You always here Chicago is a great place for Italian food. So where is THE place to go? Any good places in the Downtown area? I'll be there this summer and am looking for some good ideas. Thanks for the advice.

My favorite is Centro at 710 N. Wells, very Mafia-feeling without the crowd of the rest of the Rosebud restaurants. Personally I try to stay far far away from Rosebud on Rush, I think its overhyped and not as good as the Taylor Street version.

Scoozi also has its share of fans, good outdoor dining - ditto for Bice which has a lovely outdoor area but is a bit more pricey/upscale.

And lots of people will cast votes for Mia Francesca and Rose Angelis, both moderately priced, long-wait places up in Lincoln Park.

Tuffano's Vernon Park Tap, just west of the Loop near the UIC campus is very good and down to earth. On the northwest side of the city is Basta Pasta, a good neighborhood joint that has a couple of neighborhood bars around it. Good eating.

ok, so this is not in downtown, but my favorite italian restaurant is called sabatino's on irving park, just west of the kennedy expressway. great food, loungy feeling to it. always crowded on the weekends. make sure you have reservations.

A crowded, fun Italian restaurant with a lively bar and absolutely huge portions of (decent) food is Maggiano's Little Italy. Go, if you want to laugh and be noisy. Don't, if you want impeccable service and an intimate setting.

If you want an Italian meal, forget (or fugetaboud)those commercialized, overpriced places above. Take a cab to 24th Street & Oakley in Chicago. You will have your pick of about 5 restaurants. All Italian. All authentic. All good food. The street itself is a sight to see; vaulted sidewalks and apartment buildings with the restaurants on the first floor. There will be a small bar in the front of each restaurant, strung with white Italian lights for atmosphere & dining in the rear. NOTHING fancy. But you WILL see neighborhood people dining there. (They are like the restaurant in the movie, "Return to Me", with David Duchovney and Minnie Driver; crappy movie, but that's another story.)Some names are: Bacchanalia's, Bruna's and Il Vicinato's - which is on 24th & Western. (P.S. I am not Italian; just LOVE the food)

there are many wonderful italian restaurants in chicago. All of the above mentioned are superior. However the type of atmoshpere and prices you are looking for are important. the como inn is a wonderful and romantic restaurant in the chicago loop area. However for cheap eats, try tuffanos vernon park tap.

I 2nd what Pat has to say. The Oakley St Italian restaurants are the best in the City, and most authentic IMHO. Why is it these restaurants are hardly mentioned here? Is it that they're not in the downtown area and out of the way a bit? My wife and I took a taxi to Bacchanalia Ristorante a month or so ago from downtown and had the best Italian of our lives. Homemade raviolis melt in your mouth. And about 1/3 of the prices of the Italian restaurants you hear about here. Has anyone else been to these restaurants? Others are Brunas, Il Vicinato. Just wondering if others have experienced these as well???