Casual Italian Ideas in Chicago?
 

Hi Fodorites -

My hubby and I are spending a weekend in Chicago. We're in our 30s and it's our first time in Chicago. We're staying on Wacker near Michigan.

We LOVE italian food and are looking for places to go that are NOT chains and are casual. When I say Italian, we prefer pastas. Please help!

thanks

We had a wonderful dinner at the Village. It's three Italian restaurants under one roof. See at:
http://www.italianvillage-chicago.com/

Coco Pazzo Cafe, on Saint Clair between Erie and Ontario, not to be confused with the more formal and expensive Coco Pazzo, in River North. Very nice casual trattoria, outdoor dining, too. Just across the river, turn right on Ontario and Saint Clair is the first block east.

You have immense numbers of choices with all kinds of level re $$$ as well.

Ironically just last night I went to Francesca, and it was absolutely beyond top notch. I actually had one of the best appetizers, for instance, that I ever tasted- in any food culture. I felt like I was IN Cinque Terre.

It was Italian green cherry peppers (round about the size of golf balls) stuffed with 2 cheeses, and prosc. ham and fine chopped herbs, tomatoes covered with olive oil and then another grated cheese type. One of the cheeses was mazzorella de buffalo- others were of the same texture but crumblier.

This is a group of restaurants that started from Mia Francesca but are as far from a chain, IMHO, as you can get. They are more like Lettuce Entertainment style.

If you go to www.metromix.com and put in Italian you will get more downtown or North or Little Italy locations choices with their price ranges as well.

This is highly selective and some like Rosebud, some like Maggiano's and some only like the high end places in which red sauce and pasta are sparsely featured.

Do you want red sauce, Southern Italy specialities?

Do you want to remain downtown? There are great neighborhood places for special of the day, kind of like a Becco in Manhatten, in the neighborhoods if you want to leave.

Your best bet from downtown is to take rec's here or to go to Little Italy by cab, which is close, if you don't want to venture farther than that from the LOOP.

It's a big topic. And chains or groups are nothing like Olive Garden, so you may be speaking of apples/oranges.

Nearly all the best here have 2 or 3 locations, for instance.

We had great Italian tappas at Quartinos. I believe it is about two blocks off Michigan on Ontario. Very good and great atmosphere.

JJ5 - Can you tell me which Francesca's you went to ? I did a search on the website you all told me about and a bunch of different Francesca's came up.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions! I've been looking at the menus for the places you suggested and you are right on target.

We are definitely looking for the more tradition Italian pasta type places not anything new age or extremely pricey. Under $20 per entree is great. It looks like most of your suggestions so far fit the bill!

thanks!

I still love Maggiano's! The portions kill you...but it's just a tradition to go there.

Bella Bacino's at 75 East Wacker - right near where you're staying. It's casual, friendly, reasonable and the food is delicious. I ate there 3 times in 4 days last year.

I went to Mia Francesca on LaGrange Rd and 130 something in the burbs, nowhere near you. I love the Francesca's the most myself. There's the original in Little Italy- near 26th- I think. You would have to google it. I think with drink it would be closer to $30 for each person.

There are lots and lots of choices that are good downtown. Maggiano's is a real choice for your price range and you could split some portions or appetizers. They do have huge portions, be warned.

Downtown the places will be slightly more than that unless you go to the lower end part of Italian Village. It is an older venue, - very old in fact, and IMHO, it is just ok, but it is ok- and a very good deal for the price.

JJ5, the Francesca's in Little Italy is on the corner of Loomis and Taylor. There's one also in Wicker Park-- on the Milwaukee, North and Damen intersection- Francesca's Forno. It's quite good, and casual. Also, Wicker Park is a great area to wander around in after dinner-- tons of bars, shops, etc.

Jen, we're going to be in Chicago for just 2 days (and Sunday we're busy). We've been a number of times before, so have seen the main tourist sites. We thought it might be fun to wander around Wicker Park. Do you recommend it as a daytime activity, too? We have all day Saturday free (until the late Second City show). As an example of what we like to do when we travel, last summer in DC, we walked from Woodley Park to DuPont Circle, to Adams Morgan, to the Mall, to the U Street Corridor, and back, all in one day; we've also walked from Union Square in NY to Times Square, and from the theatre district to W. 71st Street; in other words, <i>we like to walk and wander!</i>

dmlove, sounds like you'll really like Wicker Park-- you'll find that Damen, Milwaukee, North Ave., and Division St. are lined with bars, cafes, boutiques, shops, etc. If you are a reader, check out Myopic Books on Milwaukee--used bookstore.

To see some really great old Victorian mansions, walk down Hoyne St., between North Ave. and a bit south of Division-also there are a couple of nice homes on Pierce between Hoyne and Leavitt.

From Wicker Park, you can wander all the way south to Chicago Ave... to check out Ukranian Village-- on Chicago between Oakley (west) and, I'd say, Wood(east), you'll see a very interesting mix of hipster, old school eastern European, and hispanic influences. There is a beautiful Ukrainian Orthodox church on Oakley just one block north of Chicago--St. Nicholas-- you can't miss it. Also, further north, On Leavitt just south of Division, is a Russian Orthodox church designed by Louis Sullivan. On Saturdays between 11:00 and 4:00, it's open to the public.

Take a look at Google maps, and you'll see all of these streets I'm referencing.

Go to the Original...Mia Francesca on North Clark. They now take reservations which are a must (waits used to be in excess of 2 hours). I don't think of it as anything like a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant which are very Disney-esque. It is just great, casual Italian. One of my favorite restaurants ever.

Coco Pazzo and its casual sibling, Coco Pazzo Cafe are good. Coco Pazzo would be closer to your hotel although the Cafe near Northwestern Memorial Hospital isn't that far. Spiaggia is one of the top Italian restaurants in the country but far from casual. You can always try it's cafe. Both on North Michigan.

There are many others but really you cannot go wrong with Mia Francesca.

It is near Wrigley...go after a game.

taitai

Thanks Jen (and taitai, although I wasn't the one asking the question about Italian restaurants).