Italian restaurants in Great Lakes
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A
Bar La Grassa
Chef Isaac Becker won the 2011 James Beard award for 'best in the midwest,' so expect great things from the small plates menu of fresh pastas, bruschetta and secondi. It is located about a mile northwest of downtown's core.
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Merlo Restaurante
Bolognese regional fare is the forte of this cozy family-operated slow-food bistro and wine bar, where hand-rolled pastas and steaming dishes of risotto of the day dominate the menu, offering particular comfort when the weather turns cold. This is one place where an otherwise conservative choice of the tagliatelle bolognese brings a plate of perfectly sweet and savory meat sauce and ribbons of homemade pasta that would delight any Italian grandmother.
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Terragusto
Steps from the Brown Line, Terragusto makes its organic gnocchi, ravioli and other pastas daily (watch ’em in the front window; if you’re inspired, you can learn how to do it yourself via their classes). Sturdy wooden tables prop up the heaping rustic dishes that arrive fragrant from the kitchen. If there are fewer than six in your party, you choose from the small, changing list of menu options; if more, the chef chooses. It’s BYOB, and you’ll need reservations.
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Mia Francesca
Local chain Mia's buzzes with regulars who come for the trattoria's Italian standards, such as seafood linguine, spinach ravioli and mushroom-sauced veal medallions, all prepared with simple flair.
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Leonardo’s Restaurant
A sleek yet quaint atmosphere and delicious traditional Tuscan fare make this a fiercely guarded local neighborhood favorite. No yawn-inducing pasta and meatballs, here. The champion of the menu is the 18 Hour Ravioli, stuffed with a mouth-watering combination of braised osso bucco and goat cheese, covered in caramelized pearl onions, sage and a succulent demi-glace. A whole boneless chicken tops the meat mains.
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Al’s #1 Italian Beef
The original location of this local chain might not be the place to grab lunch if you want to get off your feet – there are no tables, only a stand-up counter – but the legendary namesake sandwich is a favorite of Hillary Clinton (who ordered some for her 50th birthday party). Piled high with savory beef that soaks through the thick bun, this inexpensive treat is one of the city’s culinary hallmarks.
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Gioco
Restaurateurs Jerry Kleiner and Howard Davis made Randolph St on the West Side one of Chicago’s hottest dining areas in the 1990s. Their whimsical Italian restaurant opened a few years ago in a desolate stretch of the Near South featuring a menu laden with classic Chicago-Italian dishes including delicate pizzas from a wood-burning oven. Surprises abound, such as the tasty lobster gnocchi.
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Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap
Still family run after three generations, Tufano’s serves old-fashioned, hearty Italian fare for modest prices. The blackboards carry a long list of daily specials, which can include such wonderful items as pasta with garlic-crusted broccoli. Amid the usual celebrity photos on the wall you’ll see some really nice shots of Joey DiBuono, his family and their patrons through the decades.
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Panozzo’s
Stock your picnic basket for the Museum Campus at Panozzo’s. The neatly shelved Italian import store has a deli counter in back that’ll stack take-away hot (house-made meatball) or cold (prosciutto and mozzarella) sandwiches, plus lasagna, rice balls and roasted chicken. Grab a bottle of wine or beer, Italian cookies or cheeses to accompany your selection.
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Trattoria No 10
An ideal stop for ticket holders, this lively bistro is just steps from the Loop theater district. The straightforward menu provides exceptionally flavorful takes on familiar items like ravioli (try the one filled with asparagus tip, bufala cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes) and risotto with skirt steak.
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Rosebud
This location in Little Italy is the first branch of an empire of quality Italian restaurants that has spread throughout the city. It is popular with politicos and old-school Taylor St Italians, who slurp down colossal piles of pasta and spinach gnocchi soaked in red sauces. Bring a big appetite.
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Pasta Bowl
You get more than you pay for at this affordable neighborhood pasta joint. The sauces are top-notch; the pesto reeks of garlic and the bolognese is redolent with basil. The meatball sub is also excellent, and the prices are just a fraction higher than you’d pay across the street at Subway.
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Conte di Savoia
This large grocery sells everything an Italian cook could hope for, including scores of imported rarities and fine wines. The deli counter, which sells various lunch items you can eat at simple tables inside and out, will make visiting Italians feel right at home.
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Via Carducci
The simple southern Italian dishes regularly draw moans of delight from diners at this small trattoria. Red-checkered tablecloths complement the baroque murals, and the food leans toward thick tomato-based sauces and amazing sausages.
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Mario’s
At this cheerful box of a shop, super Italian ice comes loaded with big chunks of fresh fruit, which keeps crowds coming in the summer. The owners have been serving the slushy goodness for a half-century. Lemon tops the list.
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Marro's Italian Restaurant
For eats, Marro's Italian Restaurant gets props for its pizzas.
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Lucrezia
It’s a homey, Italian favorite in Chesterton.
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P
Italian Village
Of the three restaurants under the one roof, two are worth your while: the namesake Village, and Vivere. The former is decorated with the facades and twinkling lights of an Italian hill town - campy but cute - and has a menu of time-honored pasta and meat dishes that come soaked in traditional sauces. Vivere is the more creative cousin downstairs, offering a wine list some 1500 bottles strong, with bold flavors and bigger price tags.
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