Visitors to Chicago with a craving for Italian food can find a variety of good restaurants to choose from. A number of Chicago establishments have won awards or received top ratings for their cuisine. These casual and upscale establishments are in neighborhoods throughout the city, and have their own specialties such as northern Italian cuisine or seafood.
Spiaggia is on North Michigan Avenue at the corner of East Oak Street in the Gold Coast neighborhood. The restaurant held Zagat dining guide ratings of "very good to excellent" for its food, decor and service as of October 2010. The restaurant has also received nominations for James Beard Foundation Awards for Outstanding Restaurant and Outstanding Service for multiple years.
All of the pasta at Spiaggia is made fresh daily by hand on the premises. One signature dish is the potato gnocchi with black truffles in a ricotta cheese sauce. The chef also prepares a tasting menu that includes dishes inspired by a particular culinary region of Italy. Featuring more than 700 selections, the wine list is a past recipient of the "Best Award of Excellence," the second-highest honor awarded by "Wine Spectator" magazine.
Spiaggia serves dinner daily. Reservations are highly recommended and taken online and by phone. For men, jackets are required for dinner, while semi-formal to business attire is appropriate for women.
Situated in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, Mia Francesca is at the corner of North Clark and School streets. The restaurant held Zagat ratings of "extraordinary to perfection" for its food and "very good to excellent" for its service and decor as of October 2010. The users of the Open Table reservation site have previously voted the restaurant "Best Italian" in Chicago.
The restaurant specializes in northern Italian cuisine, particularly that from the Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio regions. The menu changes regularly to incorporate fresh ingredients. Past entrees include chicken breast with sage and prosciutto and spinach ravioli. The restaurant offers a gluten-free menu and has a children's menu, highchairs and booster seats. The wine list features 40 selections.
Mia Francesca serves lunch on weekends and dinner nightly. Reservations are highly recommended. Consider a table on the outdoor patio in nice weather; the area is decorated to resemble a courtyard in the Italian countryside with a picturesque landscape mural on one wall. The patio is also a quieter alternative to the dining room, which has a potential to be noisy when crowded. Consider dining during off-peak hours if quiet conversation is a goal. Casual attire is appropriate.
Pelago Ristorante is inside the Raffaello Hotel at East Delaware Place in the Gold Coast neighborhood, near Streeterville. The restaurant held Zagat dining guide ratings of "extraordinary to perfection" for its food and service and "very good to excellent" for its decor as of October 2010. "Crain's Chicago Business" also awarded the restaurant the title of "Best Restaurants for Business" meetings and gatherings in 2010.
The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood prepared in Italian recipes. Featured dishes include the monkfish osso bucco, the roasted tuna with onions and bay leaves and the square spaghetti with shrimp and spinach. Four and six-course tasting menus are also available at dinner nightly. The restaurant has a full bar.
Pelago Ristorante is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Reservations are highly recommended. For added ambiance in cold weather, ask for seating near the restaurant's fireplace. An outdoor patio is available for dining in the summer.
