rolledoats wrote:Thought I'd share an article about a local north suburban favorite called Tonelli's that may be closing its doors soon. For those who remember or still dine there, this restaurant will be missed. There's still some time to enjoy though.....

This is really a shame. My best friend grew up with the family and cut his teeth working for them as a teen. He brought me by once and we had a fantastic American red sauce Italian meal that impressed me greatly for its home made quality- from the balsamic dressing to the tiramisu. I enjoyed a spicy, sausage- packed Giambotta as well as their perfectly old school chicken parmigiana and Chicago style thin crust pies. Too bad, this is the type of family run place that a lot of us grew up with.

I'm sick about the Tonelli's news, totally depressing.

Had a few beers at Bridie McKenna's the other night, it is gorgeous inside. Talked to a manager for a while...they brought in the former chef from Dolce in Lincolnshire (formerly Carlucci's and Aspen Grille) and she was raving about him. Said he has 30 years in the biz and makes EVERYTHING from scratch. He is also personally inspecting every plate before it leaves the kitchen I guess...looking forward to hearing what everyone reports back about the food, I'd be surprised if it isn't very good.

I was just catching up and read the news about Tonelli's
the Hubs is going to be SO SAD!
it's one of our faves-sometimes old school comfort food around the corner is just the ticket-
and I love that goofy green salad dressing they serve-so garlicky and wonderful
what a bummer
Just what we need another Walgreens-what No BANK?
we'll have to go eat there really soon

irisarbor wrote:FYI-Heard from the bartender that Tonellis will be there thru September so those who love it still have time for a few last visits
apparently the Walgreens thing is a definite done deal...

I drove down Waukegan Road today and saw the fence around Tonellis - sad to see it go.

Tonelli's has been closed for at least 6 weeks.

Surprised but not surprised about the Pontiac. I used to get sandwiches for takeout but grew aggravated by the declining quality. The table service was always atrocious. I think the last time I ate there a couple years ago it took like an hour to get our food. Getting beers from the servers wasn't much better.

I'm sure the builing will be knocked down as it's a dump and the owners won't hesitate to sell it to a developer. The only thing that may stop it is the craphole economy. I don't really care what goes in there as long as it's not another row of cinder block condos with soon-to-be vacant retail space built by MCM, the company that has ruined WP/Bucktown.

tem wrote:Tonelli's has been closed for at least 6 weeks.

I knew that, I just hadn't been by to see the fence around the property and it made me sad.

Saw this in the Tribune today and am looking forward to the opening of Eve. We love Tallulah and Troy Graves:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/explore/chi-stew-1016oct16,0,2549260.story

So here is our dilemma...
Tonelli's is now a Walgreen's, and we are lamenting the loss of our favorite low-key, not so expensive family joint for Italian food.
We are looking for a replacement spot that will be out in the burbs (near Deerfield-ish)
not so expensive, not so hard to get into on the spur of the moment (altho a short wait is OK),
and have decent Italian food (and the Olive Garden is NOT OK).
SO far, not so easy...
We like Tuscany in Wheeling, but it's really too pricey for just let's go out for a bite to eat....
same for Del Rio in Highwood.
love Sabatino's, but also a bit of a drive for a weeknight, more of a destination dinner.
We also much prefer family owned joints over chain places.

so I'm open to suggestions from my fellow suburbanites....

Francesco's Hole in the Wall?

How about Cafe Lucci in Glenview? Although there are mixed reviews here on LTH, I've always had a positive dining experience there.

Try the Italian Kitchen. Very nice, family owned, restaurant that should be just what you're looking for.

deerfielditaliankitchen.com

648 Deerfield Road
Deerfield, IL 60015-3214
(847) 945-2727

You can get a servicable meal at:
Francesca's North
1145 Church Street • Northbrook, IL

It's part of the Francesca's mini-chain in Chicago. The food is reasonably priced and usually reliable. I prefer Francesco's Hole in the Wall, but you can't make a reservation there and the waits are very long, so I haven't been in years.

Jonah

Cafe Lucci: I've had very good and very bad experiences there. The bad ones have been the more recent ones.

Francesco's Hole in the Wall: I grew up eating here and have loved it but a couple of recent meals weren't quite at the level I remember. That said, when it's on, it's on. No reservations policy makes weeknight dining here a bit burdensome.

Italian Kitchen: Would never, ever go there again. Story here.

If it were me, my first choice would be Francesca's North in Northbrook. I haven't been in a while but in my experience, it's consistently very good, even though it's not particularly red-saucey.

=R=

Francesca's North
1145 Church Street
Northbrook, IL 60062-3601
(847) 559-0260

Cafe Lucci
609 Milwaukee Ave
Glenview, IL 60025-3870
(847) 729-2268

Francesco's Hole in the Wall
254 Skokie Boulevard
Northbrook, IL 60062-1612
(847) 272-0155

Italian Kitchen
648 Deerfield Road
Deerfield, IL 60015-3214
(847) 945-2727

Not so far from where Tonelli's was is Trattoria Oliverii (also close to Francesca's North). I haven't been there in quite some time but I recall liking it and the food is not very expensive.

Irisarbor I feel your pain, it has been tough finding a replacement for Tonelli's on those "fallback nights" where we can't think of anywhere else and need an old standby. Oliveri in downtown Northbrook is on my list to try, as well as Trattoria Giacomo in the strip mall across from Ft Sheridan. Gusto in Glenview may be the place, but I need to get the friends and family on board and it's been a few years since I've visited. Giacomo's (Des Plaines) is fantastic but a bit too far for frequent visits, while Tuscany and Cafe Lucci are a little pricey and lacking the right old school charm (not a big fan of Cafe Lucci's dining room layout either). Del Rio is old school, but expensive and overrated in my opinion. I try to remain optimistic there's a perfect replacement that I just haven't thought of; please help people

Hi,

What about Bertucci's in Highwood? I admit to being stuck on one dish: tortellini with their mushroom sauce. I almost never deviate from it.

I find both Washington Garden and Del Rio expensive for what they offer.

Regards,

I hadn't heard of Oliverii, we may give it a try.
Trattoria Giacomo sounds really close to my folks....Have to try that too.

Italian Kitchen, we were recently there again at the command of the parental units,
and it wasn't terrible, but it was no Tonellis.
The food was actually not bad, and the service was actually OK,
but that may be because the waitress knew me...
a distinct possibility with women who have daughters of a certain age in Deerfield.
(I was VERY active in certain Girls organization for many years....cookie anyone?)

Hole in the Wall is OK, but I'm just not into it because the restaurant is so tiny and so popular that your wait is such an unknowable factor....

Bertucci- there's another thought-

Is there anything Italian in Lake Forest?

There is a Francesca's (Intimo) in downtown Lake Forest, that is good and gets very crowded. I used to love their pizza until they switched to a cracker crust. 293 E Illinois

-Will

There's also Mambo Italiano in Mundelein.

748 S Butterfield Rd
Mundelein, IL 60060-9458
(847) 281-9100
www.themamboitaliano.net

go to washington gardens in highwood for the thin crust pizza, it is the best in the area

i have some friends who were regulars at tonelli's and they are now meeting once a week at WG

I think Zia's is worth mentioning in this thread. Stopped by last night and enjoyed myself. Nice upbeat vibe and solid food. I particularly liked the crusty bread and little plate of marinated veggies. My rotolo was pretty good; the only negative was the sausage was a bit overcooked. My friend found the fusilli well prepared if a bit one-note. Throw in a decent glass of Chianti and good service, and you've got a pleasant evening.

I was surprised that parking in the immediate area was a bit of challenge if you don't want to go the valet route. The side streets a couple of blocks north seemed the best bet.

Zia's Trattoria
6699 N. Northwest Hwy
Chicago
(773) 775-0808
http://www.ziaschicago.com/

Here's a great chance to mention GNR Nominee Giacomo's. It's one of the better red sauce joints in the burbs, and is vastly underapreciated.

Giacomo's
740 North Wolf Road
Des Plaines, IL 60016
847-390-7330

Cuzzin's in Des Plaines is a solid red sauce place. A clone of Danny's in Melrose Park, with the same owners and menu, they even have pork bones smothered in red sauce twice a week. Great food, resonably priced with a friendly wait staff.

Cuzzins Cafe
DesPlaines
1881 Oakton Street
847.795.0009