Another local haunt we used to visit frequently many years ago. Â Tried it again after a friend raved about his usual meal. Â A long time ago it was french fried zucchini, antipasto salad, ravioli or one of the veal dishes. Â Still pretty decent and worth another visit. Â Nothing really changed but the cook bought the business awhile back. Â Wait staff is accomodating and very real, neighborhood type not pretentious.
Opened with Pieroni beer, boy was that reasonably priced! Â Had the antipasto salad and it was exactly the same taste and quality (iceberg lettuce, gorgonzola cheese, salami, mortadella, parmesean chesse, pitted olives, pepperocini, vinegar, oil and spices). Â It met my expectations except they could have at least used romaine instead of an ordinary iceberg. Â Had the homemade veal ravioli with marinara sauce (they were always willing to accomodate a change). Â Again the very same taste and quality. Â Really nice spiced marinara, finely diced veal but the dough was a little thick, nonetheless still good.
Menu on the wall (still has Pasta Roger on it ... forgot what that was) willing to take some minor risks. Â Ambiance is hardwood floors, tablecloths and stucco walls. Â It wasn't busy in there for a Friday night but I imagine it could be loud. Â I've taken dates there but wouldn't consider it romantic, but it's a nice old school neighborhood restaurant.
Again worth resuming take out and another visit .. stay tuned to see if I can raise that rating.
Simply the best authentic Northern Italian food in Chicago! (unless your mom makes it) We have been dining here for over 25 yrs. finally decided to write a review. Its truly good homemade food and a great dining experience! If you dont see it on the menu, ask they will make it. The antipasto salad is awesome. Try one of the appetizers on the special board always good and made daily. if you are still hungry, the homemade ravioli in meat sauce is incredible! By far one of the best!! We frequent at least once a month and have never been disappointed!! The staff is  always warm & gracious!
As for the negative reviews? The neighborhood is old school Chicago its not the "gold coast" get out of your shell!!
When a menu says "meat sauce" and it has meat, well then thats what it should have!!! Â
If you want tomato sauce try a sicilian restaurant.
Im sure the negative diners must  think  the "olive gardens" institutional processed frozen entrees are "authentic old school Italian" and probably give BK's chicken parm sandwich 5 stars!!!
This place is old school Italian neighborhood, food, and atmosphere!! Simply awesome!!
Horrible! Didn't think it was possible to mess up Italian food, but they did it. Pasta had gross meat/tomato sauce. My friend is a vegetarian and had to reorder once she ordered her dish. The menu did not say anything about meat. The neighborhood is sketchy. Only people in the restaurant seemed to be lost tourist, like us. We had the hardest time getting a cab and once we did, the cab got lost (we should have gotten the clue then). We asked the waiter to call a cab 45 mins before us leaving but ending up waiting for 30 minutes after our meal. Save your money and skip this place!
Review Source:Old school Italian restaurant. Â Food was very good with the lobster ravioli being exceptional as was the beefsteak tomato/onion/blue cheese crumbles salad.
Waiter was old school Italian and extremely good. Â Atmosphere is like eating on the set of The Godfather.
Only drawback was the location. Â While the restaurant itself is very safe, the surrounding area is a bit sketchy.
My boyfriend and I drove past this place on our way to another restaurant. We decided to turn back because traffic was horrid and we were really hungry. We decided to try this place out since it looked really nice on the outside. On the inside the ambiance is perfect, not too dark not too bright and luckily not to crowded! We were seated immediately and had Rose as our waitress. She was great, very attentive and gave us some good recommendations. I had the salmon which was delicious, my boyfriend had the steak which was also delicious. I am not too knowledgeable when it comes to wine and Rose recommended one of her favorites. Not only is she a doll, but she's got great taste buds as well!
Overall our experience was a great one. We will definitely have to go back to try the dish the woman next to us was having. She kept raving about it so much I felt like I was watching Meg Ryan's scene from When Harry meet Sally!
I really was looking forward to this restaurant after reading the stellar reviews on here. Â Unfortunately, my experience was mixed.
On the plus side: The restaurant decor is charming, especially the front room/bar area. The drinks were generous pours. The salad and bread were good. Â The proveletta and roasted red peppers appetizer was good, although very rich. The veal ravioli, by itself, was good and had a nice flavor. The male bartender that waited on us was friendly and efficient.
Now, the bad:  The meat sauce that came with the ravioli was hardly a sauce at all, more like  crumbled ground beef, had very little tomato flavor and detracted from the veal ravioli.  I honestly do not understand the comments on here praising their meat sauce (mine is much better, and I am not Italian). The spaghetti with vodka sauce that my fiance ordered was ok, but nothing special. The "Chicago cut" pork chop that I ordered was a beautiful 2" thick piece of meat, but it was overcooked and dry. For $24, I felt that I had a right to expect a properly cooked, moist pork chop, not a dried out chop that I would have had to force down.  I could not eat it, and when I politely complained, I had a difficult time getting them to take it off our bill. They finally relented, but the female owner (I think) acted as if I committed a grave insult and/or was trying to pull a fast one (I had 1 bite of the chop only).  I am in my 50's and am not in the habit of going to restaurants and complaining. The chop was not edible, and I certainly didn't need nor appreciate the bad attitude displayed by the owner.
Overall, based on others' reviews, it seems that there are likely a number of good dishes at Il Vicinato, but if I was to return, I would avoid the meat sauce and try some of the other dishes such as chicken/veal parmesan etc. Unfortunately, because of the way that the owner handled my complaint over the dried out pork chop, I am not inclined to return. Â While I enjoyed the ambiance of Il Vicinato, there are a number of other Italian restaurants in Chicago that are at least as good or better, who perhaps have a better attitude toward customer service and satisfaction. I understand that any restaurant can overcook a piece of meat, but when that happens, the restaurant should deal with that situation in a professional manner with the paramount goal of satisfying the customer so that he will come back in the future. That did not happen here.
My husband and I went to Il Vicinato last night, and had a great experience! Â We loved that the restaurant is tucked into a cute little neighborhood, where the old/authentic Little Italy is :) Â The restaurant had the neighborhood feel as well. Â Our server Ben was great! Â Very knowledgeable about the food and very nice. Â Our busboy Philippe was awesome as well. Â I asked if they had any candles bc there were a few flies outside and he said they don't, but did some searching in the back and came out with a votive inside a water glass with some water in it. Â He also brought us a special little treat from the kitchen that we didn't ask for - some charred jalapenos to eat with the bread and olive oil, which we had never had before. Â The food was all excellent, as was the wine! Â And the price point is good. Â We left incredibly full and happy!
Review Source:Want an delicious, authentic  old world italian meal that will meet every expectation?  You must go to Il Vincinato's.  The drinks are well made and the wine was nice too.  We love the pizza bread and fried zucchini appetizers.  The service was great, it wasn't that busy and we were able to have a nice leisurely meal without being rushed. We ordered the homemade veal ravioli with meat sauce. Soooo good!  This is a neighborhood place that has not changed for 25 years.  Oh, don't forget to leave room for a cannoli or the tiramisu, we ordered both, best cannoli I've ever had. We enjoyed an excellent meal at Il Vincianto's.
Review Source:This was my first visit to Il Vicinato, but it came highly recommended from some friends. Â
I went on a Friday night with my mom, I made reservations thru Open Table, but we didn't need them since it was still pretty empty when we arrived at 7pm. Â
We were greeted and seated very quickly. Â The waiter that first came by was quick to check on us for our wine selection, but failed to tell us about the specials for the evening. Â Since their specials board is up on the wall near the ceiling, we didn't even notice it until our waitress was taking our order. Â We started with the minestrone soup which was delicious, then we had the bruschetta, GREAT! Â As mentioned by other Yelpers, the girl who brought out our bread and water was completely stone faced and looked as if she hated to be there..... Â That being said, I had the veal ravioli, which tasted fantastic, my mom had the half and half spaghetti and veal ravioli, she loved it. Â
Now we get to dessert, our waitress highly recommended the Homemade Tiramisu, which was absolutely fantastic!!!! Â Delicious, creamy, but not overwhelmingly sweet. Â
Overall, nice atmosphere, but can get noisy; great waitstaff, very attentive and pleasant; fantastic food, and all for a good price.
I will be back to work my way thru their menu!
I came here with a friend for lunch. First things first- while this restaurant is in a random location, let's remember the pluses. Parking was very easy and I didn't bother with a reservation.
My girlfriend and I started with a plate of calamari for our appetizer. It wasn't on the menu, but the waiter was nice enough to let us know that the kitchen could whip up pretty much anything off the dinner appetizer menu. While waiting for that to come out, we gorged ourselves on the bread and olive oil, which was very fresh and tasty. The calamari was good, not the best I've ever had because it was a little oily, but good nonetheless.
For our entrees, I ordered the cheese ravioli and my girlfriend ordered the "half and half"- half spaghetti and half veal ravioli. I enjoyed my dish. The sauce was incredible and had a smoky flavor I have never encountered in a tomato sauce. The pasta was cooked perfectly. My girlfriend said her veal ravioli was delicious, but admitted the spaghetti could have been cooked a little more.
For dessert, I continued binging and ordered a cannoli. I was incredibly disappointed. It was so hard I couldn't break it with a fork! My teeth hurt after awhile because of the effort it took to gnaw through the thing so I just gave up.
I'll forgive the cannoli debacle because of the excellent pasta and the incredibly nice and accomodating waitstaff. I would definitely come back to try more dishes to meet my italian food fix.
Simple and nice.
I was there on a rainy Tuesday evening. My friend and I were craving cheese and bread so I jumped to yelp and did a quick search.
Italian of course. Closest to where we where driving by???? Il Vicinato. So we pulled over, parked and in we go.
The place is simple, yet very nice. Â
The service is nice, yet not readily available.
Tables were readily available since they were only 4 other parties.
We had: bruschetta, soup, Â eggplant parmegiana, Â and gnocchi with gorgonzola cheese sauce. The bruschetta was really good and the eggplant was super good. perfectly coated and moist. And I found out that gorgonzola is not for everyone. The bread was good bread, but extremely cold.
It was a decent dinner
Great food. I mean, really great.
I had homemade ravioli with cheese and mushrooms and it was perfect.
My friend had the veal ravioli and said it was literally the best she had ever had. That's saying something.
We had great wine and coffee and dessert was delicious. The cannoli was excellent and the bananas foster was pretty good.
Service was a bit slow- but as long as you are not in a hurry and don't mind lingering over the meal, I don't think it will be a big problem.
Il Vicinato is great. My girlfriend and I were craving a hearty Italian meal, and just jumped onto OpenTable to find something new. It's directly across the street from Working Bikes, in Pilsen. We went on a Saturday night, and I was thankful that we had reservations - it was packed! Despite this, we were seated within five minutes in a nice cozy table.
The food was very good. We started off with some fried zucchini, which was good but probably would have been better had it been served with some kind of marinara sauce. For our main dishes, I had the eggplant parmesan, which was great - not breaded and fried, but rather I think it was baked just simply with the skin taken off, and then swimming in a tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese. It was really flavorful and a huge portion - I took home a good amount of it. My girlfriend ordered ravioli with a meatball on top, and it was also gigantic.
The only drawback was the service, as others have mentioned. Our waiter seemed really preoccupied, and it was tough (impossible?) to get his attention. Luckily the restaurant takes a "group service" approach and we were served by a number of different employees, some of whom took care of refilling water glasses, others who brought food, others who took our dessert order, etc.
The prices are surprisingly reasonable - Â $50 including tax and tip for dinner for two.
Excellent restaurant! The food was great and service was outstanding! Made reservations for a Saturday night (highly recommended!), but it was packed, so we didnt get seated until maybe a half an hour later. It was ok though because they gave us a free glass of wine while we waited. The escargot was the best I ever had! My new York strip was so tender and full of seasoning, delicious! I can go on and on, but I won't..lol...This place is definitely a must to go to!
Review Source:Food was fantastic and the service was warm and attentive. I loved the charm of the place. Dim lighting, old school ambiance -- complete with those old Butler Call buttons on the walls (They're not functional.) My wife and I had an appetizer, entrees, a glass of wine apiece, and dessert for 90 bucks including tip. The portions were giant, so she took more than half of hers home. We're planning to go back next month to try other dishes.
Review Source:Il Vicinato was an extremely charming restaurant. The service was spot on, very knowledgeable of the wine list, and extremely friendly. The appetizers and entrees were perfectly made, pleased our table entirely. The dining room was very full, and lively, we had to make reservations for a Saturday night.
The only drawback is that it's a bit far if you live downtown or on the north side, but well worth the trip!
Highly recommend Il Vicinato, great for group dinners or date night!
Quite simply, the best Italian restaurant in America. At least that I've eaten at, and I'm trying to get to as many as I can before I head to that big Cardiology Clinic in the Sky. The Homemade Ravioli? Delivered straight from Heaven on the wings of Angels. The shrimp appetizer. The sausages & peppers. Any of the daily special meat dishes, and more of the fish dishes. Skip the vegetables, they're sometimes overcooked, but you can eat veggies at home. Don't know about their desserts, never had room. Heaven......with a wine list.
Review Source:We had the prosciutto and fruit, delicious homemade meat ravioli (they were the size of pierogi and very filling), and a tasty bananas foster for dessert. We never felt rushed and our waiter was very attentive and courteous. The place was also very busy which is always a good sign. We'll be back!
Review Source:This restaurant is a throwback to the Italian restaurants that thrived in Chicago thirty years ago, before the chains like Rosebud and Francesca's took over the scene. Â The room is the same as it was twenty years ago, right down to the call buttons on the walls. Â Everything is homemade to order, so be prepared to wait for your food. Â We had Chicken Vesuvio, Eggplant Parmesan, and Fettucine Carbonara. Â Entrees came with house salad. Â Everyone loved the food and we all thought it was a great find. Â I gave it five stars because I think it's a great neighborhood place, with very good food at low prices. Â This is not sophisticated gourmet Italian food like Spiaggia or Coco Pazzo, but I loved it for what it is and will definitely return.
Review Source:Finally found my favorite Italian place in Chicago! Best pasta I've had in a very long time. I had the crab/lobster ravioli, which was perfectly cooked. My girlfriend had this chicken inverno, which was a chicken breast with this artichoke/garlic cream sauce...the sauce was the best thing that has ever entered my mouth! We left there in a food coma. We will be coming back here!
Review Source:Just ate at ilVincinatos. It really looked promising, old school and all. We ordered an appetizer from the specials board and found out they really didn't have any of what we ordered. Then ordered the special pasta, shells with sausage and peas in a cream tomato sauce. Well, the dish came out luke warm and upon tasting, the sausage went mush in my mouth, it was RAW!! That was awful. Sent it back, and the sausage was still not cooked all the way, and the pasta was chewy, not al dente, really stick to your teeth chewy. Don't bother ot was really gross.
Review Source:Hell yeah, Â just what the doctor ordered after my three day Little Italy walking tour.
After two very disappointing meals i have found a spot. Â
Tasteful decor-check
out door seating-check
good bread and EVOO-check
Smiling service-check
Decent reasonably priced wines-check
Now for the food.....................
We started with some very fresh very nice oysters, Â nothing crazy, Â just a squirt of lemon. Â They were nice and at $6.50
Then I asked the waitress to decide between a couple of shrimp dishes for me, Â she chose the shrimp arancini. Â It was delicious, Â 6 big shrimp in a sauce of orange, Â white wine, Â tomato parsley and garlic it was excellent.
I tried a side of sausage, Â it came smothered in meat sauce, Â at first I was a little beside myself, Â but the meat sauce was decadent. Â It had an intensely roasted flavor, Â there are many ways to make this sauce and I have never had it this aggressive. Â I was quite glad I had the opportunity. Â The next time it is ten below I will come and get a simple dish of spaghetti in meat sauce. Â As for the sausage, Â it was the real deal, Â rich, Â complex, Â a touch salty but balanced with sweet fennel and garlic. Â The texture was a little harder than the commercial grades and the thickness was smaller. Â A very fine sausage indeed.
We had to try the famous gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce, Â you better love Gorgonzola because kaboom! Â This is an atomic bomb o Gorgonzola. Â More than I could ever dream of splitting with another. Â Maybe order this to share around a big table. Â
I have no complaints. Â I really enjoyed the food and the overall dining experience, Â can't wait to go back.
Il Vicinato is my favorite southen Italian cuisine restaurant in Chicago!
Hand made ravioli is hard to find anywhere these days, and it is exquisite at Vicinato. Reasonably priced all the basics are 17-19$, specials are slightly higher.
Chef Jim is an outstanding master at meat sauces...his process is tedious and time consuming but it is the old fashioned way to create a great meat sauce. If you prefer fish, his lake perch is divine, lightly battered and pan fried with a touch of peccorino romano and garlic.
Lake superior white fish is also fresh and prepared without breading to a delicous tenderness.
Start with the anti-pasta house salad, its filled with five meats and five cheese and serve with italian dressing....astounding!
I recommend any and all basic his Italian recipes: Eggplant Parmesian, Chicken Marsala, Spaghetti, Ravioli. The veal is tender and amazing ...best recipe is Veal Parmisiana and the Tortellinni with sage cream sauce. Be prepared for lots of oil and butter...this is not a health concious menu. Il Vicinato is the best of all the nearby southside Italian village restaurants!
I always visit this restaurant with some guys that grew up in the hood, and are intimates of the owner and wait staff, so I suspect that we receive VIP treatment. Â It's hard to describe this place. Â It's cozy, but certainly nothing fancy. Â The bar area is nice but by today's standards, unremarkable, and the bathroom needs to be remodeled. Â However, and this is a monumental however, the food is breathtaking. Â The Pasta Shuta(sp) is absolutely to die for. Â The Chicken Vesuvio is sublime, and the salad is perhaps the best I've had. Â In fact, everything that I've tried has been perhaps the best I've had. Â The prices are pricey, so be prepared
Review Source:If I had to use one word to describe Vicinato Ristorante, it would be amazing. There is a beautiful bar area in the front and dinner seating in the back. It looks like a place you would find in little Italy in New York City or the North End in Boston. The interior both Cozy and Classy.
My Chicken Parmesan entree was delicious. I have been to places that just butcher this dish. It's either overcooked and Hard as a Hockey Puck, or undercooked which gives it the texture of Goulash. The portions were huge and the Chicken was cooked to perfection. It was crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. The side order of Spaghetti and Meat sauce was a meal in itself. The Pasta was perfectly cooked, and the meat sauce was delicious.
I'm a hard core Northsider, but the next time I'm in the mood to get my Italian Grub on, I'm making a road trip to the South Side. The food at Vicinato Ristorante was delicious, and the service was top notch. I enjoyed every tasty morsel.
From a rather nondescript exterior comes the most wonderful and amazing Italian food. Â I couldn't believe the diversity of the menu, the beautiful presentation, or the efficient and impeccable manner of the staff from this rather small restaurant. Â I took my mother here for her birthday, and having never been here before was a little concerned. Â She takes her Italian cuisine very seriously. Â But it worked out fantastic all around. Â I had a salad and the grilled octopus appetizer (which was much larger than expected). Â The octopus was prepared excellently, with just a tiny drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Â My mother ordered the ravioli (there are both meat and veg options). Â You could tell they were handmade, in a wonderful, rich sauce and giant meatballs that were the size of lemons. Â
I don't get to this neighborhood very often but I know from now on any time I am there this will be my go-to place.
I will agree with what others have said: The homemade ravioli is to die for. Best pasta I've ever had. You can tell it is as fresh as can be.
This is a cute little restaurant - very authentic. Parking is easy; staff is friendly and not over-bearing. Prices are reasonable, especially for the quality. They are also part of <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> so you can get a gift certificate at a cheaper price and go all out. I will come back again and again - but I don't know if I'll be able to order anything except the ravioli!
Like some of the people mentioned ravioli is great. Â I love it. Â I liked the meatballs alot too but the meat sauce on ravioli has alot of meat already so it's up to you if you need more. Â its a very very meaty delicious sauce. Â big portion, I packed like half my entree to go but I am small so it's def. a meal to feel a big man too.
Review Source:Fits in perfect with this great area around 24th and Oakley/Western. Â The homemade ravioli is amazing, and the chicken parm was chicken overkill. Â Put aside your unpleasant 40yr lifer wait staff, and enjoy the great food Il Vicinato has to offer. Â I'd still prefer Bacchanalia, but this place is very much worth a shot. Â Â The breaded zucchini is great too.
Review Source:i have been to italy and have dined at alot of italian reastaurants and this is by far one of the best. Â im going there tonight and wanted to share how good this place is. Â the inside is nothing special but the sause stains the dishes its that authentic. Â the chef / owner from luca italy is usually there hanging out so after the meal on the way out say hello. Â chkn parm was awesome and a rigatoni lugi was good to...
Review Source:droooool. Â I love this place. Â Parking's super easy, just pull up behind one of the White Escalades / Mercedes and NOBODY will touch your car. Â Yeah, it's kinda like that.
There is only one item on the menu you need to know about. Â it's some of the best that I've ever had, and it's not even prominently placed on the menu... simply listed as "homemade ravioli" - $10, it's some of the best damned veal ravioli I've ever had. Â ever.
service has always been good when I've been there, and it's very reasonably priced. Â 4 people can get out of there for about $100 or so unless you go crazy with the boozeahol.
Great food -- old school, quality, large portions. Whether it's the tortellini, gnochhi, ravioli, chicken marsala, or whatever, I enjoyed my first jaunt into the "Heart of Chicago" area.The waitress definitely has an attitude, but I actually found her to be helpful in a strange way. Came away generally satisfied.
Review Source:Great food. Â Sometimes lousy service. Â I've been here several times over the last few years as my father knows the owner. Â The food has been consistently excellent, every time I've been. Â On the other hand, the service can REALLY suck. Â I took a friend about six months ago and we didn't leave a tip. Â And we ALWAYS leave a 20% tip, minimum. Â It was that bad. Â The waitress had a major attitude and was VERY rude and short with us (she's probably been waitressing for 30 years and should rethink her career), and the busgirl was, well, dumb as a post and kept bringing us the wrong things (at least she was nice...and pretty). Â I'm still going back for the food, but I'd seriously consider asking for another server next time.
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