Italian downtown?
Italian downtown?
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Italian downtown?
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Post #1 - July 26th, 2006, 3:58 pmNot too expensive, no Rosebud. Right now the best I can do is Coco Pazzo. Any thoughts?
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Post #2 - July 26th, 2006, 4:06 pmWhat's downtown? This term is so vague, it always leads to the same discussion. If we're talking Loop/River North/River West/South Loop/West Loop, well, that's a lot of options. Let me randomly suggest Trattoria 10 for stuffed pastas and Follia for pizza and Milanese things.
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Post #3 - July 26th, 2006, 4:07 pmItalian Village?Steve Z.
“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
― Ludwig van Beethoven
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Post #4 - July 27th, 2006, 6:36 amThere is 312 on LaSalle, in or somehow attached to Hotel Allegro. If your definition of "downtown" is a little more expansive, there's Vivo on W Randoph or Gioco on S Wabash. I have had pretty good meals at all of these places.
Addendum: I just read in the Tribune this morning that Fred Ramos, ex chef at Pili Pili, is the new chef at Gioco. Been there about a month. Could be interesting.Last edited by berryberry on July 27th, 2006, 9:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #5 - July 27th, 2006, 7:33 amFor a nice Italian spot downtown (by which I'm assuming you mean the Loop) I like Trattoria #10. The food is good, the room is pleasant, and they have a very nice bar buffet which is a meal in itself.
Even better food is to be had at Vivere, the haute-Italian restaurant in the Italian Village complex, but that may be more than you wanted to spend. The Cantina (I believe it's called), the lower level spot in the It.Vi., is casual and inexpensive. I've enjoyed lunches there, but never been for dinner. Stay away from the spot on the top floor ("the Village"), which is mediocre on a good day.
South of downtown is Giocco, which is quite good - their octopus carpaccio is grand, and their pastas are no slouch, either.
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Post #6 - July 27th, 2006, 11:56 amA good Italian spot, just off the Mag Mile near Navy Pier is called Volare. It's located at Grand & St. Clair and gets very crowded with the usual mix of neigborhood regulars and tourists.
Their Osso Bucco is my particular favorite, slowly roasted, fall of the bone veal. They give you a small fork for the marrow (another plus) and serve it over some sort of risotto. They also have handmade pastas and sauces and the usual appetizers found at this kind of Italian restaurant (calamari, et. al.). Their wine list has a wide price range of Italian reds and whites as well as some nice California wines. Enjoy.
Volare
201 E. Grand Ave.
312-410-9900
