For decades, Taylor Street has been synonymous with Italian food and culture. Chicago’s original “Little Italy” still has a few beef joints and ice shops, which do well in the summertime. A relatively new ice cream shop in the neighborhood is turning up the creativity a bit, with an emphasis on flavors from Asia, while still … Continued
“U.S. Pizza Cup” from Paulie Gee’s Logan Square If you’ll excuse the alliteration, the pandemic has made plenty of pizza parlors pretty popular, particularly for pickup. But for the last century or so, ordering a pizza in Chicago meant you had one of three options: a round, thin-and-crispy, square-cut pie; a circular deep-dish – chunky … Continued
Whereas retail boasts sales aplenty after the holidays, restaurants typically suffer low attendance – not to mention worn-out staff whose vacation (if such a respite exists) lasts a few short days in January. Restaurant Week, running from Friday, January 22 through Thursday, February 4, aims to ameliorate a typically quiet two weeks with prix-fixe feasts across … Continued
In honor of today being “Italian Village Day” in Chicago, I thought it only appropriate to delve into some of the city’s best red sauce joints. If you’ve come looking for Rosebud or La Scarola, you’ll be disappointed they’re not here. What these joints all have in common though, is their hospitable surroundings, serving comfortable, … Continued
Just about every Italian restaurant on Taylor Street, in Little Italy, serves the same lineup: penne with vodka sauce, eggplant parm and veal milanese. But Davanti Enoteca has been a standout since it opened a few months ago, mainly due to its excellent lineup of cured meats and cheeses, as well as some boldly-flavored antipasti … Continued
I realize the sheer number of Italian restaurants in our area makes this a somewhat daunting proposition. After last week’s “overrated” edition, I’m turning to my top 5 this week, and all of these places have a few things in common: for one thing, they make pretty much everything – from the grissini and focaccia, … Continued