I went to Bar Forza on a Sunday evening for dinner with a friend. Â The bartender doubled as the waiter since it was not too busy. Â He came over and sat us and was a bit odd - he spent about 3 minutes walking us through the drink menus and we were not even sure whether we were going to have one. Â We had a total of 3 menus to cover food, wine and cocktails/beer which was way overkill and confusing. Â However, after perusing the beer menu I ended up getting a Gumballhead. Â I ordered the fusilli with sausage and ricotta - as a whole it was good, not great, but the ricotta cheese on top was delicious. Â My friend got the pizza margherita which was again good but not great.
Overall, I would say the drink list is above average for a Lincoln/Depaul-ish bar, food is average, and I think we just got a strange waiter as he was a bit awkward. Â I had been there awhile ago on a Friday night and the service was fine then.
I came here recently for drinks and dinner before a show at the Apollo Theater. As others have stated, I think this place is definitely suffering from an identity crisis. When we arrived around 5 pm on a Saturday, the place was basically empty and seemed like a high-end sports bar given the multiple flat-screen TVs showing a variety of sports.
By the time we sat down to eat around 6, the place was a little more crowded. The menu seemed to indicate that this was not a sports bar, but rather a bar trying to double as an Italian restaurant. I ordered the penne a la vodka. Others in our group ordered the truffle mac and cheese, truffle fries, polenta, and pizzas. The food took quite a while to arrive and when it did, it didn't arrive at the same time. There was probably a good 10-15 minute lag time between some entrees and others. I always find this annoying and unprofessional. That said, the food was good, and everyone seemed to enjoy what they had ordered. There was some confusion on drinks, however. Some people never got the first drink they ordered; I never got the second one I ordered. When it came time to leave, we had to ask for the check twice. Then there was a huge delay when we were paying. Someone in our group had to actually go find the server in the back and explain (for the second time) that we had to go to a show and we really needed the credit card to be run. That was a bit absurd.
We went to our show and then came back to the bar a second time because it was close. We were surprised by the fact that within the hour and a half since we had last been there, the bar had suddenly morphed into a totally different scene complete with a DJ blasting dance music and random trixies attempting to start a dance floor. The sports on TV had been replaced by fashion runway shows (huh?). The whole thing was a bit weird. We stayed for one quick drink and then left to head somewhere else.
While the food was good here, I think Bar Forza is trying to be everything to everyone, which is resulting in a confusing atmosphere.
I'm really confused on Bar Forza. What exactly is this place? TV's everywhere... are you a bar? Authentic Italian food... are you an Italian restaurant? Bouncers & clubby music on during dinner time... are you a nightclub? I honestly have no idea.
We were in need of nourishment before a show at the Biograph, and due to a massive rainstorm we ducked into the nearest food establishment... this happened to be Bar Forza. The nightclub-esque bouncer seated us at a 4-top bar type of table. Our waiter came over and brought us waters, and didn't return for a while. We ordered (pizza and 2 pasta dishes) and while we waited for the food to arrive we all discussed how bizarre/awkward the server was, and how we were confused on the ambiance of the place.
Fast forward... server brings out 1 pasta dish, but none of the other dishes. We were slightly confused, but then after my friend started eating & our other food did not arrive, we all realized that the dish he brought was actually supposed to go to a neighboring table. So we waited longer, the other table finally got their pasta dish, and we finally got our remaining dishes.
The pizza I had was delicious & was very authentic Italian, but overall, the entire experience can be summed up into 1 word: awkward. I give 3 stars only because the food was good, but I seriously am still so confused after eating here.
I went here for a friend's birthday and the service AND food was GREAT! The waiter never ignored us and was always so polite and respectful. All our orders came out on time and was deliciously crafted. We ordered: truffle fries (crispy and delicious!), rucola salad (dressing is amazing!), Campagna di Campofelice pizza (runny yolk on top adds perfection), Fusilli Arrabiate (sweet/spicy sauce, sounds strange but trust me, it's good!). My only reservation was the toppings distribution on the pizza. If you got end pieces, it was basically only dough. But that aside, the setting was sophisticated and there was more than enough food for a reasonable price among three!
As an added bonus, we happened to ask the owner, Paul, to take a picture for us and when he asked us of the occasion, we told him it was our friend's birthday! He immediately talked us into sitting back down (we were on our way out) and served us free drinks and a slice of cheesecake. He said they take birthdays very seriously and the added dessert was the icing on our already positive experience! If you go for a birthday, don't forget to mention it! I would definitely go again!
WHOA !!!!! I thought I walked into a restaurant in Rome.... Paper thin crust pizza with san marzano tomatoes... Cute antique style decor.... The whole staff is dressed to the 9's !! I tried a few cocktails and was blown away by the fresh fruits they use... a little pricey but you get what you pay for.... Bar Forza is a hit !!
Review Source:I went to Bar Forza for some drinks and an appetizer. Â We ordered the truffle fries which were really good and a HUGE portion. Â There was one guy working since it was about 5 pm on a Sunday. Â I asked if he was the owner because his service was top notch and he was super friendly making sure everything was okay. Â He told me he wasn't (I think he said he was the bar manager? Â Maybe his name was Alex?).
I had two of the martinis that I chose with the help of the bar manager. Â Everything looked awesome so I couldn't decide on my own. Â He kept telling me if I didn't like it I could get a different drink. Â I told him I knew I would like anything on the menu and that was the problem. Â My favorite drink had muddled blueberries in it, but I cannot remember the name of it. Â We also tried a special shot that he made for us that was delicious. Â This guy really knew his bar!
I loved the service, drinks food and ambience. Â I will definitely return next time I am in the Lincoln Park area! Â Especially to try the homemade 'cellos. Â Hopefully they are like my family makes it!
Cute place. Â Cool that they have raffle nights for designer bags. Screen displayed fashion shows. Liked their selection of food and drinks and was pretty good. Different from many other bars. Our waiter was very strange. He acted as if he was on drugs or had a bad sense of humor/sarcasm.
Review Source:Me & some peeps hit this place up after getting it in @ Barrelhouse Flat. It was a 5 min walk south on Lincoln and we were ready to continue our 50 degree Friday night boozefest. It wasn't very crowded, but the staff were very nice. So nice that they gave us some free lemoncello shots.
They had a DJ in the back of the place bumping electronic versions of some classic 80's & 90's jams. I was alrady having gin all night so I stuck with it as the bartender made me some great gin & tonics. Very much a hidden spot and I will probably return during the summer months when I know the place will be packed and full of fun
I have mixed feelings about this place. When I first walked in there was a nice ambience. The music was pleasant, the lighting was nice, good vibes all around (minus the sticky table). Â The place was still pretty much empty at 10 o'clock, but a DJ came in and started blasting electronic music. I couldn't hear myself think. We actually had to leave because the music was so loud. Â
There's a dress code and the servers all wear suit vests and ties, but the menu is on cheap paper on a clip board. The bill was not presented in a booklet, but rather folded in half and placed on the table. Â I'm not exactly sure what they're going for. Also, not one of the staff was smiling. Very strange.
I'm not sure if our server was new, nervous, or both, but he was just all over the place. We ordered a nice Malbec and asked if we could taste it beforehand. He brought it to the table already opened and poured an entire glass for each of us. The wine turned out to be very nice, but it was still poor form. Â We ordered water and a half an hour later we still didn't have any. I have to mention again that the place was pretty empty.
We decided to ordered the margarita pizza. This was DELICIOUS! We were surprised to see the lack of much cheese when it arrived, but it was perfect. The sauce was super yummy!
The bathrooms were disgusting. They looked like they hadn't been cleaned in a week. There was fecal matter on one of the toilets. I was horrified.
I would have rated this place a 2, but the pizza was so yummy I added an additional star.
Went here for dinner on a Saturday and was shocked at how empty it was, especially given its positive reviews. Half the bar was completely dark but the side we were on was about half full. I like the dim lighting a lot. We got a bottle of wine and some pizzas, and the crudo was the best one. The salsiccia that my friend ordered was not great and tasted like breakfast sausage, but I liked the others. The pizzas are very thin like in Italy and not overly filling/cheesy which is nice. I couldn't help but notice what a steal this place was. Somehow we each spent like $22 for dinner and wine. Would be interested to try some of their other options if I came back!
Review Source:I came here for the first time on NYE - that was a bad night to come. Nothing was in order, we barely got food or drinks that we paid $100 for, and the bartender was just rude. I gave them a horrible review because of this, but then one of the manager's, Paul D, called us up to come back and re-do the night - never heard of a place doing that before!! I was ready to just write this place off. But because they reached out to us and apologized, we came back to give this place another shot.
They made up for the bad NYE night for sure! Alex helped us right away and our waitress, Kristen, was the best! This was what I was expecting for NYE - better late than never! Not only did we get our food and drinks, but they have very good quality food and all of their staff that was there last night were very courteous and professional. (Thumbs up!)
I'll only take away one star for the NYE night. So, they had a bad night (eh!). But they care what their customers think, do their best to take care of you, AND have good food - how can you not be a fan?!
Thank you Bar Forza for making up for NYE! I'll be back to try more of your food!
I have been here on a few different occasions and I must say, their pizzas are to die for! Really light crust and not too heavy with toppings and sauce, so you can actually taste the different ingredients. I have tried a few and I recommend the Campagna, it's a good vegetarian option and has an egg cracked in the middle that is lightly cooked, which was really fun, I have only seen that done in France. It also had truffle oil on the pizza which was not overpowering at all and added a really nice flavor. So Yummy!!!
Also, I am not a huge cocktail person and usually stick to craft beers, but I have tried a few of their craft cocktails and they were really refreshing and tasty. Great place for a night out with the girls or a fun date night.
The food is decent; not the best I have ever had but was good. I ordered a pizza with sausage and it hardly had any cheese.
Also, online the pictures make it look like a nice place, but really it is just a bar. Â
The service is terrible. We were not acknowledged for 10 minutes after being seated. Â When we ordered our drinks, we ordered an inordinate amount of time. The waitress kept apologizing but was not showing any change in pace. Â The "restaurant" (aka bar) was pretty empty too.
They were playing Spanish music, even though it is supposed to be an Italian restaurant? Around 9:30 the music switched to loud techno. Â Just odd...
This place shouldn't be getting a five star review from me. It should be getting a 0.5 star review, I have not lost my marbles just give me a minute to explain. On a Saturday night this place wasn't packed but they did inform us that they had a party in the other room and quite a few reservations, no problem we like sitting at the bar and watching football. The bartender (and our server) was extremely friendly.
I went straight for the main dishes. I ordered a wonderful pizza with fresh mozzarella, arugula, and prosciutto. This pizza is the real deal, fabulous and thin and the prosciutto couldn't have been more flavorful. They don't mess around with sauce here  (which I love). If I'm not reaching for deep dish over at Pequod's, I'm heading to this place.
Now, it gets interesting. My bf had a pizza with spicy sausage and onions. All was well until the second to last piece where he spit out a sizable chunk of what we thought was glass (ended up being a strong piece of plastic, we think). The shard of something was still extremely sharp. My bf was horrified, that thing could have done some serious damage if ingested and what if there had been other smaller pieces that he didn't catch? We asked to speak with a manager and our bartender didn't skip a beat. The first younger gentleman that came over to check on us apologized profusely and offered us whatever we wanted to drink. He also offered us any dessert. He also told us entire bill was on the house (and the bf had had a Stoli and Sprite).
We thought that was that. Oh no, one of the owners Mario (I think he was an owner) came over to see what he could do and again told us our bill was on the house and offered us whatever we wanted while apologizing up and down. Yet another owner came over and poured us some limecello (I can't spell) that he makes in house that was in some nondescript bottle in this secret dark freezer. It was absolutely wonderful and smooth, a real treat. Their hospitality didn't end there, they brought us out one of all of their desserts. We had a cooked cream dish that reminded me of the inside of a creme brûlée. We also had the Italian doughnuts with three different dipping sauce (these doughnuts are AMAZING). The house made cheesecake was the finale. It was so sweet and smooth, perfection!
This place does have a dress code. Essentially, no ripped jeans, jerseys, or sweatpants. It has the feeling of a classier sports bar/restaurant. All of the staff dresses nicely and the decor is simple yet modern. After everything we went through, they went above and beyond to change our experience.
Went to Bar Forza last night prior to a show at the Apollo. Â Got there about 5:10PM and the show was at 6:30. Â The place was not busy and there were few if any tables who didn't already have their food. (You know where I am going...)We ordered standard things, including the special of 3 sliders and fries. Â It took a really long time for our food to arrive about 5:55 and there was a error in the computer system that caused the sliders to be replaced by mac and cheese. Â We understood and when the bartender/waiter said it would be 5-6 min we believed him. 20 min later the sliders arrived. Â I mean it was 3 small burgers in an empty bar and they knew at that point that we had a time crunch. Â He ate one and we had to take the rest to go. Â They did comp us the sliders. Â
Other than this the rest of the food was really mediocre at best. Â Better of the same kind of pizza at Spacca Napoli. Pasta w vodka sauce sauce was way too thick.
Overall a really sad experience.
I came here recently prior to a attending Million Dollar Quartet. Â I have to say, the food was very good. Â We tried the meatballs, the fucilli pasta with spicy sausage, saffron rice balls, and caesar salad. Â The salad, meatballs and pasta were all excellent, the rice balls were sort of bland. Â I think they just needed a stronger dipping sauce. Â My only real complaint with this place (and I was almost tempted to bring the rating down to a 3) is that my wife ordered a virgin cocktail and was charged full price for it ($11). Â That's outrageous. Â I suppose it's my fault for not looking at the bill close enough.
However, if you're an out-of-towner like myself and are looking for a nice dinner before the show, this is a good spot. Â Also, if you mention that you're seeing MDQ you get 20% off your bill.
This place is so good!
We came here to watch football a few Sunday's back after passing it a bunch of times in our travels.
We got the sausage pizza, the Kobe sliders with truffle fries, and the zeppole for dessert.
The sliders were INCREDIBLE. The meat was cooked and seasoned well, and the fries were delicious. We ate every last crumb off that plate! The pizza was great. The sauce was just a touch sweet. It has the perfect amount of cheese and sausage. I can't wait to go back to have it again.
And the zeppole....How can you go wrong with fried dough covered in sugar with chocolate sauce!? It was delicious!
We will definitely be back to try some of the other menu items.
Cute place. I like that I can go somewhere a little less formal for decent Italian food. It reminds me of a classy lounge. As for the food... We had the garlic bread, mussels, and white sauce pasta... The white sauce pasta wasn't so good. Mussels were really good and I like how it had that kick of spice.
Also, they should change their menu from clip boards to leather bounded menus or maybe leather clipboard? The cheap paper and cheap clipboard doesn't match the atmosphere at all! Would I come back? Possibly, but I can't rage about it.
As far as pizza goes, THIS IS IT. You want authentic? Check. Steer away from settling for the same old NY style or Chicago style or deep dish or whatever. Go to the real thing, the way it's supposed to be back in Sicily. I can't speak for the rest of Italy, but man these pizzas would make any Sicilian happy.
I had their Campagna di Campofelice and their Salsiccia e Cipolle. Both were exquisite. I couldn't help but get a huge smile on my face when I got them. They were serious about their pizzas.
Granted my review is only based on delivery, but now I have to check them out. Even their delivery guy was suited-up. That's some serious business.
I was here two different occasions and both times the service was horrible!!!! The first time I was there we werent even acknowledged. We sat down and waited more than 20 minutes and there were only five people in the whole place. Â Neither the server nor the bartender said anything or even looked our way. Â So we left and went to Dillingers which had amazing burgers.
The second time I went there because I decided to give them a second chance and we had 50% off drink coupons. Unfortunately it was the same crappy service!!! Â We received menus but after waiting there for more than 15 minutes the server never came back to take our order. So we walked out and went back to Dillingers again and they were very attentive and appreciated our service!!
I am done with this place!!!
I happen to live directly across the street from Bar Forza, so I can usually be found there for a drink at least once a week. Paul, who is one of the owners can always be found here, constantly checking on guests to make sure they are doing okay. Their wine is crazy reasonable, so that's always a plus. Bar Forza is a huge improvement to the crappy establishment, the spread, that was in the space, and I'm thrilled they're in the neighborhood. Oh, and they have a cute outdoor section in front.
Review Source:I usually have a great time here, stopping in before or after heading out. I like their assortment of cocktails--edited and well done, the staff is really very nice and fun to chat with if you are sitting at the bar. I like that we are greeted as familiar, make me feel like you are glad I came will bring me back every time.
My last visit was a little disappointing, my BF ordered a classic cocktail that was not on the menu thinking that drinks on the menu were listed 8-12 dollars. . . bill time that sidecar turned into a 15 dollar drink. . . big surprise on the inconsistency
Bar Forza was definitely an interesting spot for dinner on a Thursday evening-interesting in a good way! Â This would be the absolute perfect place for a girls night out-the TVs were all playing vintage fashion shows! Â My fiancee was a little confused but I thought it was awesome. Â Also, I'm pretty sure they have a requirement that their staff all be models-because our waitress and another that we saw could definitely be walking the runways we were watching!
I tried the White Sangria and it was very good-and only $5....for Lincoln Park, I'll take it! Â For dinner we started with the creamy, crispy on the outside Arancini that were served with a tomato sauce that was to die for! Â We split the sausage and carmelized onion pizza (Salsiccia e Cipolle) and we both wished we had a full one to ourselves! Â From the crust to the sauce to the toppings-it was amazing, it all went together so well!!
The service was a bit slow and they could use an update to their menu (which consists of many sheets of paper clipped to a clipboar) but overall we were totally happy with our experience there and would definitely make a return visit!
My friend and I were in the area, starving. Â and we happened to park right across from Bar Forza, so after checking out a couple other venues next door, and i remember reading about this place, so we decided to check it out...
it was early evening on a week day, so it wasn't packed. But the service was def. slow.
I am not too sure if it was because the evening "just started" so the servers weren't ready (but there were already a couple other tables eating) to serve, I had to go up to the bar to grab the menu...the bar tender didn't even seen to bother serving us...and then it took a while before our waitress came to us for drink orders. She was nice and helpful though.
The food was pretty good for a "bar". We shared the truffle oil pizza with artichoke and runny egg, and the italian meatballs. The tomatoes sauce on the meatballs was pretty fresh, the pizza wasn't as greasy as other truffle oil pizza we had elsewhere. The combination of the meatballs and the pizza was excellent.
I would go back again...hopefully it was just a one off on the service that evening.
I went there with the boyfriend after buying a ridiculously cheap Groupon ($10 for $30 worth of food). The found was extremely good and high quality for a bar, though the ambiance is a bit confusing. Is it a bar or a restaurant? Sports bar or chic spot? All the servers were dressed to the nines, but the exorbitant amount of TVs were a bit distracting. The cocktails are a bit pricey but good, though the bottles of wine are extremely reasonable. A tip- the servings are huge and served family-style. Share a delicious appetizer and entree and you will definitely be drinking on a full belly.
Review Source:Whoaaa, this place blew my mind!!!! Everything and I mean Everything was delicious. Plus, the servers were amazing. The owner is very involved here and it shows.
 We will for sure be back this place is so refreshing in every way. The neighborhood really is going to love this. I recommend the mussels and, omg truffle mac and cheese. To die for!!!
 We also had some amazing drinks unlike I have had before. Melon and tequila drink I believe it actually had melon pulp in it!!!! soo good. I want that recipe :}
 Bar forza just raised the bar!!! awesome awesome awesome
I'll start with the end of the night. I walked out after hugging each and every one of the staff members as well as the owner. Need I say more?
I've been here a couple times with friends and we have ended up sitting at the bar which has been amazing as the bartender, as well as the rest of the staff, are so friendly and welcoming. The bottles of wine are actually fairly cheap, and the food is scrumptious. I've had the rice balls- yum, and the pizza which is very nicely done. If I were you, I would get over there asap before this place blows up the lincoln ave spotlight.
So good, so good.
I feel like I'm going to have to take advantage of this inconspicuous restaurant before people find out about it and it blows up. Â
I went to Forza on a Saturday night a little after 9 pm. Â Upon entering, we were immediately welcomed by the bartender and told to sit wherever we liked. There were only two other occupied tables, so we had a lot of options. Â The place wasn't creepily empty or barren like some of the other reviews mentioned because there were several people at the bar. Â They must be gaining traction. Â The vibe was a little strange with house-type music which I don't dig, but not a deal breaker. Only half of the restaurant is open. Â The other half is blocked off which I think is a good move on their part given they haven't really taken off yet. Â This aides in making it seem more full of patrons. Also, I heard they were going to make that side a wine bar which would be cool.
We first ordered a bottle of wine. Â One of our dining companions wasn't a big fan of wine, so we thought a sweet white might be a good compromise. Â Conveniently, they have about 8 different varieties of Moscato (all were very reasonably priced which was a running theme for their menu). Â I remarked on the extensive Moscato offering and our waitress said they had the most on their wine list than any other restaurant in the city. Â I actually believe her. Â It isn't a wine I would typically order, but given our friends aversion to other varieties, their offering in this department was a perfect match. Â Furthermore, it was a hot night and the sweet, cold spritzer hit the spot and our non-wine drinking fan seemed to enjoy it as well. Â
Based on how often they're each mentioned in previous reviews, we got the arancine (rice balls) and the cozze (mussels) to start. Â They were both delicious, but the mussels were the front runner in my opinion. we then split a pasta dish, carbonara, and a margherita pizza. The carbonara was excellent. The sauce was rich and creamy, but not heavy or overwhelming. The pasta was perfectly cooked which one has a right to expect at an Italian restaurant, but still many muck this up. Not Forza. I didn't actually try the pizza because I filled up on pasta, but it seemed to get good reviews from the table.
I should also mention that the service was great as that is often a sticking point for me. Â She was friendly, not invasive and prompt, but not hovering. Perfect. When she brought the check, I was so pleasantly surprised. Four people managed to drink a bottle of wine and get full bellies of delicious upscale food on a Saturday night in Lincoln Park...for under $70.
We'll be back, Bar Forza. Â Nice work.
Bar Forza is a pseudo-mix of Italian restaurant, cocktail bar, cozy wine spot and sports bar. Â While on the surface that may seem to be an odd mix, it is pulled off really well.
We came here for dinner but drinks really are front and center here (if it wasn't evident from the name). Â The first four pages of the menu are all drinks, in addition to the separate wine list. Â We decided on wine so did not have a chance to try their many custom cocktails, but I was intrigued.
The food is great. Â Our waitress gave us recommendations and we ended up with two appetizers and two dishes (which was more than enough for a party of four). Â The bucatini carbonara was great. Â Very reasonable prices to the point that I'm expecting a price hike once they start becoming busier.
I mentioned the odd mix earlier, it does work but some things could be toned down. Â While I am always appreciative of sports on TV (it was Celtics/Heat game 7 after all) there are probably too many TVs for this small of a space. Â There are five above the bar, five on the opposite wall and another by the kitchen. Â They try for a dimmed/candlelight ambiance but that much TV glow really throws it off. Â
Welcome addition to the neighborhood.
A group of girlfriends and I went here for dinner and drinks. I was a little shocked to hear the head chef of Acqua al Due in Florence, Italy (one of the best restaurants in Florence) was behind this new restaurant in Lincoln Park! The cocktails were amazing- try the Refresco Martini and Mirtillo Martini. We also ordered the arancine (fried risotto balls), Meatballs, and Bucatini Carbonara. Everything was amazing- very authentic and classic Italian. One of the owners came over and talked with us for awhile and made sure everything was perfect. The best part was prices- everything was very reasonable!
The only downside was that the bar seems to be struggling with it's own identity. It can't decide between being a trendy, chic place or being a sports bar- there must have been 15 TV's in that tiny bar. The bathrooms were also painted this extremely strange color of robin's egg blue. Regardless, I think we've finally found our go-to Italian spot in Lincoln Park!
Bar Forza? WOWZA!
Just tried Bar Forza for the first time, and I cannot WAIT to go back. I met a friend for drinks & dinner, and we each started with an AMAZING cocktail- hers was blueberry, mine was a pineapple mojito. We both loved them- perfectly mixed, wonderful flavors, and all-around tasty.
For dinner, we split the most enormous order of truffle fries I've ever seen, and they were stunning. Crisp, flavorful and perfect.
After gorging ourselves on fries, we decided to split a fresh salad with pears. It was a wonderful counterbalance to the fries- great dressing and perfectly ripe pears.
Then, the manager surprised us with two homemade liquors. They were his riff on lemoncello, but came in orange and lime flavors. Orange was my favorite, but they were both great. A wonderful surprise treat!
After the cellos, we'd had just enough to drink to decide it was a good idea to order dessert. Thank goodness we did, because we discovered RIDICULOUSLY GOOD doughnuts. Now, don't go thinking about your typical Dunkin- these were long strips of freshly fried dough covered in sugar, and they came with homemade dipping sauces- a strawberry puree, agave nectar and homemade chocolate sauce. Surprisingly, the strawberry was my favorite (am normally a die-hard chocolate girl), and the agave was a wonderful new treat.
I highly recommend Bar Forza and cannot wait to go back!
I recall when this place The Spread (shudder). Â The Spread sponsored our softball team one year. Â The Spread was terrible. Â I did not return after softball season. Â Because I swore "I am never coming back to this place." Â So I chuckled to myself when I planned a girls night at Bar Forza, formerly The Spread. Â And Bar Forza, even in its soft-open phase, is a vast improvement over its predecessor. Â I sincerely hope that Bar Forza is a success. Â It's a little bit of a fish out of water on its stretch of Lincoln Ave and in some respects tries to fit in to its surroundings, with mixed results. Â For instance, the video screens of fashion shows that followed the NFL draft was interesting but didn't really strike the same tone as the food, which was tasty but not too full of itself.
The service here was great. Â Special compliments to my new friend, Paul, who was a gracious host, although I think that our "girls' night" was disappointingly boring to him. Â It was actually nice when the place started to fill out a little bit around 11:00 because we almost started to feel smothered. Â But we certainly were never waiting long for anything.
We all enjoyed our cocktails. Â I had a more feminine take on a Manhattan, perfect for a chilly Friday night after a long work week. Â My girls had a blueberry martini and a pineapple gin concoction, both of which could be dangerous in a good way.
We tried the truffle fries, rice balls, Kobe sliders and a white pizza with prosciutto and arugula. Â I like med-rare but the sliders were really pink in a couple of spots. Â The rice balls were definitely the favorite. Â We killed the fries and the pizza was light and tasty. Â For dessert we had the ricotta cheesecake with blueberries, which was good if you like the traditional Italian cheesecake, which is less sweet than the cream cheese based version. Â One of my friends was disappointed that it had no crust.
Our whole meal (with 3 cocktails and 2 glasses of wine) was $97 before tax/tip. Â Not bad for a (tame) night out for 3 girls. Â It seems that Bar Forza is still trying to find its identity a bit but it's off to a nice start.
Nestled in a strip of mostly college-catering bars, Bar Forza offers a respite from the traditional bar-food options on Lincoln. Co-owned by an Italian chef and his Aussie counterpart, the ambiance and food reflects the melding of old and world new world tastes. While certain elements of the food (like the sausage, caramelized onion and mozzarella pizza; $7) lean toward rustic Italian, the ambiance is a mix somewhere between a 1920s speakeasy (reflected by the bartender's vest and newsboy hat garb) and modern drinking den (after all, a bright Vespa-looking motorbike is the first thing you notice when walking in).
With only a handful of tables of guests when my date and I arrived on a Friday at 8pm, I worried about Bar Forza's longevity. So begins my campaign to keep it around:
First are foremost: the food. That is, good and extremely affordable food. Most pizzas and appetizers (I recommend the arancini, or rice balls with their deliciously gooey, cheesy center) come in just at or under $10. And despite the price, the portions are big. The pizza was perfectly chewy and crisp at the same time and I adored the slightly sweet sauce. It and one app filled up my date and I. Even with a cocktail each, our bill came in right around $20 each.
Second, Â the place has excellent service. The server was attentive and friendly and pronounced the Italian-named dishes impeccably. The food came out relatively quickly, and one of the owners even stopped by to check on us, which was appreciated.
To be sure, the place isn't perfect. The arancini were only lukewarm and the mozzarella on the pizza a bit rubbery, making for a slightly awkward experience as I tried to cut the cheese and portion it across the slice. And the drinks, while tasty and decently priced in my opinion, fall short of the mixologist-crafted claims made on the menu. My "refresco martini" resembled an overly sweet lemon drop; while it was enjoyable it wasn't the level of cocktailery I was expecting. So many great Italian liquors to choose from (Aperol, limoncello, etc.) and not one featured.
Despite these minor hiccups, the place is somewhere I hope to return to often. It's worth a trip for the great pizza and even more so for the price. You'd be hard priced to find better food in a nicer spot anywhere in Chicago.
I like the restaurant ok, but I wouldn't say that I'm a fan of it.
The ambiance was nice. It can be romantic, though my dinner here wasn't that at all.
I liked our server. She was very attentive, and she even offered to make me a different drink when she realized that I didn't take a liking to the drink she recommended. I hadn't expected something like a mojito when I ordered the Ananas Tropicale, possibly because they already had an item that was based off a mojito. Why would I think they'd have two?
The second drink they gave me tasted better, but I've still had better sour mixes than this so I wasn't too impressed. I did like Kenny O's drink (Bell'Uomo), but I wasn't feeling much like drinking whiskey that night.
I liked the rice balls (Arancine alla Siciliana). Kenny thought it tasted like the Chinese glutinuous rice balls. I only agreed somewhat--it was similar if only because it was ball-shaped. Taste-wise, I was thinking a risotto made into a ball and then fried. It also tasted somewhat more like corn than rice... almost like a cheesier, mushy-ier version of a cornbread. Perhaps it was the sweetness of the flavor. The tomato sauce made it more savory. It was okay.
Next up were the mussels (Cozze Scoppiate). I liked this too. I wasn't blown away. I love tomatoes, but having yet another dish with tomato sauce right after the rice balls was a bit much for me. The sauces were different though. The sauce for this dish was more watery than the one above as that would only make sense. It was good.
Then we had the Bucatini alla Carbonara pasta. I liked this, but the noodles were cut too short which made eating a bit awkward. I don't know about you, but I like to twist and swirl my Italian pasta with my fork. It's part of the fun of eating Italian noodles. In Asian cuisines, we'd slurp (but I'm not good at it).
Then the Crudo con rucola pizza. I actually liked the pizza. Yeah, it was a little plain but it tasted almost exactly as how I imagined it would taste when I read it on the menu. I liked the slightly bitter taste of arugula leaves against the salty proscuitto and the soft mozzarella. The thinly spread halved grape tomatoes gave it just the right burst of sweet and sour. I actually liked that the bread was without sauce because otherwise the sauce would have taken away all these different flavors.
I think my overall dining experience kind of took a turn for the worst after the second dish was presented to us. Then it didn't get better when I had a hard time with the pasta. It only started to redeem itself a little bit with the pizza, but that was hard to separate too. They needed to cut the individual slices better. Most importantly though, I didn't think anything we ordered quite fit together, and that was no fault of the restaurant but ours.
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