A hidden gem of a surprise to this North Sider, Italian Homemade is a delight. Extremely fresh…read moreingredients, surprisingly imaginative and delicious cocktails, and simple food done very, very well. And you absolutely cannot beat the price points, certainly not in Fulton Market. You're reminded of sitting in a cafe in Italy, everyone kind of taking their time (service is...not fast), but that's also kind of how you want it. A delight for lunch and beyond!

The Italian Homemade Company has officially become a regular spot for me and my girlfriends. We…read morekeep coming back because it's consistently SO good. The atmosphere is one of my favorite things about it. It's relaxed, never feels overly crowded, and the staff is amazing. They're attentive without hovering and always make sure you're actually taken care of. And the pasta!! You can literally see into the kitchen and watch everything being made right in front of you, which makes the whole experience even better. The pasta tastes incredibly fresh, and I genuinely haven't had a bad meal here yet. I brought my mom once and she ordered the lasagna. And this woman is very particular about lasagna , and even she loved it. They also have wine and some fun Italian drinks, but you have to save room for after dinner. Get a tiramisu or another dessert and order a cappuccino or latte to finish your meal. It gives you a little taste of that long, leisurely Italian meal experience without leaving Chicago. Great food, great service, fresh pasta, and somewhere I genuinely come back to instead of just saying I will. Easy 5 stars.

I cannot recommend Fioretta enough especially if you have a special occasion to celebrate!…read more Not only is it simply a beautiful, intimate space perfect for a date night, but the service & food really makes it an amazing place to dine. They were accommodating when I was running 20 minutes behind, which I really appreciated. Once being sat, our server was really kind and knowledgeable. We asked her alllll the questions, and she answered them expertly. My sister in-law actually ordered a drink she didn't like, and our server was kind enough to replace it free of charge. They also come around with bread before entrees! The King Crab Linguine was to DIE for. I loved it. I also got the Lemoncello Spritz which was also delicious and a great pairing. Everyone loved their food. The big thing is the birthday celebration! They allow you to bring your own cake, but if you don't have one, they do give a complimentary tiramisu. It was beautiful, and I felt truly special. Also, they're very open to people taking pictures in the restaurant. I really valued being able to capture a special day, in a beautiful restaurant, without feeling unwelcomed. I'm a fan for life. I'll be back!

Came by Fioretta for a celebration dinner. It was easy to get a reservation a few days before for a…read moreweek night dinner. The restaurant was very full and loud when we came. Service: service was pretty lacking for the price point. The hostess was MIA when our party arrived, until someone waiting behind us walked in and tracked her down himself. Our waitress was very slow and it took us 2.5h+ to get through a 3 course dinner, most of which was us sitting around waiting. And that's with us packing up dessert to go because we were running behind. Bread service: a nice touch and they give you a lot of Parmesan and oil. We had a no-cheese person, and our request for an extra saucer of dip without cheese was ignored. Guy never name back despite agreeing. Tuna tartar: very well seasoned although you could tell the tuna was a bit low quality. It was noticeably sinewy and unevenly chopped. Steak: we ordered two steak. The Delmonico (boneless) ribeye we ordered medium rare and it came well done. By this point we waited so long for the entrees we were ravenous and just ate it. The NY Strip decently flavorful but didn't stand out. Lobster Diavolo: despite being advertised as spicy the sauce was very mild and somewhat bland. They empty out an entire lobster so there's generous topping in it. Tiramisu: solid dessert and not too sweet. On the firm and dry side. Special occasions: they stick a free club sprinkler in a dessert which makes for an extravagant celebration and great photo op. The interior of the restaurant is extremely loud. They had a live performer playing piano and we couldn't hear each other talk. It's great if you're looking for this type of ambiance. Most of the people were appeared to be celebrating something or a bit dressed up. Service is a miss and the food is very meh for the price. I think you come here for the club-staurant ambiance. Chicago has a lot of places that serve amazing steaks and I don't think Fioretta stacks up on the food or service side.

We have been fans of Rose Mary since the beginning, thoroughly enjoying it as an alternative to a…read moreMonteverde when you want something more elevated and unique. After three or four stellar visits, we had a fairly rocky fifth that kept us away for the better part of two years. I'm glad to say that appears to have been just a brief bump in the road, and that Rose Mary remains an excellent spot for Italian/Croatian fusion. Everything is fresh and many dishes are seasonal, like the wonderful eggplant fritters with pesto dipping sauce. The batter on the eggplant wasn't too thick, nor was the fry too oily. Similarly excellent was the peach stracciatella, a combo I've never had before but will now crave, the brightness really shining through. But, the true star of the show was another seasonal dish, the chitarra with crab, corn, and truffle. This was a perfect dish, with every ingredient balancing each other out wonderfully. Just when the crab and sauce might be getting too much, you're hit with a pop of fresh corn. When you want a little different flavor, the umami of the truffle kind of steps in from the background. Really, really good. A very nice wine list, attentive service, lovely patio, and fair prices round out an excellent experience.

Had a reservation but opted to sit earlier at the bar…read more 2 of us ordered: tuna crudo $24 24oz rib eye $85 diet coke $4.50 brown butter colada NA $14 radiator's cacio e pepe $23 4% surcharge Starting off with the not so great, the cacio e pepe probably got lost on the kitchen line since it arrived last after we were almost done with the steaks, and unfortunately under cooked and pasta was still raw. Aiden was working the bar and was very attentive and immediately apologized and likely went over to the kitchen to remake it came out cooked well but just really delayed. Tuna crudo was very good, fish was very fresh. Rib eye was cooked very well also. Normally with a heavily mistimed dish and also uncooked, immediately 1 star, but with Aiden covering and extra staff apologizing and them taking it off the bill completely. Judged it on the highlights of the meal. Open to coming back as they nailed the tuna and steak.

They were quick to get us our food, they had a lot of options and the pizza really hit the spot!…read moreI'd stop back for a quick casual bite. Keep in mind that the seating is bar style only and there won't be tables for large parties.

This was truly the best pizza spot I've stumbled upon! My friends and I randomly found upon this…read morespot as we were walking around looking for lunch. We were intrigued by all the variations of toppings and the ability to customize how much of it we wanted. We got 4 different pizza toppings and they were all delicious! I loved how thin the crust was, yet how flavorful everything was. I wish we had it again before we left, but definitely a place I need to stop by when I come back to Chicago. The service was quick and friendly. There was some seating outside available, but many people take it to-go.

Jaclyn C was our server and Thomas came over to help with an allergy and really went above and…read morebeyond. We sat at the chef station and it was really cool watching them make the food. Everything was delicious and I would highly recommend all of the above. They were amazing with my allergies and super attentive.

We were very excited to try given it's a sister restaurant to Rose Mary but walked away pretty…read moreunderwhelmed. The food is good, but as I saw someone else note, it's nothing you can't find elsewhere. It's pretty expensive for what you get, and the service didn't feel particularly upscale. We got 5 dishes and a few drinks and our total was $225. You walk away wondering why you paid that for an Italian meal you can find at many other places. They gave us the fried artichoke for free (they just brought it out) and it was the worst dish. I can't imagine paying $16 for it. So, in all, it's fine if you need a place to go and don't care you'll spend a lot.

Had a a delicious weekday lunch here on beautiful Friday. Outdoor seating was easy to get and the…read moreservice was prompt and courteous. Great Summer vibes and the selection of meats and quality is amazing. I wish I could shop here regularly versus the usual grocery stores. We had an amazing pork sandwich, a pastrami, and a salad. The first salad was a little bitter, so the Server promptly swapped for a kale side salad which was nice. The breads and meats were standouts for these decadent sandwiches. The flavor and juices were soaked up by the tender meats. My favorite was definitely the pork. Always great eating here.

I wanted to like publican, but overall thought it was just okay. The portions are quite large, but…read moreis missing the finishing touches that are thoughtful to the customer. For example with my mussels, rather than this large chunk of baguette, I wouldn't preferred it pre-sliced. We went on a busy Saturday night and it was popping in here for sure. However because it was so busy, my table ended up being neglected and our waitress was impossible to flag down. In terms of vibes, it seems like a pretty cool place to be. I liked the chairs and then the little booths seem like a fun time. I was also a big fan of the bathroom sink. Overall, Publican was a fine time, and even better time if you're looking for meat forward dishes.

We recently took a large party from work for lunch at Bar Siena. Beautiful restaurant, fantastic…read moreservice, great food. There is indoor and outdoor seating and both are elegant. Outside, vibrant with hanging flowers and tasteful covers. Inside is bright with stark woods and black accents creating a classy but casual atmosphere. We had a table of 8, and our waiter was on point, making great suggestions, was charismatic and did a great job. Every time service came, there was help to expedite the service. We ordered the calamari and meatballs for appetizers. Both were exceptional. They went quickly. I couldn't get pictures. I had the focaccia with prosciutto which was a suggestion and it was the perfect blend of savory and sweet...fantastic. Likewise, my rigatoni was exceptional. Most of the table had their signature burger and they raved about it. If you're in Chicago looking for really solid Italian food, I highly recommend Bar Sienna.

Bar Siena is such a hidden gem! My husband and I stopped by for drinks, and it ended up being one…read moreof the highlights of our evening. The ambiance is cozy, intimate, and perfect for date night, but it's also a great place to pop in for a quick cocktail if you're out enjoying the city. Their handcrafted drinks were delicious, and I loved that they offer a full wine selection as well. We were able to grab seats at the bar with no problem, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere. If you're looking for a chic, laid-back place to connect over great drinks, I definitely recommend Bar Siena.

Everything about this place was amazing! The service, the food, the ambience; everything was a…read moresolid 10 out of 10. My vodka sauce parm sandwich just melted in my mouth. It was so fresh and so comforting. Truly, I will be coming back to this place again in the future. This place is definitely not recognized enough for having it all. Well, only one small complaint about the cannolis. We were little disappointed that it wasn't filled all the way through, however, the texture and favor were great. Still would give this place a 10 out of 10! :)

Tl;dr everything is served to-go and I'd go for the thicker noodles and heavier flavors like the…read morewhite sauces. ===== Stopped by and tried the cavatelli florentina and the pappardelle bolognese with mushrooms. Even though we selected "dine in" on the tablet, everything came packaged up and in a bag with plastic utensils, which was sad. Hopefully one day they embrace reusable cutlery and tableware. Or at least don't ask a question when the answer is ignored. The pappardelle was extremely disappointing. Noodles were too soft and the sauce was very bland. Since the pasta is in a takeout container, the problem is exacerbated for the noodles at the bottom since they can't air out at all. Would not order this again. In comparison the cavatelli was a flavor bomb. Very garlicky and good amount of sun dried tomato, and just miles above the pappardelle in the flavor department. Texture of the cavatelli was better too, and much closer to al dente. Chicken seemed a teeny bit old and tough. If I came back, I'd probably order this again, or a different white sauce, with thicker pasta shapes. The inside is pretty nice with a good number of 4-seater tables and some bar seating facing the window. They also had some interesting sandwich and dessert options I didn't try. I appreciated the self-serve water. This is a very casual restaurant, so do not expect any table service. Maybe this is on roughly the same level or a little lower as the Vapiano's that used to be in Chicago (food-wise, loses ambiance-wise) if you order right, but it's definitely not as good as the Vapiano's in Europe. At least, not currently. Very convenient location right by the Morgan green line. Would I visit again? Hard to say.

Wow, what a great spot for lunch. I had the meatball sand and it was EXCELLENT. Wow, soooo…read moredelicious. Service is spectacular Hard to believe it's in the Emily hotel...

My parent company is headquartered right next to The Emily Hotel so I know the Fora restaurant…read morewell. Food is consistent if not pretty good and service is always great. I've had every meal here and most of the menu, no complaints. Only major bummer is that they no longer serve breakfast on weekdays. Had the crispy chicken sandwich without the bun for dinner, as well as the beet salad to start and tiramisu for dessert. I'll be back, every 6-8 weeks!

This mini grocery was my father's favorite store because of a different variety of liquor including…read morewine and beer. The liquor shelves were fully stocked and organized well. They also have fresh veggies and fruits. Also if you're looking for a good quality and local coffee Garden Gourmet has.  I bought four bottles of different kinds of wine and a dozen of beer that I will give to my father. He also asked me to buy him a Montrose because he hasn't tasted it yet. And I'm sure he loves it because the owner of the mini store described to me what it tastes like. Owner also recommended the Rose wine Underwood and I bought also this.  And also if you are looking to cater your party they have a service. You can see the photos of their food in their business photos. I highly recommend this mini grocery if you're looking for a different variety of liquor.

One might wonder how does a market almost a block away compete with the Jewel grocery, but it does…read morein so many ways. First when I walk in I do feel transported to a market that I might wander into Smyth travels. It has a little bit of everything along with quality products, and during a time like the pandemic one can appreciate it even more for all the clutch things you need. I appreciate the variety and the staff is helpful without being overbearing. Prices are reasonable.