JeffB wrote: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.

Totally agree with your "second-tier city" point. Post-industrial northeastern cities are especially great in this vein. Many, many great Americanized Italian, Portuguese, and Greek places throughout the south coast of New England all along I95.

Not that I'm recommending it, since I've never been (and am not likely to ever get there since some of the above-mentioned Southside versions are enough to scratch my itch) but at least when it first opened didn't LEYE's Maggiano's have pretensions to being the ur-Italian-American-Chicago restaurant? Anyway, in an effort to be comprehensive, I'd add the Clark street location to the list if you're eager to sample all candidates.

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.

Great point, Jeff. I am sure a LOT of these old-school joints in the Northeast are slowly biting the dust, but when our kids were young and we would make the annual drive to see family in Boston, I would make it a point to seek out these little gems. And it wasn't easy--we didn't have immediate LTH or iPhone Y--p reviews either--I had to go to the library in advance and read Fodor's or Zagat or something similar to get a heads-up.

I remember visiting friends of my folks in Jersey Shore, PA and them taking us to the 'Italian Club', called the Columbia. OMG. Thin-crust anchovy pizza. Escarole soup. And maybe the best eggplant parm I've even eaten.

On another trip, on the way back to Chicago, having to stop somewhere after a 600 mile drive & just wanting a good meal, if only to shut the kids up. Just outside Cleveland, the motel clerk pointed us to a ramshackle place called Dino's II and this time, it was the homemade wedding soup with tiny veal meatballs that did it. Just wow. Made the trip.

Remember, this was 20 years ago so I can't reallly vouch for it now. But if all is right with the world, it's still good.


Dino's II
15518 Saint Clair Ave,
Cleveland, OH 44110-3064
216-486-1611

Via Veneto (Devon & Lincoln area) is a terrific, family-run restaurant that does a fine job with their sauces. They will make any of the Parm Trifecta – chicken, veal or eggplant – for you and sauce it with either of their red sauces.

I understand your trying to find something close to what you remember from home, after having made The Annual Pilgrimage to the Jersey Shore for so many years. IMHO, Via Veneto is a very good match for the wonderful mom-and-pop Italian restaurants we enjoy so much there.


Via Veneto Ristorante
6340 N. Lincoln
Chicago, IL 60659
773.267.0888

http://www.viavenetochicago.com

it's not on the north side, but easy to get to...

Cafe Boinda
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-boinda-chicago-6

chicken parm is outstanding. grilled calamari to start and get a side of the gnocchi.

bring a friend. bring your appetite.

Buon appetito!

If you want to head north, do a little shopping at Northbrook Court and have lunch or dinner, I really like the chicken parm at Di Pescara. Not only is it great, but the portion is huge.

Di Pescara
2124 Northbrook Ct
Northbrook IL
847-498-4321
http://www.di-pescara.com/

If you go to Club Lago on Orleans, and there are noodles served with your chicken parm, be sure to ask them to drain the noodles well. (They didn't on my last trip there.)

Bumping this up for any current suggestions. North side is best but will travel for great chicken parm.

I mentioned Di Pescara up in Northbrook a few years ago (or a few posts ago) and they have a new chef who tweaked the chicken parm. It now has a lot more sauce and it's under the cheese (on top of the chicken). I am not in favor of this change. It still tastes the same, but it feels way oversauced and what I really miss is the crust on the chicken. So if you like the contrast of having some crunch available, just ask for the sauce on the side and you can add as much or as little as you like. It doesn't come with any pasta, but you can order a side if you like. Still a favorite of mine.

Saranello's in Wheeling is basically Di Pescara "Due" (both are Lettuce Entertain You) with a very similar menu and they have a very good chicken parm as well. It's done similar to the way it is at Di Pescara now, with a lot of sauce, and sauce under the cheese (which may very well be how most places do it).

You guys were talking about old school red sauce type Italian-American places and I can think of one in South Bend called Rocco's (open since 1951) that would probably fit the bill. I always got the pizza there, but they had a number of classic red sauce dishes coming out of the kitchen. Alas, no chicken or eggplant parm is served there for some reason, but I bet it would be good. Maybe they do it at as a special once in a while?

Saranello's
601 N Milwaukee (inside The Westin Hotel)
Wheeling IL 60090
847-777-6878

I just read through this entire thread to make sure I am not repeating myself. Although I did make some north side recommendations a few years ago, I neglected to mention my favorite red sauce joint in all of Chicagoland. When I get the craving for something parmesan, Al's Restaurant in Cicero is my go to joint. While I normally order veal or eggplant, I'm pretty sure they have chicken parm on the menu as well. It's certainly not on the north side, but I never hesitate to make the drive when the red sauce craving hits.

Al's Italian Restaurant And Pizzeria
6050 W Cermak Rd
Cicero, IL 60804
(708) 656-1060

Thanks!