tesori - Contemporary Italian in the Loop

Last summer, the owners of Rhapsody, the longtime contemporary American restaurant in the Loop near the Symphony Center and the Art Institute, closed it, then re-opened it as tesori in September. I ate dinner there last night and thought it was excellent and worth recommending!

The restaurant is a one-story structure on the southeast corner of Wabash and Adams, with a small outdoor area and garden. The glass walls facing to the north and east give the dining room an atrium-like feel.

Like many newer Italian restaurants, if you ignored the pasta section and the Italian nomenclature, the menu could easily pass for that of many contemporary American restaurants. Which is fine.

Bread service was outstanding - I'm a sucker for bread when it's served warm, which this was - and consisted of focaccia and a slightly sweet whole wheat bread.

The two of us ordered six dishes, and all six were excellent. Here's what we had:

• eggplant parmesan (this was a daily special) - a traditional rendition, and the sauce had a very strong tomato taste, which is refreshing to find during winter.
• braised veal cheeks over polenta - this was incredibly tender. If any dish was a "must have", it was this one.
• beet salad with goat cheese - its mild beet taste went well with the mild creamy cheese.
• pan seared veal loin (another daily special) - another mild dish, perhaps the least impressive of the six, but still quite good
• skatewing - this was served boneless; the lardons and kale accompaniments were meh but the skate was excellent.
• vanilla-almond brown butter cake - This was terrific, not overly sweet, served with chopped fruit and a dollop of not-that-sweet mascarpone.

The service was excellent. They weren't all that busy; maybe a third of the tables were occupied during our dinner (we were seated early for dining before a 7:30 show). It was not overly noisy, and seemed as though it wouldn't be horribly loud even when it's full.

Entrees were around $30 and our bill including a glass of wine and tax/tip was just under $75/pp.

There are several excellent restaurants serving contemporary Italian cuisine, including Vivere and the Florentine in the Loop. tesori is a new entrant and deserves consideration among that esteemed group. The location makes it perfect for pre-theater or pre-symphony dining. It's also open for lunch.

tesori
65 East Adams Street
Chicago 60603
312.786.9911
tesorichicago.com

We went there for a "lite bite" before the symphony last night. Had no reservation but it was possible to score a high top in the bar, so we did.

My dinner was an individual prosciutto/arugula/mozzarella/pecorino pizza, and I really liked it. I'll risk scorn by committing the sacrilege of saying it was at least as good as pizzas I've had at Spacca Napoli. Better, really, but now I'm truly in deep water. The prosciutto was tender and mild with not a bit of stringiness or chewiness, the other ingredients blended beautifully with it, and the crust played its background part perfectly, contributing deliciousness in a supporting role.

Obviously hoped for it to be good, but did not expect it to be this good. (Hadn't read nsxtasy's review of other menu items at the time.)

Tesori takes the Old Fashioned seriously enough that their webpage has footnotes:

http://www.tesorichicago.com/whiskey-hi ... a-and-bar/

I've had the Barrels in the Lake with antipasti a few times and it is a simple pleasure. The room embracing the El above is a nice take on that corner, and the menu is approachable with half-order pasta options, focaccia on each table, and some substantial grilled cephalopod plates in the starters. I think the homemade marinated cipollini and caponata are exceptional, part of a pickling program that benefits the cocktails as well. One could do (and be gouged) much worse nearby; I'm glad they seem to have continued good traffic.

nsxtasy wrote:The restaurant is a one-story structure on the southwest corner of Wabash and Adams, with a small outdoor area and garden. The glass walls facing to the north and east give the dining room an atrium-like feel.

tesori
65 East Adams Street
Chicago 60603
312.786.9911
tesorichicago.com

Just clarifying that it is the "southeast" corner, Michigan Ave side of Wabash/tracks. Serviceable small plates with cocktails (wine list appears to be good, if that's your thing) if you work in the area. Tourist value too given location and less obnoxious experience than River North or Wacker options.

bweiny wrote:Just clarifying that it is the "southeast" corner, Michigan Ave side of Wabash/tracks.

Fixed.

Italian Theater District Favorite Tesori Closes Down

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/5/22/18635610/tesori-closed-italian-restaurant-theater-district-kumiko-best-new-restaurant-intel

Noted here on May 15 in Openings etc. thread followed by two related comments. Sorry, I forgot to cross post.