Carlucci Chicago

Carlucci, a name known to Chicagoans since 1984, is back in the city with a new location in the East Loop across from Millennium Park. The lively space features imported Italian tile floors and colorful window panels with the names of Italian cities you've either visited or are planning to. Launch with a studry Negroni or Carlucci's in-house sommelier will help choose from a deep wine roster and dramatically decant your bottle tableside. A meat and cheese board; tender beef and pork meatballs; seared octopus with charred carrots; or a particularly light fritto misto (calamari, shrimp, halibut with lemon chili aioli) are perfect starters. But then again, there are the exceptional Neapolitan pizzas: the Calabrian transforms the traditional pepperoni pie with blasts of homemade chili oil and honey. The signature Bombonato pasta dish is a fun presentation of housemade pasta tossed tableside in a Parmesan wheel resulting in absurdly silky noodles placed atop prosciutto. Housemade gnocchi, in a bright tomato basil sauce, plus swaths of creamy fior di latte is a revelation. You'll find smoked fior di latte in Chef's eggplant Parm dish. Whole grilled sea bass and massive grilled pork chop staged with caper cream sauce are other worthy entrees. Housemade tiramisu or luscious gelato conclude your trip to Italy.