Best Chicken Parm/Red Sauce Restaurant on the North Side?

I've been searching for a great chicken parm in the Lincoln Park/Lakeview region since I moved to Chicago and have yet to find one. I've expanded the area to include anywhere on the North side since I am just massively craving a meal from an east coast style red sauce place. Can you guys help me out?

try the chicky chicky parm parm at GNR Sabatinos.

http://youtu.be/6OhJJR8nBl4

Try La Gondola. It's nothing earth shattering, just well executed red sauce Italian. I actually prefer it to Sabatino's (which isn't saying a whole lot).

NoteNeither La Gondola or Sabatino's would be my first choice, but since you specified North Side, your choices are somewhat limited.

La Gondola
2914 N. Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-4433

La Gondola
1258 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-9011

Manzo's on Irving Park used to have a pretty delectable red sauce but sadly they are gone. Our other north side Italian go to is La Villa. I can't recall if I have ever tried the red sauce (I don't think so) but they do serve up some great pasta. You may want to give it a try.

3632 North Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 283-7980

Caro Mio is alright as well.

And if you go to La Gondola, go to the original, not the one on Belmont. Have had two middling experiences there.

I'll second the Sabatino's suggestion. Also try Mart Anthony's on Hubbard at Racine.

Sappori Trattoria is also quite good, maybe slightly different than what you are looking for. Their pastas have always been great when I have gone, but did not see a chicken parm when I looked back at their menu just now.

It is just south of Diversey on Halsted.

I had a great chx parm at La Villa on Pulaski just n of Addison last night. Very nice salad bar as well.

stevez wrote:Try La Gondola. It's nothing earth shattering, just well executed red sauce Italian. I actually prefer it to Sabatino's (which isn't saying a whole lot).

NoteNeither La Gondola or Sabatino's would be my first choice, but since you specified North Side, your choices are somewhat limited.

La Gondola
2914 N. Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-4433

La Gondola
1258 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-9011

I like La Gondola quite a bit for pizza, but their traditional red sauce dishes are good, but nothing special, imo. Maybe my bar is just set too high since I'm from NYC? I don't mean that as a shovenist, in the slightest, I just mean that there are multiple places in most neighborhoods where you can get a good chicken parm sandwich that is dramatically superior to what La Gondola offers.

jfibro wrote:try the chicky chicky parm parm at GNR Sabatinos.

http://youtu.be/6OhJJR8nBl4

does that come with long-ass rice?

Octarine wrote:I had a great chx parm at La Villa on Pulaski just n of Addison last night. Very nice salad bar as well.

That's interesting to hear. I've only been to La Villa once (during the time following the big fire at Sabatino's), and was not impressed at all with them, mostly because of the red sauce. (Although I did notice the salad bar, which looked pretty nice, but we didn't take advantage). I found the red sauce very, very sweet, to the point that it sort of ruined the pasta it came with. Maybe that super sweet sauce works better with chicken parm, given salt and fat and a little bit of sour from the cheese?

I love a good Chicken Parm and just for fun...

Map from this thread.

The best I've had is at The Cousins in Uptown. Great flavor, generous portion, very reasonable price.

The Cousins
1463 W. Leland Ave.
773.334.9800
www.thecousinsrest.com

Just wanted to bump this in case others had ideas. Less about the chicken parm, although I'm always looking for a great one, especially in sandwich form, and more about the cheapish red sauce place. I can't figure out why Chicago's Italian American scene, outside of pizza, is so lackluster. It's bizarre to me, albeit I've concluded that this might just be a regional thing and easy to find, inexpensive Italian American food may just be the province of the East Coast. Would be sad, if true.

itshissong wrote:Just wanted to bump this in case others had ideas. Less about the chicken parm, although I'm always looking for a great one, especially in sandwich form, and more about the cheapish red sauce place. I can't figure out why Chicago's Italian American scene, outside of pizza, is so lackluster. It's bizarre to me, albeit I've concluded that this might just be a regional thing and easy to find, inexpensive Italian American food may just be the province of the East Coast. Would be sad, if true.

What do you consider inexpensive? I still say La Villa (which I mentioned above) is pretty good but may not fit your inexpensive criteria. I wouldn't say it's pricey but it is not cheap either, It's pretty moderately priced.

I love itshissong's, "Maybe my bar is just set too high since I'm from NYC? I don't mean that as a shovenist, in the slightest..." combining as it does both "chauvinism" and "shove" to create a perfectly New York expression of the concept.

KajmacJohnson wrote:

itshissong wrote:Just wanted to bump this in case others had ideas. Less about the chicken parm, although I'm always looking for a great one, especially in sandwich form, and more about the cheapish red sauce place. I can't figure out why Chicago's Italian American scene, outside of pizza, is so lackluster. It's bizarre to me, albeit I've concluded that this might just be a regional thing and easy to find, inexpensive Italian American food may just be the province of the East Coast. Would be sad, if true.

What do you consider inexpensive? I still say La Villa (which I mentioned above) is pretty good but may not fit your inexpensive criteria. I wouldn't say it's pricey but it is not cheap either, It's pretty moderately priced.

Apologies for not responding earlier. La Villa is first on my list to try. It's definitely in the right price range and I'm hoping to grab some soon. Thanks for the recommendation and I'll report back once I've had it.

There are fewer red sauce joints than on the east coast. While they aren't red sauce joints, you should check out Mia Fracesca restaurants. Their food is consistently good and they sometimes have menu items that are similar to what I think you are looking for. Not quite it, but it may scratch the itch. I know you're looking for north side, but when you get disappointed and decide to travel, I'd recommend Bruna's on 18th and Oakley.

I said this on the Chinese thread too, but I console myself with the better Mexican, Ethiopian and Thai food here.

I'm gonna take some heat for this, but on the FAR North side- actually in Evanston - my favorite red sauce place is still - after 25 years- Dave's Italian Kitchen on Chicago Ave. I can't pass up their lasagne. Their parm dishes are guilty pleasures as well. But it's best to stay away if you are among those who feel garlic ought to be a gentle suggestion rather than a theme. The portions and prices are in line with the needs of an NU linebacker. Here is the main thread. I believe there is another thread ( which I can't find just now), with a title something like: "Dave's Italian Kitchen- Some Sauce with Your Garlic?" I love Dave's, and what with the spate of Vampire sightings in recent years. . .well, one can't be too careful.

itshissong - I understand your craving. I was born/bred on LI & have the same desire for a solid eggplant parm. (And a deli chicken cutlet w/american cheese, lettuce, & tomato on a fresh bagel, but that's not related to this thread.) My favorite eggplant parm that I've found is from Rosebud, on Taylor. It's not spot on perfect, but I've taken a few other NY ex-pats there, and it satisfies the craving for all of us, without having to make it yourself.

veghound wrote:There are fewer red sauce joints than on the east coast. While they aren't red sauce joints, you should check out Mia Fracesca restaurants. Their food is consistently good and they sometimes have menu items that are similar to what I think you are looking for. Not quite it, but it may scratch the itch. I know you're looking for north side, but when you get disappointed and decide to travel, I'd recommend Bruna's on 18th and Oakley.

I said this on the Chinese thread too, but I console myself with the better Mexican, Ethiopian and Thai food here.

No doubt on the Thai and Mexican food and, most times, that suffices for me. But fall/early winter always puts me in a nostalgic/homesick mood. Hence my multiple postings about things I miss from NYC. I'll definitely try Mia Francesca when I get a chance. I will say that I had Armitage Pizzeria again last night and it totally hit the nostalgia/homesick spot for east coast pizza.

dupreeblue wrote:itshissong - I understand your craving. I was born/bred on LI & have the same desire for a solid eggplant parm. (And a deli chicken cutlet w/american cheese, lettuce, & tomato on a fresh bagel, but that's not related to this thread.) My favorite eggplant parm that I've found is from Rosebud, on Taylor. It's not spot on perfect, but I've taken a few other NY ex-pats there, and it satisfies the craving for all of us, without having to make it yourself.

OMG, makes me yearn for a chicken cutlet sandwich with roasted red peppers from my favorite south Bronx Italian deli. I'll be on the lookout for Rosebud when I'm next in the area.

Josephine wrote:I'm gonna take some heat for this, but on the FAR North side- actually in Evanston - my favorite red sauce place is still - after 25 years- Dave's Italian Kitchen on Chicago Ave. I can't pass up their lasagne. Their parm dishes are guilty pleasures as well. But it's best to stay away if you are among those who feel garlic ought to be a gentle suggestion rather than a theme. The portions and prices are in line with the needs of an NU linebacker. Here is the main thread. I believe there is another thread ( which I can't find just now), with a title something like: "Dave's Italian Kitchen- Some Sauce with Your Garlic?" I love Dave's, and what with the spate of Vampire sightings in recent years. . .well, one can't be too careful.

No heat from me on this. Dave's offers pretty good food, at value prices, and also a great, well-priced wine list for a student-oriented joint.

I haven't had the chicken parm there, but I would bet Martino's at 3431 W. Peterson (at Bernard) serves a pretty mean rendition. Their chicken cacciatore is great, and their marinara is much better than average, so one could put 2 and 2 together.

A few observations from the son of a Neapolitan East Coaster who grew up running through the kitchen of a classic red-sauce joint in PA.

Most Ital-Am "red sauce joints," East Coast or Chicago, are awful. The more interesting restaurants of other ethnicities (including more serious Italian spots with regional focus) have elbowed out the ubiquitous red sauce joint here as on the East Coast in recent years. Good. See also American-Chinese.

Here, as there, you are more apt to find the red sauce joint of your memories in a suburb than in the City, particularly those suburbs that are populated by families from the old Italianate neighborhoods here. Think West and Southwest. Plenty of meatball subs and chicken parm to be had in Tinley or Downers. (Or Berwyn or Melrose Park or Elmwood Park etc. etc. for nearer 'burbs with long histories of Italian Americanism.)

The stuff you seek has largely been relegated to the back of the pizza takeout menu. But that does not mean it will be bad coming from such places. I happen to think the parms and such from establishments such as D'Agostino's, ChiCago's, and Art of Pizza are good for what they are and are better than the pizza. I know this because I have a son who is addicted to meatball subs, so we have tried many of them. Deep dish spots such as Lou Malnatis do a fine job too. In fact, using the Find-A-Food feature on Menupages, hundreds of Chicago spots serve chicken or eggplant parm.

And there's still the original suggestion from way up thread - Sabatino's - which should fit the bill, even though the brothers are from Pisa and their non-red sauce stuff is objectively better. If you have not tried the typical tourist spots that don't get much love on LTH, such as Rosebud or Tuscany, they are fine and have it.

Other options that you might like that I can endorse:

J&C Bombacino's (def. what you are looking for, close to the Loop)

Oggi on Grand (very close to the kind of place one might find on a corner in an Outer Borough, at least at one time).

Bertucci's Corner in Chinatown (classic, stubbornly obscure pre-Sox venue)

Club Lago on Orleans

Tufano's Vernon Park Tap (Taylor St.)

Panozzo's South Loop

Philly's Best (not great, but East Coast)

Freddie's Bridgeport

Club Lucky

Gene & Georgetti (seriously, the parms are the cheapest things on the menu and not terrible)

JeffB wrote:A few observations from the son of a Neapolitan East Coaster who grew up running through the kitchen of a classic red-sauce joint in PA.

Most Ital-Am "red sauce joints," East Coast or Chicago, are awful. The more interesting restaurants of other ethnicities (including more serious Italian spots with regional focus) have elbowed out the ubiquitous red sauce joint here as on the East Coast in recent years. Good. See also American-Chinese.

Here, as there, you are more apt to find the red sauce joint of your memories in a suburb than in the City, particularly those suburbs that are populated by families from the old Italianate neighborhoods here. Think West and Southwest. Plenty of meatball subs and chicken parm to be had in Tinley or Downers. (Or Berwyn or Melrose Park or Elmwood Park etc. etc. for nearer 'burbs with long histories of Italian Americanism.)

The stuff you seek has largely been relegated to the back of the pizza takeout menu. But that does not mean it will be bad coming from such places. I happen to think the parms and such from establishments such as D'Agostino's, ChiCago's, and Art of Pizza are good for what they are and are better than the pizza. I know this because I have a son who is addicted to meatball subs, so we have tried many of them. Deep dish spots such as Lou Malnatis do a fine job too. In fact, using the Find-A-Food feature on Menupages, hundreds of Chicago spots serve chicken or eggplant parm.

And there's still the original suggestion from way up thread - Sabatino's - which should fit the bill, even though the brothers are from Pisa and their non-red sauce stuff is objectively better. If you have not tried the typical tourist spots that don't get much love on LTH, such as Rosebud or Tuscany, they are fine and have it.

Other options that you might like that I can endorse:

J&C Bombacino's (def. what you are looking for, close to the Loop)

Oggi on Grand (very close to the kind of place one might find on a corner in an Outer Borough, at least at one time).

Bertucci's Corner in Chinatown (classic, stubbornly obscure pre-Sox venue)

Club Lago on Orleans

Tufano's Vernon Park Tap (Taylor St.)

Panozzo's South Loop

Philly's Best (not great, but East Coast)

Freddie's Bridgeport

Club Lucky

Gene & Georgetti (seriously, the parms are the cheapest things on the menu and not terrible)

First off, thanks for all the suggestions, it'll take me a long time to work through them, but I'm psyched to have options when the Italian-American bug hits.

Next, two points, less actual criticisms and more just comments. One, while I'd agree that the majority of Italian-American places are mediocre, I think awful is going way too far and I'd say that the vast majority of ALL restaurants are mediocre. That's just the nature of the economics of the industry. Next, I really, really object to the idea (not specifically stated in your post, but it's the clear subtext) that there is something inherently sub-par about Americanized versions of ethnic cuisine. I love the authentic stuff, indeed I prefer it maybe 7-9 times out of 10. I am also happy that the Americanized versions of ethnic cuisine no longer crowd out the authentic stuff. All that said, though, I think there is a place for it, when done well.

Nearly all of the places I endorsed are old-fashioned, Americanized Southern Italian places (well, Club Lago, Sabatino's and all the Heart of Italy spots (such as Brunas upthread) have Northern roots but sling red gravy). The stuff is in my blood, and if you look back over the years you will see that I have spent much time following these sorts of places. I didn't pick up a copy of Where to come up with that list of rare grooves. I'm actually interested. So you misunderstood my point or I didn't make it well. A great red sauce place can be very special and I will love it. That said, the Italian American restaurant in this country has such a low common denominator, is seen by aspiring restaurateurs as an easy entry (pasta and tomatoes are cheap, right?) and so many of us paesani truly believe that their nona's meatballs were the greatest food ever made, that the Atlantic Seaboard, much of Chicagoland, and the stripmalls of Phoenix, Florida and, increasingly, Wal-Mart parkinglots around 'Merica (Olive Garden, Carraba's) are drowning in shitty sugo.

Go forth and partake. If you work in the Loop, Bombacino's is a good first step.

PS, I might have used hyperbole in describing most of these places as terrible, but I really think that the average Italian-American restaurant puts out objectively worse food, that is more ill-prepared and further from what it purports to be, than the average version of other "ethnic" restaurants for the reasons stated, among others. Then again, it's the home cooking with which I grew up, so maybe I cannot be fair.

JeffB wrote:Nearly all of the places I endorsed are old-fashioned, Americanized Southern Italian places (well, Club Lago, Sabatino's and all the Heart of Italy spots (such as Brunas upthread) have Northern roots but sling red gravy). The stuff is in my blood, and if you look back over the years you will see that I have spent much time following these sorts of places. I didn't pick up a copy of Where to come up with that list of rare grooves. I'm actually interested. So you misunderstood my point or I didn't make it well. A great red sauce place can be very special and I will love it. That said, the Italian American restaurant in this country has such a low common denominator, is seen by aspiring restaurateurs as an easy entry (pasta and tomatoes are cheap, right?) and so many of us paesani truly believe that their nona's meatballs were the greatest food ever made, that the Atlantic Seaboard, much of Chicagoland, and the stripmalls of Phoenix, Florida and, increasingly, Wal-Mart parkinglots around 'Merica (Olive Garden, Carraba's) are drowning in shitty sugo.

Go forth and partake. If you work in the Loop, Bombacino's is a good first step.

Ah, I see. My fault on the misunderstanding. I think we're pretty much in accord on this. And I agree that a lot of this stuff is crap. The only other point I'd make and I'd love your take on this is that I do feel that there is something of a crowding out of good traditional red sauce places by both the more authentic regional cuisine places that have sprung up and the downmarket (re:shitty) Italian American places/chains. In other words, the crap Italian American doesn't compete with authentic regional cuisine, but both, to a certain extent, compete with the good Italian American places and, thus, those places increasingly lose out. Frustrating, to say the least.

Agreed. See my late edit above. In my experience, your best bet for good old-fashioned Italian American is in a second-tier city with some longstanding red sauce institutions that are not as sensitive to competition and changing tastes and can put out a plate of pasta with red sauce without either hipster irony or a Wal-Mart mentality that requires bottomless salad bowls and breadsticks or covering everything with "Alfredo" sauce and chicken tenders. Pittsburgh, for instance, in my own travels.

itshissong wrote: The only other point I'd make and I'd love your take on this is that I do feel that there is something of a crowding out of good traditional red sauce places by both the more authentic regional cuisine places that have sprung up and the downmarket (re:shitty) Italian American places/chains. In other words, the crap Italian American doesn't compete with authentic regional cuisine, but both, to a certain extent, compete with the good Italian American places and, thus, those places increasingly lose out. Frustrating, to say the least.

Well, I completely agree with this point, however it is hardly limited to old school Italian/American red Sauce joints. Have a look around. The Red Lobsters, PF Changs, Outback Steakhouses, Dennys, etc. are everywhere and they are reducing the Lowest Common Denominator of food to that of a true master of the limbo all over the states. We are lucky to live in a great food city where it's easy to avoid places like this, but that is sadly not true everywhere. Their cancer is even spreading overseas. That's why most of us who chooe to post on LTH Forum are fighing the good fight.