Little Italy
Chicago has a rich and stories past with its Italian immigrants who first began coming to the area in the 1850s. In 1900 there were more than 16,000 Italians in the city, and a mere 30 years later that number had multiplied by nearly five. With that kind of influx, it’s easy to understand how the Little Italy community (bordered on the north by the Eisenhower Expressway, on the east by the Kennedy Expressway, on the south by Roosevelt Road and on the west by Polk Street) emerged. While the area is not overly large, it is a powerhouse for excellent Italian cuisine and include four well-known establishments that will allow any guest to experience the sense of history that is Little Italy:
- Rosebud (1500 West Taylor Street) serves up signature dishes such as Chicken Vesuvio and Pappardelle. The restaurant proudly proclaims “Little Italy, Big Portions” where the food is kept simple and discriminating diners like Tony Bennet, Oprah Winfrey and any number of professional athletes proclaim it as “the ultimate dining experience.”
- Pompeii Pizza (1531 West Taylor Street) pride themselves on serving hot, gourmet-style Italilan dishes including hand-rolled pizzas and hand-cut pastas from three generations of Sicilian family recipes. Apart from the obvious pizzas you can enjoy delights like baked mostaccioli, spinach ravioli, or an eggplant parmigiana sandwich and don’t you dare forget the tiramisu for dessert!
- Tuscany (1014 W. Taylor) offers an extensive selection of unique Italian entrees, sure to tantalize anyone’s taste buds. Besides one-of-a-kind pasta dishes, we also offer the finest steaks and freshest seafood, as well as daily specials prepared to perfection by our executive chef. Tuscany is the ideal destination for revealing the rich virtues of a Tuscan village, even down to the very best wines Italy has to offer.
- Francesca’s on Taylor (1400 West Taylor) features the zesty, earthy cuisine of Rome and the surrounding areas of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. Chicago Magazine notes, “It brings a new kind of abbondanza to an old Italian neighborhood.” It is the fourth restaurant opened by Chef Scott Harris, whose philosophy is to encourage the lively art of dining with a contemporary, casually sophisticated trattoria ambiance, good, rustic cooking, friendly service and fair prices. The hand-printed menu changes every two weeks based on seasonality of ingredients so you know you’re onto something fresh and inventive with each visit!
If you do decide to explore the area for a dining delight, try to also take time to enjoy the rich heritage and storied history that comes with it!