From the roasted garlic and bread to the pistachio cannoli...delicious! The interior is romantic (we sat by the fireplace), staff are nice, food is fantastic and you get chocolate covered cherries when your done! The owner was there and very welcoming. Highly recommend this restaurant.
Review Source:We had the chicken parmigiana and the angel hair pasta with marinara sauce, both of which were very good! The bread and roasted garlic was tasty as well. The atmosphere was quiet and quaint. The signature complimentary chocolate covered cherries is a nice touch. The staff was attentive and kind. The prices reasonable. Parking was a pain, but they do have a valet service. All in all a very good experience. I would return.
Review Source:Absolutely one of thee best Italian restaurants, the entire staff is extremely friendly and the food is perfect example of a home cooked italian meal. The place is really small and cozy makes you feel like you're family. The pizza is hands down the best I've ever tried the crust is so mouth watering. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water, definitely not a place to miss
Review Source:This place is very outdated and the food is honestly discusting. Â The only thing I liked was the steamed garlic they provide with the bread. Plates look completely unappealing and taste as they look. Â This restaurant reminds of an Italian restaurant that was on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
Review Source:I enjoy coming here for lunch for several reasons....
1. food is tasty and plentiful
2. service is good....actually VERY good
3. the homemade chocolate covered cherries with cream (OMG YUM!)
As you actually walk down the little gang way to enter the restaurant my friends and I always say we feel like we're gonna get "wacked" like in the mobster movies. It's kinda a creepy feeling but it's also a  joke. No ill intentions here.
As soon as you walk in you feel the comfort of this restaurant. It's a little dated as far as decorations but that's ok I'm not there for the decor.
They have a daily lunch special with tons of options.
Lots of bread before your meal is served.
The owner is usually there and greets people. He and his wife are such nice people.
You gotta try this place out...at least once.
If you want to feel transported, this is the place for you. Ignotz feels like Lost Chicago, a place that existed years ago and was protected from the outside world. You will wonder where the heck you are because this area seems hidden and unusual. It's a pretty cool feeling.
The restaurant is cozy and the service is very good: Â funny and friendly. The food was good enough--maybe a 3-1/2 (but not 4) star experience. We ordered a thin pepperoni and sausage pizza with a side of spinach and gnocci. Everything was tasty but not necessarily spectacular. Wine servings are gigantic so beware if you're driving.
So come for the interesting "where the heck am I?" feeling and for the welcoming atmosphere. Expect good enough food to make the trip worthwhile.
After years - yeah, YEARS - of the boyfriend telling me about this place, we finally got there just before Christmas.
I got us a table while he parked; the server asked if I'd like to sit by the fireplace, as it was cold that night and it was her favorite table. Her kindness lasted throughout the entire night; it has been a LONG while since I've experienced such attentive and just plain nice service.
We got a bottle of wine and enjoyed the bread and roasted garlic (OMG DELICIOUS) before our soup/salad came. I was surprised to hear that they had homemade split-pea soup - not something you usually find at a true, old Italian restaurant - and I like it so I got it. I expected it to taste more flavorful than it did, but I finished the cup, just the same.
My guy got a fish special and I got a pasta and red sauce special. Their sauce was quite spicy; more spicy than I liked, but it was correctly made; just not to my taste. The man loved his fish, which was light and tasty.
We got the tiramisu for dessert, which was the one thing which was really, really bad. It was big enough to share, which was great, but our server told us it had just come from the freezer (?) and she had nuked it for a few minutes on low to try to soften it up. So needless to say, the temp and texture was pretty sad. Unfortunately - and this may be because it was frozen and then re-heated - the taste was bland and sort of "off". Pity too, as tiramisu is my guy's favorite.
Nevertheless, the service was outstanding and we will come back another night to take another stab at the food.
After a long day of work and a small lunch I thought how about Italian food for dinner since it is always rich and filling - in my mind enters Ignotz. I have to admit I haven't been here in over a year, but moving back to the city has made it easier for me to revisit restaurants.
Ignotz reminds me of my grandma's house. There are pictures everywhere with mismatched frames. Tables are squeezed in just like at Grandma's when everyone decided to show up on the same day to visit.
We headed out here on a Thursday night and it wasn't crowded at all. We were greeted and seated right away. Â We ordered the plum tomatoes and mozzarella as an appetizer. Â They bring out roasted garlic and bread right away which is a plus for a starving patron.
I ordered the Lasagna and my husband ordered chicken in a creamy pesto sauce. Our plates came out hot and our food was even hotter. It was great to know that our plate did not sit around for a long time. My lasagna was a sausage lasagna and it was heavenly. The sausage was not too spicy and it has the right amount of sauce and cheese. It was extremely filling that I only ate half and saved the rest for lunch.
After dinner we had dessert. My husband had the Italian Ice and I had the cannoli. Â My cannoli was filled with sweet cheese and tiny bits of dark chocolate. Pistachios were on each side of the cannoli. Delicious!!
This is the best Italian restaurant on the South Side.
The owner is pretty nice.
The waitresses are great.
The food is magnificent.
No wonder why they were on check please, because the food is absolutely incredible. This restaurant is highly recommended. You will NOT be disappointed. At the end of the meal, be sure to treat yourself to a Canoli. It IS the best!
I love this place.
My best friend turned me onto this place back in college (yay Loyola). I at first was hesitant because of the distance from Rogers Park to here (I was still new to the city..) but I trusted his opinion since he was from the area originally.
The restaurant is tucked away from the hustle of the city and the atmosphere can lend itself to a gathering of friends sharing old stories or a lovely night out with your loved one. The staff is charming and attentive and the food is excellent. Of all the times I've been here, I've never had an unpleasant experience and I'm looking forward to the next time I can share this place, especially with someone I love.
I absolutely positively mucho LOVE this place. I suggest making a reservation for a couple reasons. One, they do get busy on weekends, and two, when you arrive and announce your reservation, they sorta make a big deal out of it, I mean truly act like they are expecting you and HAPPY to see you! Eating here is like eating at a friends house...a friend who knows how to KICK ASS in the kitchen!
Roasted garlic to die for, crisp fresh salads, classic pasta dishes, thee best desserts. The service is homespun and well done. The owner will drop by your table, clear dishes, and thank you for coming, a lost art!
This place is a Chicago original and an Italian gem! Viva la Ignatz!
Great minnestroni, roasted garlic. Lisa was our waitress. I had chicken a la tippi. Veal parmesan .
Ok this is an old school small cramped Italian restaurant. I do recommend reservations due t the size of the place. We started off with bread olive oil and roasted garlic..mmm I think there was parmesan too. The minestrone soup was delicious as well as the sausage. I ordered Chicken al la tippi. It was so tender and thinly pounded with a light egg and parmesan on it covered in a lemon herb sauce. It was delightful! Tried my Mothers Veal Parmesan and another delight! The ricotta Gnocchi were ok...I am very particular about my Gnocchi, it was not bad in any sense, just not for me. I forgot what my hubby had, but he did like it. Tiramisu and some chocolate dessert ice cream thing was delicious. We will be back!
I thought this place was wonderful. Â My boyfriend suggested we come here as it's walking disance from his house in Pilsen. Â It's a small, simple, neighborhoody Italian restaurant. Â
One of my favorite things about Italian restaurants is when they give you bread, olive oil, and parmesean cheese to start with. Â Well not only do you get all three at Ignotz, they also give you an entire head of roasted garlic, yum! Â
For an appetizer we had Mussels in garlic and white wine. Â They were absolutely delicious. Â For the price you definitely get a nice portion size, and also we're talking good-sized mussles, not those little tiny ones. Â These were meaty!
For my entree i had the layered Eggplant/Chicken Parmesean special. Â I just want to say i'm pretty picky about eggplant parmesean and to me it's the definitive test of quality for any Italian restaurant. Â Ignotz's was perfect. Â The eggplant was delicately fried, not too crispy, but not mushy. Â The chicken was tender and juicy as well. Â
For dessert we had Chocolate Tartulfo. Â I'm not usually big on desserts, but it was delectable, and came with chocolate-covered cherries.
Service was pretty good overall too, and everyone was very nice. Â This is my new favorite Italian restaurant. I mean, who would turn down free roasted garlic anyway?!
Theres one thing that ruined this whole experience. A server.... and she wasnt even our server. She was maybe in her mid 40's or 50's and family of the owner? i think..... (who is SUPER nice). Anyways, my Mom and I came in a 4:30 for dinner and she said..... hi do you have a reservation? We replied "no". And she turned to another girl and said "Oh we have another 2 without a reservation" in an irritated voice. I'm sorry Ive never been here before lady, we just spent $20 for a cab to come all the way here for our first time and you act like we are such a hassle when only 1/4 of the restaurant is full.
Anyways, she put us at the table right next to the kitchen. Then this guy brought out fresh baked bread with a roasted garlic clove. MMMMMMMMMM............ so good. My side salad was... um..... iceburg lettuce with 3 spoon fulls of creamy garlic dressing  thrown on top. Wayyyy to much and looked messy like they were in a hurry. My entree of chicken parmigiana was really good. I think Ive had better but it was good nonetheless.  Then they give you a chocolate covered cherry with your bill which was a nice surprise.
Meanwhile through the whole dinner I heard this same lady spat about "its a really big pet peeve of mine when all of these menus are over here like this" and yada yada yada (she was training a girl that night). Point of the story was, she was loud enough where customers heard her talk about things they shouldn't have. Working in the restaurant business, I know this.
Decided to venture into Little Italy for dinner with my boyfriend and a friend that was visiting. Â Luckily we made reservations earlier in the afternoon and avoided a 45 minute wait. Â We still had to wait for our table to be cleared and were ushered to the bar. Â Bartender was friendly; however, they were out of stock of several basic staple liquors (e.g. Grey Goose, Kettle One, Johnny Black label, etc.).
Our waitress was attentive and took our orders promptly. Â Fresh bread sticks and roasted garlic were excellent. Â Our appetizer arrived in a timely manner, but our entrees took over an hour! Â Not sure if this is the norm because our waitress didn't mention anything about it. Â I ordered Veal Saltimbocca which was mediocre, my bf ordered the Frutti del Mare which was much better. Â The meal ended with a complimentary sweet treat... a chocolate covered cherry w/ whipped cream. :)
Overall nice experience, cozy atmosphere, and friendly staff (the owner even came by the table to say hello).  But in all  honestly, we probably won't go back anytime soon.
Two words: Â entirely lovely! Â
From the attentive staff, to the charming atmosphere, to the yummy pasta, cheap wine, and delicious desserts, i know you will love ignotz. Â We found easy parking in the neighborhood, which is mostly mexican except for the charming block of italian restaurants thrown in. Â You really get a sense of local flavor dining here, but with delicious food to back up the ambience. Â I had the stuffed gnocchi with vodka sauce and my husband had the baked lasagna. Â both were excellent. Â dessert was chocolate tartufo and canoli, both served with the signature chocolate covered cherries. Â i really found nothing lacking, which is saying a lot for me! Â
go to this restaurant, take some friends, and feel like you've taken a vacation in your own city!
I could write a review that lasts for days! Â Let me start with saying that i've never had a bad experience here, even though i've been trying to keep this as my little secret by not reviewing it on Yelp. Â This review is long over due though!
To start, i'll agree with other Yelpers that the roasted garlic and fresh hot bread is a great way to start off a meal! Â The homemade balsamic vinaigrette on their house salad is phenomenal. Â I would serve this dressing with every meal if I knew how!
Hands down, the best dish is either the Fruita de Mari or Cheese Stuffed Gnocchi. Â I lovingly refer to the Gnocchi as "Cheese Pillows" because they melt in your mouth. Â I've you have awhile to sit and enjoy a glass of wine, order the cacciatore...it takes 45 minutes, but it's also immensely enjoyable and falls right off the bone. Â
Thinking about it, i've ordered almost everything on the menu after discovering this place about a year ago. Â Can't go wrong anywhere...and everyone I bring here raves about how homey and delicious it is. Â I often recommend the place to people visiting or strangers who ask for a recommendation...and always get props on the good choice!
After dinner, try the fresh tiramisu and you'll be over the moon. Â Of course, if you're like me, you won't have room from stuffing yourself full of bread, garlic, salad and pasta! Â But...good news, they bring you dark chocolate covered cherries at the end of the meal so it's almost like a free dessert!
PS- Â Make sure you check out the discounted gift certificate you can buy on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a>. Â I buy a couple of these at a time and make sure i've always got one in my pocket when we come!
I heard mumblings the other day about the real Little Italy of Chicago not residing on Taylor by Jimmy Johns but rather only a good long jump's away from my house on Oakley and 24th.
So I checked it out, its only about a block in size but kinda neat nonetheless.
So on to Ignotz. We ate there for lunch and shared a Fried Calamari for an appetizer while I had the Spinach and Riccoto Gnocchi in a pesto sauce which came with a cup of minestrone.
I didn't care for the calamari too much, the breading was lite and too soft and the calamari itself too thick. Not ready to say it was bad, just didn't suit my tastes.
The minestrone was great as was the bread served with the meal. Didn't dig the breadsticks though, seemed a little too yeasty.
My gnocchi was pretty good. It was lite and sweet with just the right about of cheese and spinach. I'm not a huge fan of pesto though for some reason I was compelled to try it here.
All in all, I didn't order dishes that I am accustomed to having and know I like when I eat Italian. That may be the reason I wasn't huge on this place. I will say that everything tasted like they use good quality and FRESH ingredients which I appreciated.
I definitely plan on giving it another shot, the service was warm and excellent by the way for those whom that is a big consideration.
A perfect end to a great day. We were treated to a day at the ball park by a couple of friends and after the game they took us to this fantastic gem of a restaurant. Tucked away in a small storefront, this place would be easy to miss -- look for the elderly Italian guys sitting out on the bench and ask them where Ignotz's is if you miss the door.
The wine list was great, but I'd had enough bad beer at the ball park... Had the special Chicken Arabbiata and it was very good. My wife had Chicken Rigatoni (I think), another plate on the special list. It was also excellent. What we liked best was the bravado the chef showed in putting a sauce on the pasta that was very light, almost watery, but chock full of flavor and a perfect topping for the pasta. Tremendous.
The bread was great, the salads okay (creamy garlic was, well creamy garlic). The chocolate cherries were a great taste after eating... I'd come back in a heartbeat and I'd love to try the fish -- the fried calamari looked - and smelled -- EXCELLENT!
As far as ambiance goes, it's a small room (beautifully redone), very clean, excellent bar to wait for a table. It does get loud, especially with a few large tables.
All in all -- a keeper!
Tip: There's a lot of garlic going on in this place, so throw caution to the wind if you bring a first date here!
Finding a restaurant completely full at 6:00 PM is a good indicator of the quality of their food... or at least their value for money. Â Ignotz was packed when we got there on a rainy evening. Â While we awaited a table the bartender entertained us by letting us sample some of her new collection of wine. Â I am still kicking myself for forgetting to take down the name of the Amarone. Â
Soon after we were seated, a clove of roasted garlic, olive oil and bread appeared on our table. Â The combination proved to be a delicious appetizer and was instantly devoured.
The Ignotz menu was packed with a multitude of traditional Italian dishes. Â For the main course I settled on the Frutti di Mare. Â My expectations were low having been disappointed several times by the quality of the dish typically served in the US. Â However, the Ignotz version of the seafood pasta could easily go up against any I tasted in Europe. Â It was perfectly flavored and contained generous portions of clams, mussels and shrimp. Â
The atmosphere at Ignotz was cozy and comfortable. Â The restaurant exuded the charm of a family establishment with personal touches like Roger, the owner, making his rounds. Â I don't know too many other places that would hire a bartender just because she used to frequent the restaurant.
I had no idea that this little strip of road contained so many little Italian places! Â Really cool and unexpected. Â Its basically Pilsen but no Mexican-ness....
We got their pretty late, like 9. So they were out of a few things. Â Including the stuffed gnocchi, boo! Â
I got the Chicken Tippi and it was really yummy. Â
The roasted garlic was awesome too, we made a little mash with parm and olive oil....Scrumptious!
Gotta go back.
Yum-o...
I had been to Ignotz years ago and had forgotten about it  'til we found it again on Yelp.
What a great spot, quaint, little side entrance tucked away in this great little Italian neighborhood!!
Perfect for a date or dinner with the family.
Ignotz is great from start to finish with a full bar, great roasted garlic&bread to start and all of the Italian treats you crave...The owner even shared his tips for roasting the tasty little bulbs...
Our food was great. You MUST try the stuffed Gnocchi, seriously!!!
Our nice waitress recommended it paired with the Vodka sauce& it was perfection!!
We will go back for sure!
Since I was not born into an Italian family, I have to seek that kind of love out at places like Ignotz. You know, where the owner comes over and shakes your hand, the breadsticks warm your soul and the lasagna melts your heart? Yes, that kind of love.
While the service wasn't fast, it was definitely friendly and our waitress went way out of her way for us, making fresh pots of coffee at the end of the night and coming back to our table twice just to ensure I got the meal I wanted. (She thought they were out of lasagna, and hooray!, they had one slice left.)
We ordered a special appetizer, the stuffed artichoke. Who knew artichoke could be even more delicious, layered with mozzarella, Parmesan and breadcrumbs? Â Even the salad seemed sinful. If you're not one for loads of dressing, you may want to ask for it on the side. For me, the slathered crisp greens were perfect.
Best of all was my lasagna, which for only $9.50 is a serious dish. Delicious pasta and just the right combo of sauce and cheese. The boyfriend ordered the veal (about $22), which he thought was good but he regretted not ordering a full pasta dish. (Although the entrees, like his veal, do come with a side of pasta and marina or meat sauce.)
No room for dessert this time, but the other tables' sweets looked scrumptious. No doubt I'll bring the parents here next time they're in town and probably gorge on tiramisu. Mm...
I have driven down Cermak many, many times since moving to Chicago, however, I have never made a left down Oakley. I'm glad we did this past Sunday evening. Driving a few blocks south from that turn I felt like we where transported into a bizarro Little Italy World, unlike the other two in Chicago and some what more "real". Sort of like Michael on Arrested Development and the OCs "Wee Britain". Part of this little enclave is Ignotz.
Most quality Italian places are closed on Sunday, thankfully this one is not. The space is jam packed, hence having to walk up a little alley way to get to the front/side door to enter. The dining room is cozy and they have a decent size "galley" bar if you have to wait. It looks like every inch of space is utilized here, I'm glad I don't work in the kitchen at this spot.
The menu skews towards higher end Italian with several veal and steak options but they also have pizza and some reasonably priced pasta options, as well. So although you can easily drop some serious coin, it is also possible for 2 people to eat for around $30 with no wine or booze. We like to try a bunch of things, especially at new places, so we spread ourselves out over an antipasto, soup, snasauge pizza and gnocchi. All of which was excellent. Especially the pizza, some of the best we have had so far in Chicago. Gnocchi was amazing too, like little potato pillows. Next time we go back we are definitely getting something with pesto, which is hard to find done right but this place looks like they know what they are doing. The mussels another table got looked awesome but there is always next time.
Service was o.k. at first, the lady was running 6 tables with two just arriving as we did and one being a large party so it was acceptable. She didn't go over the specials with us like her Calvary did on other tables later in the evening but whatever. Other then that she did a great job and the bus girl was really on point. Both the service and their lovely southside charm added to the experience.
We finished things off with some tarimusi and some spumoni, both were great and almost worth going just for that.
Ignotz, Allll Righttt.
RrL
On a day of all days in Chicago---after braving 5 gazillion miles per hour freezing winds, taking my visiting parents to the dog show and trader joe's, they decided on a saturday evening at 5pm that they wanted italian. Â We are dressed in jeans, toting my sister and her 18 month old baby, and I am thinking...great, let's see what good ol' yelp can recommend. Â I was thinking casual Italian south loop or lower and what I found was Ignotz.
We walked in at 5pm to a fairly empty restaurant preparing for the Saturday night dinner crowd to be in shortly. Â They sat us right away with no reservation. (thank you!)
My dad, a clear and ardent lover of carbs, ordered bread, bread and more bread. Â The bread you get is wonderful...fresh baked and the breadsticks are delicious...come with a side of roasted garlic. Â My dad ordered the cheese bread and the bruschetta. Â Not my choice, but to go on....the bruschetta was good but spicy with garlic. Â Kickin' breath. Â And the cheese bread was what it was.
We all got Caesar salads. Â The dressing was tangy but good...croutons were very good. Â For dinner....the table ordered spaghetti, soup, meatballs, sausage, fettucine alfredo, and the stuffed gnocchi with vodka sauce. Â The red sauce was very fresh tasting...a good solid spag plate. Â Meatballs were good..with each order you get two, same goes for the sausage. Â The fettucine alfredo which is not a fave of mine, was good, not overwhelmingly rich and had a nice flavor. Â The stuffed gnocchi were sinfully good and sooooooo filling. Â I took 2/3 of it home...and ate it the next day and it was even better. Â The vodka sauce was really nice.
All in all, I like Ignotz quite a bit. Â Charming little space, $7 valet and very decently priced pasta plates. Â I would go again for sure!
I love Ignotz!
It is walking distance to my house and they have PERFECT breadsticks - crispy, toasted and hot. Â YUMMMM.
I need to remember to leave space for the pizza because that is the main reason I come here. Â The thin crust is perfectly crunchy and the toppings are always fresh and in the right proportion to each other.
Last time I was here my friend ordered the stuffed gnocchi and I have been dreaming about it since I ate some off her plate. Â They were puffy and firm to the bite until you pressed your teeth in a little bit harder and then felt all the cheese and the cream and the garlic ooze out. Â
Oh, I might just go to Ignotz for dinner tonight!
This is just a great, neighborhood Italian place, from the murals on the walls, to the owner working the tables, to the checkerboard tablecloths.
The service is great. The servers are fast, attentive, and friendly - taking time, even though busy, to talk with all the customers, joke around, and make everyone feel welcome. The owner made a stop by all the tables to introduce himself and make sure everything was good, and he came up again as we were leaving to ensure that the rest of the meal was good (and it was).
The food was even better than I thought it was going to be. The pasta I had -stuffed gnocchi in pesto - was fresh and wonderfully perfect. The other items were great and the kitchen was good enough to accommodate a little modification of one dish. Fresh crusty bread, olive oil, and roasted garlic start each meal, and they have a small wine list to go along with the food.
Quite a nice little find, and one that shouldn't be missed.
This is the prettiest of the Oakley Street restaurants. From the little walkway into Ignotz to the cozy little fireplace, Ignotz is homey and warm. There is a dark, warm mural on one wall and windows draped in grape vines and grapes. The staff nice, smiling and attentive.
That said, the food was a disappointment. The Montepulciano special was sold out so I ordered a nice Chianti. At $8 a glass, it was a generous glass of wine. I loved the roasted garlic served with the crisp bread. The thick, warm bread stick was very nice. I started with the house salad reasonably priced at $3. Sadly, it was simply head lettuce served as large pieces with carrots, onions and a Kalamata olive. The house Italian dressing was oily, not olive, probably vegetable.
The capellini with fresh tomato and basil was cooked al dente. However, the sauce had an odd, tinned taste. It had small chunks of onion and would have been more pleasant had it had a sweeter flavor.
The dessert menu is small and uninspired The typical tiramisu, spumoni and cannoli did not appeal. A tiny, tiny espresso was okay. Â Just... tiny.
I asked my server to take it slow. With that request, my salad (way too cold and obviously pre-made) was brought to the table immediately. I was only half way through it when my entree arrived.
Ignotz is a lovely setting and I wondered if there was an outdoor garden. It deserves another try for the atmosphere alone. Hopefully the food will be better the second time around.
So, this is a like a little mini-trip to old school Italian Chicago! This tiny strip houses what...like 5-6 great little Italian gems? Interesting little ethnic dining pocket...this is why I love Chicago.
So I had my little <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> dining certificate (80 percent off special meant I got a $25 discount for just $2! Regularly $10...register and check it out, they contribute wonderfully to my champagne life, beer budget lifestyle). On a recent Sunday take-out was in order...and after confirming the GC was good for takeout, we blitzed the menu and came up with a smattering of desires...
Rang the order in, it was ready in 25 minutes...score! Ran into pick up, and was dreamily wishing I was not decked out in yoga pants and a stocking cap. Sigh, oh well...pick up and run! Bartender set me up with my order, was very nice, and I was on my way...
Bruschetta: good, but super garlicky! A big soggy.
Fried Broccoli: limp/soggy
Mushroom Soup (soup du jour): thick. very thick
Chicken a la Tippi: watery, no mushrooms, as stated!
Vodka Rigatone: cold, and not enough sauce. No pancetta, as stated!
Ceasar Salad: just lettuce, no croutons!
GASP, they forgot my Diet Coke. OH, the humanity!
Anyway, got everything back...and, hmmmm. Just seemed a bit...lackluster. I was just expecting "wow," and this left me with a bit of disappointment. Everything was very adequate, and it was mostly finished in its entirety...however, it could have been better.
I do honestly think this would be much better as a dine-in experience, so I will be hauling myself BACK to <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> for another GC soon, and then slipping back into the small alleyway entrance for a do-over...
Total with tip, tax, delivery, etc was still $30. Hmmmm, just not quite up to snuff just yet, but I'd be willing to give it another shot down the line...really dig the little 'hood.
Valet for $7 is available.
After 5 months of eating take out from Ignotz, we decided to switch things up and dine in last night. Roger, the owner, is a family friend of my boyfriend's and as always greeted us with smiles, handshakes, and a genuine inquiry about our well being and the well being of my boyfriend's family.
In arriving at 8:30 on a Friday night, we were well prepared to wait for a table in the tiny dining room. There was a larger table set, but nothing small enough to accommodate our party of 3. After greeting us, Roger surveyed the room, and took it upon himself to break down the larger settings to prevent us from waiting.
When I finally got a chance to survey the menu, the choices were overwhelming. I was craving Caprese, but I love the Italian beef pizza (see my earlier review) and I wanted to sample a few of their pasta dishes. Unfortunately I wasn't alone, and the three of us decided to go family style with Caprese bruschetta and a medium Italian beef pizza to start and two entrees to share.
 The Caprese bruschetta wasn't what I expected (it was a nightly special so the full out detail was not on the menu) or craved, but it was delicious. The tomatoes were so tangy that even my raw tomato hating boyfriend enjoyed a few pieces. It even passed the next day oven reheating test with flying colors.The Italian beef pizza was once again a party in my mouth. Knowing that we had more food to come, I only had two squares, but it was every good as I remembered... from last week... and the week before.
 For the entrees, my boyfriend and I split portobello ravioli with sliced chicken in pesto cream and our friend opted the Veal Alexis. Finally, after months of anticipation, I can finally say that the other dishes at Ignotz hold a candle to their pizza. Everything I tried was just damn good. My words alone really cannot do this place justice.
 I love Italian food. My boyfriend comes from a large family of Italian immigrants and they make some of the most deliciously authentic dishes that I've ever tasted. Even though they are all located in the northern burbs, when they want to go to an Italian restaurant, they come all the way down to Ignotz. Good food is always a plus, and while everything here has been fantastic, the service is far above and beyond any place I've ever visited. It's seriously worth a try. You'll thank me.
Liked it a lot. Â Went with my brother and sat at the raised bar area to the right of the smallish packed dining room. Â Very much felt the family orientation of the place upon entering. Â We had baked clams, a pizza, and a few beers. Â I can't remember her name but the elderly woman who was our bartender called us 'honey' and 'sweetie.'
The owner sat two seats to my right and was chatting us up. Â He was telling us about a pizza he came up with that sounded like a reincarnation of a philly cheese steak and that we were to try it next time we came in. Â Wasn't my very favorite pizza (more a fan of the thinner crust i.e. Vito and Nick's with spicier sauce) but excellent for what it was.
More than anything you just sort of know when you're in a place that makes you feel completely welcome, at home, taken care of and that you're business is more than appreciated. Â That combined with (on an individual basis) the right lighting, beer list, bar set-up, menu, and the company you're with can make for a perfect few hours on this earth. Â For me, in the late afternoon on a Saturday just before the dinner rush this place had all of it.
A little hidden piece of Italy. Â Yep. Â That's what Ignotz is. Â As you walk between the two buildings to the entrance hidden on the side, you wonder what garlic "delicious-ness" waits for you inside.
We were greeted by a friendly woman who quickly showed us to a great table in the front of the place by the open window. Â Within minutes, a baked head of garlic, and warm crunchy bread were on our table. Â Mmmmm . . .we were in garlic heaven.
As we drank our beers and perused the menu- I stole a look around. Â Quaint, and cozy were the two words that came to mind. Â There is nothing fancy here. Â Just real people enjoying some great Italian food.
While the menu is extensive, our server was quick to point out that if there was something that we wanted that we didn't see- they'd be happy to make it for us. Â Now that's service!
So my friend took them up on the offer ordering fettucine carbonara while I had the rigatoni special of the day which came with spicy sausage and mushrooms. Â Both were delicious but the rigatoni was the winner in my book- due to the explosion of flavors in the dish.
While we waited for our entrees, we had a couple of appetizers, the bruschetta and the mussels in marinara sauce. Â The bruschetta was delicious- toasted garlic bread with a mound of fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic ready for us to spread on to the bread. Â The mussels were equally as good and there was lots of bread to sop up the sauce that remained
Finally- for dessert we split a homemade tiramasu which was amazing (lots of runny marscopone cheese) and came with the signature frozen chocolate covered cherries.
A great little neighborhood spot that I wish was in my neighborhood. Â But definitely worth the trip to this side of town.
Yum! Â I went here for lunch today and thought it was delicious! Â The price I paid for lunch is more than I would normally spend. I ordered the Joannie Rigatoni with tomato sauce and GIANT scallops (4 of them!). Â It was $13.95 and came with a soup - a pretty good deal since the portion was quite hearty.
My coworkers order the seafood caesar salad which looked amazing. I'm going to have to have that next time but it was cold in the restaurant and I wanted something warm to eat.
I'd definitely go back!
The roasted garlic is to die for!
Mix it with a little bit of olive oil, and spread it generously on the bread!
I can eat a whole head of garlic by myself!
Food is always good and consistent.
Gnocchi is delicious!
They always have daily specials, so the menu gets even bigger.
At our most recent visit, Roger, the owner offered our table of 5 a round of drinks, and we all went with an after dinner port. Â He's very friendly, and makes you feel very welcome. Â
The chocolate covered maraschino cherries are also a nice touch at the end of the meal.
Oh, I love the little hidden Italian neighborhood! And this place is the gem in it.
 If you want to take someone special somewhere special, go here. It is unique, homey,  romantic and the food is AWESOME.
  If you want even more privacy, go on an "off" night (not the weekend). It is on my list of  "places you go when you definitely don't want to run into anyone else you know".
 Be really hungry, because you will be desperately seeking pants removal afterwards. Mmmm, gnocchi. Great wine, great service as well. Cute neighbohood to take a spin through on a Sunday as well.
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