had met before -- always a positive to be recognized, especially after only one other visit. Gentleman pouring our water and bringing the bread (warm, delicious, and served with olive oil, garlic, Parmesan) recognized the other couple with whom we came and hugs were exchanged (literally!) - this gentleman was upbeat and smiling and set a positive tone right out of the blocks. Our server/waiter was equally fabulous. He was attentive, knowledgable, personable...and emblematic of the type of restaurant this is, walked us through the menu (a lot of traditional Italian dishes) and a good list of specials (he had tried them all) ... and then noted that the chef will pretty much prepare anything provided they have the components. THAT, to me, is a sign of a great old-time Italian place. As is the personal visit from the chef. Entrees include a side salad or soup, so we skipped the appetizers. The side salads were as one might expect -- the house-made balsamic dressing served on the side was rich and fabulous. For the entrees: one order of the halibut, one pasta, and two of one of the specials: scallops in a saffron cream sauce. Four strong positive reviews. I'll add that I've eaten at the bar once, and ordered the veal parm which came with a side of pasta, and was elated with the food, the ambiance, and the service. The room is pretty traditional -- bar on the left, two well appointed (and pretty full) dining rooms to the right; tables and booths, white tablecloth, etc. Genuinely feels a bit like being in an old, traditional Chicago or New York Little Italy spot...but in suburban Glenview. There are a bunch of new entrants into the restaurant market in Glenview, and we have tried them all...and came here to make sure we were supporting the old standards. Gusto is a gem, and deserves every bit as much attention as its new competitors. Of note...with the new entrants, parking is at a premium. Gusto has its own lot...and offers complimentary valet for when it's full.

    3.5 stars Went with…read morea very large group recently. It was only alright. Fried zucchini app - the breading had mostly fallen off by the time it got to us so we were just eating zucchini which was mushy and wet. I'm guessing the moistness of the zucchini is why the breading didn't stay on but I dont know. Eggplant appetizer - this was fine Branzino special - good fish but they ran out of polenta and everyone was disappointed since a bunch of people in our group ordered it. Most ended up w a side of spaghetti that didn't have enough sauce and one got mashed potatoes that he said were bland. Tortellini special - overcooked, making the noodles too soft. Not enough sauce either Service - excellent

    Photos
    Gusto Italiano
    Gusto Italiano
    Gusto Italiano - Mango Martini & Ginger Mule

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    Mango Martini & Ginger Mule

    Francesca's North - italian - Updated September 2026

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