Opinons about Gioco?

I did a search and didn't find much, if any commentary.

Thinking of trying it (turns out we have a relative-of-a-friend-of-a friend connection with the kitchen) and wondering if anyone has been there lately.

I'm a big fan of Gioco, and dine there on a pretty frequent basis. I've always been very happy with the food and service, and I've also found them to be very accomodating when I wanted something that wasn't actually on the menu or wasn't happy with the seating. Although I suspect that some may pan Gioco because it may not always offer "authentic" Italian fare, I enjoy it because the food is always impeccably fresh, well prepared, and yummy.

Gioco can get pretty crowded as the evening goes on, and the seating can be a little tight. Personally I'm not so picky about these issues when the food and service still rise to meet my personal expectations so these things don't really bother me.

Hope this helps.

like all jerry kleiner restaurants, this is a great looking place, tho i think marche is the best looking of the bunch. i've been to gioco once. can't remember what we had, but i do recall it being quite good. that said, nothing really stood out as mind-altering.

for my money, kleiner's opera is a better choice, but i don't think you can really go wrong at gioco.

I also had one meal a while back that I recall as being pretty good. The crowd and prices were out of proportion to the quality and value, and I would always, always prefer to head out to Heart of Italy (Oakley just north of Blue Island) for near south side Italian by preference (I lean towards Bacchanalia ahead of the board fave Bruna's, but that may be more about ambience than food - both are quite good).

Still Gioco was just fine, and is in a great location for dining before going to Soldier Field.

Enjoy.

Gioco is Joke in Italian, well that is what my Italian friends have told me. This is Chicago! We have an abundance of fabulous Italian restaurants. I have no idea why anyone would go there. The food is just okay. FYI the Italian friends say that Coco Pazzo is most authentic.

And add to the din of non-specific commentary on Gioco. I had a nice meal there about 6 weeks ago - well done (not well done, but well done) whole orata and my lovely dinner mate had a nice bowl of homemade ricotta and something ravioli. The apps, however, were outstanding - big diver scallops on a bed of fried artichokes (yes, this worked) and fried eggplant in a red sauce bath with buffalo mozz.

The food was good to very good. Additionlly, the room is really outstanding - cozy but bustling, even though we were seated near the front and I wasn't a huge fan of the placement.

The waiter didn't laugh at my jokes, which I will hold against them.

Corcoran O'Connor, who was the chef there (and amazingly good at Italian food despite being so very Irish) left fairly recently. I had a couple of delicious meals there during his tenure. The new chef is Jim Kilberg, but I haven't had a chance to check out either his food or his bio.

Gioco is Joke in Italian, well that is what my Italian friends have told me. This is Chicago! We have an abundance of fabulous Italian restaurants. I have no idea why anyone would go there. The food is just okay. FYI the Italian friends say that Coco Pazzo is most authentic.

Actually, "gioco" is "game" or "contest" in Italian. ("Scherzo" or "barzelletta" is "joke.") IMO both restaurants are remarkably similar in price, quality (both good with Gioco's ambience being superior), and proximity to authenticity (both with a Tuscan bias).

mary60614 wrote:Gioco is Joke in Italian, well that is what my Italian friends have told me. This is Chicago! We have an abundance of fabulous Italian restaurants. I have no idea why anyone would go there. The food is just okay. FYI the Italian friends say that Coco Pazzo is most authentic.

Mary, though I'd defer to an Italian speaker, my understanding of "gioco" is that it means "game" ("joke" is "scherzo"). When you think about it, would anyone really want to call their business a joke? Well, maybe...

Hammond

I had a great lunch at Gioco today-

Wild Boar w pappardelle, braised pork shoulder in a garlic-thyme sauce over mashed yukon gold potatoes and spinach, roasted brussel sprouts, and a couple of glasses of Montepulciano.

I've only been here twice, both times for lucnch, and they've both been outstanding. We generally take the waiter's recommendations. Top-notch.

Italian Staple Gioco’s 19-Year-Run Ends on Sunday in the South Loop

https://chicago.eater.com/2018/5/11/173 ... oop-wabash