Category Archives: Italian

437 Rush Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

This Italian steakhouse offers great service and excellent food in an environment that differentiates it from the other steakhouses in town. It’s lighter and more open (less “clubby”) than the dark wood red leather booth places.

We had the Prix Fixe menu, which included our choice in each of four courses. Many of the starters and second courses had an Italian slant, but I wouldn’t really describe it as traditional Italian cuisine. Steakhouse staples such as shrimp cocktail were also offered.

Both the filet mignon entree and the ahi tuna entree were really excellent: tender, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. We finished with an excellent tira misu.

There is a nice wine list with some reasonably priced selections.

437 Rush Restaurant
437 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 222-0101
http://www.yelp.com/biz/437-rush-restaurant-chicago

Romano’s Macaroni Grill

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*** (3 stars)

Poor Romano’s. It just can’t seem to get any respect. I’m not sure why, because the decor–especially at this location–is really nice, evoking an old Italian country house. And the service is always friendly.

The food isn’t bad either. I particularly like the bruscetta appetizer, where you apply your own diced tomato and garlic topping to the crusty bread. The pizza service is nice too, with a hand shaped oval pizza served with a personal pizza cutter and a bowl of spicy sauce, so you can finish it off any way you like.

There are also some great lunch deals, including a three course lunch for ten bucks, or a seven dollar lunch served in seven minutes. If you haven’t tried Romano’s lately–at least for lunch–it might be worth a second look.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill
3143 Daniels Rd
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 654-0351
http://www.yelp.com/biz/romanos-macaroni-grill-winter-garden

Quartino

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**** (4 stars)

There is an overabundance of Italian restaurants in Chicago, and many have little to recommend them. Quartino is different, though, in that it takes a tapas approach to Italian food, emphasizing small plates of antipasti.

The best way to experience this is through their Salumeria Tasting, which lets you choose seven items to your taste, including veggies, cheeses and meat, all accompanied by several additional sides.

Everything I tried was tasty and delicious, and it was a good way to experience a broad range of offerings.

Of course they also offer pizza, other entrees, and an extensive dessert list, and they brag that they have wine that is cheaper than water.

My server was very friendly, and I enjoyed a relaxed meal in one of their spacious dining rooms. There is also a large outside dining area.

Quartino
626 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 698-5000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/quartino-chicago

Siena Tavern

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**** (4 stars)

Despite its name, Siena Tavern doesn’t really come across as either Italian or a tavern. True, there is a list of pizzas, and they serve drinks, but it seems more like  a Hillstone concept to me.

The decor is open and modern, with a few too many hard surfaces to control the noise level when it’s busy (which seems to be most of the time).

We went for Sunday brunch/lunch, and I was pleased to find that while there were some very tasty looking brunch items, there were also lots of non-breakfast choices.

The chopped salad was an interesting conglomeration of vegetables, cheese and meat, and had enough juice from the artichoke hearts and other veggies that it didn’t really need the accompanying honey mustard dressing, so I’m glad I had that on the side.

The “burnt crust” pepperoni pizza wasn’t quite as charred as I would have liked, but it did have a very thin crust and good flavor.

Service was efficient, a necessity given how busy they were.

I’m not sure what would draw me back for a revisit (maybe some of the breakfast items, which looked really delicious and really bad for you) but my visit was fine.

Siena Tavern
51 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 595-1322
http://www.yelp.com/biz/siena-tavern-chicago

Caprino’s Italian

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**** (4 stars)

Caprino’s is a much better restaurant than anything that has previously occupied this space. Run by Chef Stefano, who previously had the restaurant at the entrance to Summerport, and also has Stefano’s Grill in Dr Phillip’s Marketplace, Caprino’s strikes a balance between neighborhood Italian restaurant and sports bar.

The space is still the amalgam of Rialto’s ornate fine dining restaurant wrapped around a somewhat incongruous bar dotted with big screen TVs, but this serves the menu well, with its emphasis on combining traditional Italian dishes with sports bar food.

Whether your party wants wings, hoagies, pasta or pizza, there is likely something for everyone. And at the higher end, the beef is reportedly all prime; it and the seafood are butchered on site.

Our server was friendly and well-informed, and the service in general seemed quite polished for a restaurant open less than two months. On a moderately busy Friday night the kitchen was having trouble keeping up, which caused some service issues, but presumably these will be corrected.

The pizza is thin crust and has an authentic Naples taste to it. We tried two specials: the osso buco was heavily over-salted, but the lobster ravioli was well-prepared. Caesar salad is conventional and includes house made croutons.

Desserts are the same offerings as at Stefano’s Grill. The tira misu was generous.

Wine by the glass selections are somewhat limited, but there is a nice list of 29 bottles for $29 each, and also extensive cocktail offerings.

Chef Stefano was circulating throughout the dining room on the night we were there, and his hands on approach has certainly improved the experience at this neighborhood restaurant. So far it’s paying off with increased patronage.

Caprino’s Italian
7782 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Ste 140
Windermere, FL 34786
(407) 500-3663
http://www.yelp.com/biz/caprinos-italian-windermere

Labriola Ristorante & Cafe

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**** (4 stars)

This is one of the best places for outside dining in the Magnificent Mile area, because the sidewalk cafe is actually a balcony far above Grand Street, so there’s no automobile traffic.

The usual pasta dishes are on offer, but we concentrated on appetizers, and loved everything we tried, particularly the zucchini blossoms, which were very lightly fried and stuffed with a creamy smoked mozzarella that was delicious.

The ricotta appetizer was also excellent, with fresh honey and crusty toasted bread.

Clams and mussels are served in a garlic laced broth that’s not too rich.

We also shared a pizza. The offering changes weekly, so your mileage may vary. We loved the authentic Naples-style crust, but didn’t care for the raspberry and onion based sauce on our particular offering.

There are some nice selections on the wine list, and the service was friendly yet professional.

Labriola Ristorante & Cafe
535 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 955-3100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/labriola-ristorante-and-cafe-chicago

Fresco Cucina Italiana

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**** (4 stars)

A long time favorite, Fresco has moved across the parking lot from their former location, and their new digs suite them well. Completely new, and yet with a comfortable rustic air, the space is pleasant and inviting.

The menu seems largely unchanged. Most important, my favorite salad is still on offer. The Chicken Salad name does this dish a disservice, as it is a complete meal on a plate, with grilled chicken atop mixed greens, and then succulent sautéed mushrooms on top of that, then the whole thing drizzled with balsamic. Along with a fairly vinegary ramekin of dressing, the combination is one of my favorite salads in town.

The meal is preceded by tasty Italian bread and traditional dipping oil with herbs.

Lunchtime service is quick and efficient, and the kitchen does a good job of keeping up, even though the new location seemed to have increased their business. Definitely a move up for them.

Fresco Cucina Italiana
Bay Hill Plz
7721 Turkey Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-5775
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fresco-cucina-italiana-orlando

Bongiorno’s Italian Deli & Pizzeria

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Interior

Italian Beef

Pepperoni with Basil Pizza

**** (4 stars)

This homey little counter service Italian place off the lobby of River View Plaza is a great spot for lunch or dinner.

The price for a ten inch pizza is great, and it has a very authentic crust such as you’d get in Napoli.

You can get any kind of pasta with any kind of sauce, but I haven’t yet found a combination that excites me, although the serving size is large enough for two or more.

I like the Caesar salad, which isn’t tossed, but has a tasty dressing.

And the very best item is the garlic bread, a generous serving with lots of garlic butter, fixed in the pizza oven so the edges have a slight char. The sandwiches, such as the Italian Beef, are served on the same bread.

There’s a pleasant outside patio where you can enjoy the view of the Trump tower–if you look straight up.

Bongiorno’s Italian Deli & Pizzeria
405 N Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 755-1255
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bongiornos-italian-deli-and-pizzeria-chicago

The Mango Tree Restaurant

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**** (4 stars)

We’ve been going here for the past twenty years or so, and the place has improved over that time, especially after the ownership change about four years ago.

Live piano music has been replaced by very pleasant guitar music, which seems to make the space a bit more intimate. Certainly the volume level is perfect, allowing conversation, yet providing a great listening environment.

The window into the kitchen seems a bit disconnected from the rest of the ambiance, but this really affects only the table right in front of it.

The bartender here is fabulous, and gave us one of the best bar experiences we’ve had, encouraging us to sample different exotic liqueurs and concocting drinks from scratch, the old fashioned way (pun intended). I will return specifically because of his great service.

The Mango Tree Restaurant
118 N Atlantic Ave
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
(321) 799-2600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mango-tree-restaurant-cocoa-beach

Cariera’s Cucina Italiana

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**** (4 stars)

This latest incarnation of Cariera’s (December 2014) follows several previous ownership changes under that name, and several names before that. But this is the most significant in the span of 25 year we’ve been going there, because the interior space has been remodeled from pizza parlor to fine dining restaurant.

From what we sampled, the new menu backs up this move to upscale Italian dining. Both the Caesar Salad and the Grilled Romaine salad were excellent. The Lobster Ravioli was better than at any of the Italian restaurants in Orlando where we’ve tried it. And the Chicken Picatta (which they made special because I’m not a veal fan) was also quite excellent.

Wine corkage is available and reasonably priced.

Service was extremely accommodating, and the manager is gracious and professional. I suspect this restaurant will give the other Italian places in the area significant competition, because the food is better than any of them, and is a fraction of the cost of the closest competitor.

Cariera’s Cucina Italiana
The Market Place
7600 Dr Phillips Blvd, Ste 12
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-1187
http://www.yelp.com/biz/carieras-cucina-italiana-orlando-3