I traveled a long way from California once a year to eat at this restaurant the food,wine , and…read moreservers are awesome !! Thank you all for filling my belly with some of the best Italian food I have eaten. Hats off to the mangers, who actually come to your table and share in your experiences ! This place is above the rest ! Delicious 1/2 chicken and lemon sauce with salad and bruschetta Wine and desserts were awesome

WOW--one of the best meals I've ever had, hands-down. The staff here are so kind and I adore the…read morecozy, intimate setting--perfect for a nice, romantic dinner. My calamari was delicious, but oh my goodness, the pasta shells with meatballs were INCREDIBLE! The sauce was so gorgeous and the meatballs were sooo soft and flavorful--truly the best I've ever had. It's going to be hard for me to try anything else because I was so over the moon with my entree, but I'm sure their whole menu is a work of art. I also had a lovely pistachio gelato, which was a perfect way to end such a fantastic meal. I absolutely can't wait to go back! BRAVO!

we had Margo for a server, great service even better food and ambiance, definitely recommend, the…read morepistachio ice cream was the Bomb as well.

Hubby & I went there Saturday night, 7 pm reservations for my 55th birthday celebration. They sat…read moreus in the dungeon, aka, basement. Horrible table, crammed like an after thought to squeeze more money out of 2 suckers in the corner. When I complained, we were seated in Margo's section. I heard her tell the table next to us something along the lines, if they liked her so much, don't forget to leave a review! I foolishly thought, cool, we'll be in for a treat. Took 10 minutes before she came to us. We had to ask for water & the few times she came over, she acted like we were a major inconvenience. I ordered the Pappardelle Bolognese. At $29 it was a major ripoff. Had no taste & there were tiny scraps of veal. Photos I've seen of this dish have decent sized clumps of meat. The whole point of Bolognese is the meat!! The "wonderful" Margo only checked on us as soon as the food was delivered, asking how it tasted. It was just placed on the table, barely had a chance to taste it! Never asked if we needed drink refills until we were ready to leave, never came back to see if the food actually tasted good. My birthday wasn't even acknowledged by the hostess or the waitstaff. We will never return & highly recommend you avoid. Would give 0 stars if I could.

For years, we have eaten at Viaggio before attending summer concerts at Ravinia. This year, we…read morelearned that Viaggio had "evolved" into Nico, so we didn't know what to expect. It turns out, Nico is GREAT! Many of our favorites from Viaggio remain on the menu; the crusty bread, the Caesar salad, the gnocchi, the chicken Parmesan, all were top-notch. Terrific seafood dishes remain, too, although we didn't try them during this visit. And some new items that will be fun to try have been added, such as pizza. As always, the service was friendly and efficient. And best of all, the spumoni bombe is still on the menu! (It's our favorite and SO delicious.). Other delightful desserts, such as Tiramisu, are also available. We loved Nico and we will return soon!

Nico's, formerly Viaggio's, underwent a full renovation and change of ownership. Thankfully, much…read moreof the excellent staff remains. We loved the old Viaggio's and really wanted to love Nico's, but one major design decision has completely changed the experience for us. The bar was always the heart of this restaurant. It was a comfortable neighborhood bar where locals could have dinner, drinks and conversation. The new owners installed the pizza oven and pizza-making station directly in the middle of it. As a result, the bar is now literally a pizza counter. When you sit there, you are sitting directly in front of a working pizza station, watching pizzas being prepared, with boxes and supplies around the bar. Instead of feeling like you're having dinner and drinks at a neighborhood bar, it feels like you're sitting at the counter of a pizzeria. For us, that simply isn't an appealing or relaxing way to spend an evening. The layout also makes normal bar service extremely awkward. The pizza operation physically separates the bartenders from many of the customers sitting at the bar, requiring them to walk around the bar to take orders and serve patrons. Finally, you are sitting directly in front of a large, very hot pizza oven. The heat is significant. The pizza maker working in front of the oven was, quite understandably, sweating heavily throughout the evening just a few feet in front of us while we were trying to eat dinner. That's not a criticism of the employee--it's an illustration of why placing a commercial pizza oven directly in the middle of a dining bar simply doesn't work. The frustrating part is that so much about Nico's is good, particularly the staff. But putting the pizza operation in the middle of what was previously the heart of the restaurant fundamentally changes the experience. I hope the owners reconsider the layout and return the bar to being a bar. We would happily come back.

We have been coming to Bella Via for years. Never a bad meal, always consistent, delicious food…read more Not sure what the griping is about. Try it, you'll like it! Short rib ravioli, minestrone soup, appetizer meatballs, tiramisu, and veal saltimboca excellent tonight as always. Every business, especially restaurants have an off night here and there. A chef gets sick, folks quit without notice, etc. It's a tough business. Don't be mislead by the star rating. This place is a gem.

Pleasantly surprised at the food at a very reasonable price especially in this area. Drinks were…read morestrong and menu extensive. The Caesar salad was just ok.... No anchovies and a weak dressing though. The bread was rock hard in both baskets we were brought. Mains were very good with a generous portion of chicken Marsala smothered in tasty mushrooms. The side pasta was very bland and not hot. The halibut was very well received and the side artichoke was tasty. The bolognese on pasta also went down quickly but it's a giant portion of a lot of the same. The lemoncello ice cream was frozen rock hard and we were afraid the fluted glass which it was in would shatter. We sat outside on a nice evening. Service was just ok. Inexperienced server tried hard but.... I would return!

We got a flyer in the mail featuring some good looking pizzas, pub favorites, and tacos de harina…read more Never heard of Cansino's, but we had to try them out. Man, am I glad we got the flyer, because they have since become one of our local favorites! For the longest time, Lou Malnati's was our favorite Chicago style deep dish pizza, but Cansino's is now #1 in town for us. Their cheese blend is soooo creamy, stretchy, and delicious! It's apparently their own in-house blend of California cheeses, and it reminds us of the tasty Wisconsin brick that's popular in Detroit style (possibly a little creamier but less salty). Their tomato sauce is super savory, with a rich herb blend and not too sweet or tart - it's so satisfying! The crust is firm and delicious, and their sausage is leaner than Lou's while having a stronger fennel essence. We still love other Chicago style deep dish pizzas, but Cansino's will be the first on our list when we get a craving. We love onion rings in principle, but are a little particular about how we enjoy them. Cansino's onion rings are excellent - crispy seasoned breading and supple onion slices that are cooked juuuust right. Their fries are also really tasty, and we loved their fried mushrooms. I've tried two of their Mexican style tortas, which were also very good (I loved the fajita style veggies and beans, and the seasoned beef was pretty good). The steak and veggies were excellent, and their bread was pretty good. Next time, I REALLY wanna try their paninos. Their staff is super-friendly, giving us great suggestions of new things to try. The restaurant is always clean and well lit. Prices are fair for the neighborhood. Their preparation times are reasonable, and everything we've ordered was ready on time. There's plenty of parking right in front of the shop, and their front entrance is easily accessible. They're right across the street from the Fort Sheridan Metra Station, so I recommend trying them out if that's your stop. They also have some breakfast items, so it might be a good treat before your morning commute. We're definitely going to be trying more of Cansino's menu, and we'll be sure to add more photos and updates.

tried cansino's pizza for carryout last weekend. got the thin crust marguerita, along with two…read moresalads, house garden salad and individual antipasto salad. the salads were very good--cold, crisp and fresh. pizza was okay--already cold and needed big reheating at home. also ordered spaghetti with marinara sauce. honestly we were both disappointed. the sauce was so-so, and lacked...alot. also had cheese already baked on it w/o having requested it--not thrilled with that. sadly, would not order that again. the interior of the restaurant is clean, bright and eating in is available. the takeout order was taken carefully and promptly.

Don't have an Italian nonna? Stop at this little store in Highwood for the fresh pastas, and frozen…read moreentrees, soups, desserts, and Italian specialty goods. We love the lasagna, and don't let the small size or the price throw you, these are the best. The meat lasagna is really delicious and the pasta so tender. There is street parking, and a small lot. Check in advance for store hours. I haven't tried the tiramisu, but maybe I can find a special occasion to serve it.

Amazing dinner! The meatballs were delicious…read more The lasagna.... So good!!! My first time there but I will be back. It's pricey... but worth it!

amazing food, amazing staff, and amazing service. Eric was phenomenal! Incredibly personable, kind,…read moreand very professional. very beautiful inside and out so great for picture!

It's always amazing to have lunch at Francesca's in the #1 voted city in Illinois - Lake Forest…read more The pasta primavera is king! Farrah gives great service and the food is top shelf. I have to visit this town and restaurant every year!!

Love this small chalkboard menu place! Great catering. Family owned! Incredible meatball sandwich!read more

Excellent food, great selection of dishes. Tiny little place with lots of character. Parking can be…read morea challenge but worth the effort.

Stopped in last Thursday night - very busy, lots of conversation…read more Had to wait a bit for service, but OMG was it worth it! Wonderful food. Exceptional wait staff. I mean, we're still eating leftovers because they're so good, we don't want them to be gone. Even the bread they gave us had a super crisp crust and soft, moist crumb. We are back in St. Paul MN but can't wait for our next road trip to The Windy City just to go back to Italian Kitchen!!!!! (I think "Nancy K." got up on the wrong side of her broom the morning she wrote her nasty review. Just saying.)

Delicious & consistent. The food never fails. Everything in the menu is delicious. This is my go to…read morewhen carrying out & bringing food for friends or family. The staff is always so friendly!

The food was delicious. The only negative is it's a little loud and the chairs that you sit in are…read morenot that comfortable. The food was delicious. The only negative is it's a little loud and the chairs that you sit in are not that comfortable.

NOT Italian Pizza anymore - we've been to Bonta several times in the past and then enjoyed the REAL…read moreItalian pizza. Now, after not visiting for quite a while we were there yesterday and I am VERY disappointed!! Their Frutti di Mare Pizza used to be great (and having lived near the Italian border I feel I can rate it) - now it's a Seafood gravy thrown on a breadbowl made of pizzadough. Bonta, if you change from making the real stuff then why would I come to you? I was so disappointed. (and - had I wanted this I would have ordered Pasta with Seafood and gravy. It did not taste bad for that but it was awful if you go there to expect an Italian Pizza! We also tried the Grilled Octopus appetizer - it was great just a little burned unfortunately. The Chicken Marsala was very good and also came with a soup that was good too. Again - the reason for me to go to Bonta was the Italian Pizza and this expectation was clearly not met. I might try another pizza but not that frutti di mare unless they get back to how they did it before The service was great, our waitress was very attentive!! (The owner walked around but she only talked to guests she knows as it seemed)