I ate here with a group of fellow marathoners the Friday before the Chicago marathon for our carb loading meal. The food was good however the service was HORRIBLE. When the table was set and we were seated, they missed a water glass for my girlfriend. She asked politely for a water glass and the waiter rolled his eyes like she was asking for a bottle of Fiji water be flown in directly from Thailand. That pretty much sums his attitude for the rest of the meal. He also really botched up the check and we were there for 30 minutes trying to leave and get it straightened out.
Review Source:We were here before a steppenwolf show. Â We weren't starving, just wanted a quick beer and calamari, and heard this place was good.
the food was not the problem. Â the food was OK.
The waiter was so rude. Â He asked us, at least three or four times "Is that ALL your having?" "yes, that's all"
when the bus boy brought us a second basket of bread to sop up the juices left over from the calamari, the waiter scolded him for bringing us bread...IN FRONT OF US. Â As if we didn't 'deserve' a second basket of a SMALL loaf of bread because all we ordered were two $6 beers and $11 calamari.
then when we finished, he came over and exasperating asked 'are you done?', 'yes' and picked up the dishes as quick and loudly as possible as if he was rushing to get us out of there...even though there were plenty of open tables in our room and an entire room of open tables behind us.
I would not go back here again. Â And may I suggest if you're going to a show at Steppenwolf...head over to BALENA. Â The food is delicous, and the service is personable. Â Even if all you're having is a small plate and a drink....their specialty.
3 stars for food. Â 4 stars for ambience and 5 for service! Â There are so many Italian restaurants in Chicago so I wouldn't put this on my rotation again just yet but I loved the ambience (lights everywhere, fireplace, etc.) and our server was the best I've had in years...she could read my mind!!
Review Source:It's been at least 10 years since I've dined here and probably because at that time it was hard to get a reservation and it's not on my beaten path. Â A 7pm dinner reservation on a Friday night proved to be a good choice as the place emptied out just before 8 for the theater. Â We enjoyed a semi private room, attentive service and pretty good food. Â Our muscles appetizer was outstanding! Â The tomato broth was so flavorful and the muscles steamed to perfection. Â The homemade ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta was quite tasty but my date's spaghetti carbonara lacked some flavor and spice, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. Â The dining room was beautifully lit with holiday cheer and as I peered over to the french doors leading out to the patio, I vowed to come back again during the summer months (or even before). Â Overall, a pleasant experience and worth trying!
Review Source:This place is right across from the Steppenwolf, so it's super convenient before a show. Â I got the Linguine Portofino (Scallops, scampi, cherry tomatoes, olive oil and garlic - $17.50), which was pretty tasty but nothing amazing. Â It wasn't that salty, but I think it could use more shrimp and scallops for the amount of noodles. Then again, for the price, it was pretty good value. Â The bread here was also good. Â
Service I think is a little awkward, I'm not sure why, but I think it's because of the set up of the tables. It's a struggle to get water to some of the locations. Â Also, our waitress got really flustered thinking we underpaid when in fact we had given a 20% tip so that was a bad last-impression of the restaurant before going to the theater.
Five of us dined at Gianni's on a Saturday night prior to taking in a show at Steppenwolf. Â I ordered the polenta appetizer and the Taglliatelle Bolognese. Â I have been to Gianni's on a few other occasions and I enjoy their pasta preparations. Â Sure, this isn't Spiaggia but neither are Gianni's prices. Â The Bolognese sauce is a solid choice that is satisfying and tasty. Â I ordered a full portion (they do offer half portions) and wondered how I would eat it all. Â Well, I just kept chowing away because it was so good. Â No need to schlep a doggy bag.
They had a couple of Italian wine specials priced at $36. Â We ordered one of the red blends and it was quite good. Â The three of us that were drinking wine enjoyed it so much we ordered a second bottle. Â Service was excellent and they were mindful that we had tickets for an 8:00 PM show. Â Our waiter surprised us with small glasses of Moscato as we were paying the bill. Â I'm not sure if they do this for every table, but my sister-in-law dines at Gianni's whenever she is in the area. Â Maybe they consider her a "regular".
I'm not in the area that frequently but will always dine at Gianni's for a solid meal and great service.
Trattoria Gianni was an OK experience. We came for a Ladies Night Out hosted by Dallas H. and our feelings toward TG differ from person to person. Megan G. and I pretty much agreed that is was alright and we didn't dislike it, but we won't be rushing back.
We ordered from a special prixe fix menu that is available when you make reservations through gDine. It came out to $27.25 per person and you were able to add additional items and order wine when you got there. I went with a glass of Riesling, which the waiter described as sweet. It was about $8 and I didn't find it very sweet or worthy of ordering a second glass.
For my meal, I went with the fried calamari. The sauce it was served with was quite tasty, but I found the seafood to be overly rubbery and tough. The portion size was decent and I am glad that at least it had that redeeming quality as others ordered caprese salad, which consisted of nothing but two slices of tomato, two slices of mozzarella and some basil.
For my second course, I went with the Pollo Diavoli and really enjoyed how moist and well seasoned it was, but the potatoes served with it were a bit bland and dry. However, it still seemed to be a more impressive option than the pasta dishes that others ordered.
Sadly, the chicken was the highlight of the meal. I ordered the tiramisu for dessert and was not impressed. It was a whole lot of fluff and came in a ridiculous size. It was the standard lady fingers slathered with a gross amount of topping. I was really disappointed that the coffee sauce hadn't even properly soaked through the dessert, so I had lady fingers that were still crunchy in the middle.
Service was pretty decent. There was some confusion about how the specialty menu worked. They would tell us how something would be served and when we got it that was a different story. Although, they did fix it all in the end and got everything sorted out.
I liked the atmosphere. The space is beautiful. Some of the courses were good and we did get a good deal. I would suggest going more for the meats and shying away from the pasta dishes. I don't know if I'll return of my own volition, but I wouldn't be opposed to giving them another shot in the future.
Meh. Â
Been to better, been to worse.
The food looked kinda heavy.
(I ordered a salad...they got it wrong, had to send it back...you know the story....)
But, the service was good and the portions were decent and the prices were not too shabby.
I wish they got a bit more creative in the healthy food options. Â Although ironically, they have gluten-free options.
Came here with a group of friends on a Thursday night for our Ladies Night Out.
For $21 plus tax and tip, we had our choice of appetizer, main course, and dessert. Plenty options to choose from. I chose as my appetizer the  Melanzane del Pecaraio - Roasted eggplant baked with tomato sauce, topped with goat cheese garnished with black olives. I wish the sauce had a little more seasoning, and a little more olive, but still good. My entree was Risotto con Funghi - Italian arborio rice, sauteed with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. Delicious (as leftovers, too!). For dessert, I had a cannoli (take the gun, leave the cannoli). Also very good. My friend's flan, of which I had a couple bites, was also quite tasty.
Service was good and attentive, but perhaps a little too much so. There was a tag team approach, so I felt like I was watching a movie on repeat sometimes as we heard the same thing or asked the same questions multiple times. But I suppose better than inattentive service.
Good food and a good deal. I would return and I would recommend.
Initially, when I arrived at 5:30 on a Saturday night, the staff seemed a little unready for service.  As the evening progressed, though, everything picked up significantly.  My waitress was as charming as can be, and everyone in the place--other waiters, busboys, the owner--took turns helping me in every way, from providing a dash of red pepper on my pasta to pulling out the table so I could get out of a tight space with dignity.  I opted for a few very simple, traditional dishes and they were all excellent.  The burrata and tomato appetizer was a variation on caprese salad with some nice touches on a potentially bland dish--pesto on the cheese and a little touch of roasted red peppers in the middle.  It was a good choice for a muggy night.  The pasta with tomato sauce was simple but well done, and I appreciated the fact that Gianni's offers half portions.  The panna cotta was good but with the caramel sauce, it was a little flannish.  Good but a fruit sauce might be better on a dessert known for its lightness.  Parking is tight here unless you're parking  in the garage for a Steppenwolf performance.  Good valet parking is offered for $10.
Review Source:Though my meal was a bit hurried as we arrived late and had a music show to attend, Gianni's was delicious and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Â Even Gianni came out to say hello. Â I am a firm believe that Italian food and Italian restaurants are best enjoyed with a larger group of people. Â Forks should be swirling other's pasta around, bread should be broken and dunked into huge pools of olive oil, parmesan, pepper and salt, and there should ALWAYS be a heaping plate of calamari to start out the meal. Â We did not get the calamari, but the rest ensued. Â
I rate an Italian joint by it's bread. Â The bread at Giannis is decent - not the best but better than average. Â Soft, with a crumbly crust. Â For my main course I ordered the squid ink linguini with grilled calamari. Â Again, above average, but not the best. Â
I think the company we shared our meal with made this very enjoyable and family-like. Â I'd come here again.
I went here w/ my friend. Â She got there before me and said there would be two people and that I would be arriving shortly. Â Apparently the host just blank stared at her and then turned around and walked off without saying anything. Â Once I got there he came over and acted like he hadn't seen her before.
Service was quick-- the food came quickly too, but it was just blah. Â While the service was nice and quick it was a little too much. Â Everybody working there was hovering over us the whole time, which made it awkward.
The place is cute, but I won't be going back. Â Much better Italian restaurants around.
Trattoria Gianni is a gem of a restaurant. Reasonably priced Italian in a great part of Lincoln Park.
We took my mother and father-in-law here who were visiting from out of town and they loved it (big points for my husband and I). Our waiter Marvin was very attentive and helpful with ordering. We all loved our dinners (I had the Gnocchi), and the housemade tiramisu was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.
Simply put, this place is good... really good. I'm grateful for the nice experience AND earning points with my in-laws.
The creepiest italian restaurant ive been to by far. The waitress a splitting image ( well a negative blonde) version of morticia adams from the adams family. Not only was the image pretty similar her ability to pop out of no where and scare you was truly unique. Should this restaurant been a fun park- certainly score high points for thrilling entertainment. As versatile as the staff may have been- the service was prompt. The aqua man was certainly dedicated to his job.
Beverages were served swiftly and menus collected accordingly. The preparation time was sufficient and on arrival- the presentation was adequate. For an american restaurant the portions were british. Nevertheless the food was good and tasty.
The atmosphere increasingly warm and humid. But cosy for a family meal. Located close to two of the finest theatres in Chicago.Its a okay place. Sad to say this is not a place my stomach wishes to revisit.
I dont think I even took a sip of water and the water filler man was already back, time and again.
Besides the wonderful water service - the gluten free menu was plentiful and delicious. I had fussili rice pasta, broccoli, sun dried tomatoes and a white wine garlic sauce. Not too saucy but just saucy enough.
This is a perfect spot to people watch - especially since they have 3 outdoor tables and watch all the people on the way to Steppenwolf or Royal George Theater. Excellent gluten free pasta & great service.
The interior is very rustic chic I would say. It has a sort of cafe feel that you would find in Italy, with deep reds and exposed brick walls.
We went rather late one evening and were afraid they would rush us out of there, but that wasn't the case at all. The owner and his family were there the entire time, having a meal of their own at a nearby table.
It was a lovely date spot. Both myself and my fiance were impressed with the food. As an appetizer we had a shrimp scampi dish that was a little small in portion size, but we devoured it and fought over the last forkful. Each of us had a beef dish; which we were skeptical about since you think of pastas in heavy sauces at a place like this. We were pleasantly surprised by the tenderness and tastiness of our dishes. Everything was delicious, down to the wine we chose.
For us this is a special occasion restaurant mostly because of the menu choices we usually favor. Even though the staff was so warm and friendly, out palettes tend to be a bit more upscale than we could afford to indulge on a regular basis. For someone wanting a nice meal before or after a show at The Steppenwolf or Royal George Theatre, this is a great option. I also wished we would have gone during the day so we could experience the outside patio dining they offer.
Trattoria Gianni is located very near the Steppenwolf Theater. Â It is quite popular with theater-goers. Â The dinning room ambiance is cozy, warm, and appealing. The service is good. Â The menu is respectable. There is a single standard to which I hold every Italian restaurant. Their ragu (bolognese) sauce. Â On that test Gianni's failed miserably.
Both on the pasta and on the cause, the restaurant failed to deliver. Â Gianni's tagliatelle look more like over-sized spaghetti alla chitarra. Â Tagliatelle are supposed to be thinner than Gianni's.
The sauce is extremely sweet and without the distinct flavors that result from hours of slow heat simmering. Marcella Hazan's recipe for ragu is widely considered the canon. Any home cook with reasonably basic skills can follow Hazan's recipe and produce a good ragu bolognese. Such is not the case at Gianni's.
Pasta with bolognese sauce is a good measure of authenticity and respect to regional culinary traditions. On that measure, Gianni's was disappointing.
My Girlfriend and I went here to use our Groupon. It was good we made a reservation, even though it was at 5:15, because this place fills it in. The interior is really warm and inviting. The menu had some creative choices and the bread was hot and fresh, but I hated that our server tried to push additional items on us. She took all of the rare moments that she spent at our table to not only ask, but insist that we order a salad, additional appetizer, or another glass of wine.
The food was pretty good, but I have to say my pasta sauce tasted a bit watered down. The pasta was homemade and was extremely fresh tasting. The portions were not too large, which I prefer. I also thought the calamari was excellent, but similarly to the pasta sauce the sauce that came with the calamari was watered down. There are so many great Italian choice in the city that it's tough for me to give this one another shot.
Finally made a reservation. We had to use that groupon!
I'm not typically an Italian type of dining girl but I had a good deal.
Date night with my husband and 3 year old...from my toddlers mouth when he walked in "WOW" I guess he loved all the white Christmas lights and garland. A PLUS for the holiday spirit.
The waiter was nice, but service was dragging...speed it up!
The water was always topped off but too bad I didn't like the food as much as I enjoyed the bus boy service.
Average Italian food, but I can give thumbs up for the "made in house" pasta noodles, We all approved.
This was my issue, the steak was served rare, ok, maybe my husband didn't state medium well, but the server didn't ask either..so we kindly let the server know and it was brought back out fully cooked with a HOT HOT PLATE..I'm pretty sure the put that sucker in the microwave!
Average food and difficult parking.
Closed on Mondays.
Among all the good restaurant choices on Halsted, Trattoria Gianni did not disappoint. This is a charming little Italian place with great food and great service.
We started with the grilled calamari, which was fantastic. We both ordered the Chicken Vesuvio, which was incredibly moist, flavorful, and delicious. Even the vegetables tasted good. We finished the meal with a fantastic chocolate cake that was so rich it should have been called "Death by Chocolate."
The atmosphere I'm sure is a lot better during busy weekend nights, the place was a bit empty on a late week night when we went. Our waitress made good suggestions and was very attentive. Overall, I was satisfied with my experience here.
I had a groupon so we figure lets go eat for cheap! We made reservations and when we arrived we were seated immediately. Ordered the German Riesling and it was AWESOME! Started off with mussels and they were divine. I thought it was odd that they didn't really like to give up the control of the cheese. We asked for cheese and he dumped a spoon full in each plate. I was a little dumbfounded because I wanted to dump my own cheese. I know it sounds stupid but its the little things....
I ordered the Rigatoni and added chicken...it was void  of flavor. I figure I would take it home because it could be rejuvenated. It didn't have any salt, pepper, and it was in a basil sauce but if you were not really staring hard you would not have even noticed the sauce.
I did take it home and added some much needed spices and it turned out to be super yummy.
I truly cant remember what my friend ordered but she said it was delicious.
We ordered Lemon Sorbet and Tiramisu for dessert and they both were outstanding.
I wish I could give five stars but the main dish just really threw it off for me. The atmosphere is really cute and quaint and the server was really nice... our glasses never went empty. I think I may give them another chance and try something different and hopefully they can redeem themselves for those extra stars
Decided to use the Groupon I had before a show. Â When we arrived the front of the restaurant was filled but the maitre'd acknowledged us immediately and pointed out several tables that were paying their checks, we would be seated shortly.
There's no real place to wait here so we awkwardly stood in front of the door while people exited.
10 minutes later we were sat. Â 10 minutes after that our waiter actually came over. Â (There were food runners and bussers but it looked like only 2 servers in the whole dining room. Â Maybe a server didn't show up that night but waiting 10 minutes before acknowledgment doesn't really sit well with me.)
We ordered everything once we finally got his attention. Â The eggplant app, salad, rigatoni, spinach.
The food and drinks arrived in a timely manner. Â While everything was ok, it was nothing to sing about. Â It was simple food.
It's a nice atmosphere (and I saw Peter Gallagher rushing through the restaurant---and like all other celebrities I've sited, he's no more than 5'8), friendly service (once acknowledged) and ok food at Lincoln Park prices. Â If you're seeing a show in the area it will do.
Blah, bland, boring and bad service. I bought a Groupon here and even with a discount, it wasn't worth the trip. I had to go buy a subway sandwich after "eating" here.
First, the waiter refused to make eye contact with my husband and I from the second we sat down. He didn't tell us the specials - just kinda threw a list our general direction. For some reason, he wouldn't give us two menus, nor would he leave the parmesean on the table. It's like he thought we'd steal them!
I ordered the half portion tagliatte and polenta. Warning: half portion doesn't equal half price. It would have been nice if the waiter told us that, or if the menu stated that. The pasta was undercooked and simply boring. There was supposed to be a sausage/pea/tomato sauce, but it was mostly pasta with oil. The polenta was clearly store bought and cold. The more I ate, the more disgusting it got.
My husband's chicken was ok, but just ok. Nothing you'd want to serve your mom.
Even though there were only four tables and two waiters, the meal took forever. And it's not like it's because they were busy cooking food - they mostly just ignored us.
Don't go here.
I had a really really good experience here as we came in here on a very uncrowded Sunday afternoon around 3:30pm (late lunch).
Let me say upfront that I am not a fan of the typical Italian place where the portions are oversized and the food isn't homemade.
My husband and I shared the argula salad and polenta special of the day. Both were fresh and delicious and really well seasoned. The polenta was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. We're not used to polenta this thick but I thought it was pretty decent.
Then my husband had some grilled pork chop and I had the veal saltimbocca. Soon after we ordered, I heard them pounding the meat in the back. That was a pleasant surprise since scallopine is best when it's freshly (as opposed to pre-) pounded. The presentation was simple but the food was all delicious and cooked to perfection.
I could see how the restaurant could be cramped on a busy night and, if not adequately staffed, could have slow service. I can't comment on this considering the time of day we were there.
Our waiter was attentive but not overbearing so A+ for service.
We went here twice after purchasing two Groupon gift certs. Â The food is yummy, but the pannacotta is TO DIE FOR. Â It's like flan, and doesn't sound like a big deal, but WOW. Â Even the boyf who is a die hard chocolate dessert fan loves this stuff.
The seats/tables are kind of close together, so I wouldn't go there to discuss anything remotely private. Â Also, the nights they are open are all over the place - they are closed on Mondays (I think) and they often have private parties, so call ahead! Â They prefer if you make a reservation, but both times we went randomly and were seated immediately. Â Just don't go right before a show at Steppenwolf - the place gets crazy busy! Â Although, if you decide to brave it, they are very conscious of getting people out of there in time, if needed.
The staff is very nice and will give you honest suggestions/opinions about menu choices.
If you like liberal amounts of cheese with your food, this might not be the place for you. I mean seriously, I know times are tough but you're an Italian restaurant...youre supposed to be all generous and giving! Let me rant about the cheese (oh, and the pepper) and then I'll get on to the positives. The oil was there...the bread was there...but the cheese was missing. No one offered it to me. I eyed it on a water table in our dining section. I guess I could have asked for the cheese like a man at another table but i wanted to see how long this was going to go on. All night  apparently. When the entrees arrived I was finally asked if I wanted some cheese. Instead of leaving it at the table our server sprinkled a few pitiful teaspoons on my food and took it back with her!
They also got weird with the pepper for my salad. Normally, one will say so when they've had enough pepper cracked onto their salad. Not here. Our server took 3 twists of the pepper mill and called it a day. my boyfriend actually to tell her he wanted more as she was about to walk away.
Aside from all that I loved this place. The portions werent extremely generous but I was stuffed anyway. I had the grilled chicken with spinach and mushrooms. The chicken had a grilled taste and was juicy and flavorful. The spinach wasnt over sauteed or salted. my BF had some of their homemade pasta. Fresh pasta has everything over dried pasta! I also liked that the waitress told us which dishes had thier own homemade pasta and which desserts were made in house. I like those little touches. it almost makes up for the cheese incident.
This place is great, and the best part is that it is not trying too hard!!
Groupon brought my husband and I to this place, but we are definitely coming back!!! Â With it's ascetically pleasing, yet non-pretentious atmosphere, Trattoria Ginanni was just the place to have a romantic, easy going dinner date.
During our dinner, we found the service to be pleasant, and attentive. I am from NYC (home of some very good food) and was pleased to find that the food tasted very much like authentic, Italian cuisine. I was thrilled to see VEAL SALTIMBOCCA A LA SORRENTINA on the menu (which if you have not tried - you must!!!!) and even happier when I tasted it and found it to be as good as if someone's grandma had made it =)
In summary: a nice place worth trying for yourself =)
My boyfriend and I went here on a Sunday night with our Groupon. Â There were only a few people in the restaurant and we got excellent service. Â The waitress bordering on being overly helpful explaining the whole menu.
We got a mushroom polenta appetizer that was very good. Â I had the conchiglie pasta with sausage and mushrooms. Â It was really tasty with a huge portion. Â My boyfriend got the duck. Â He thought it was good but maybe a little over-cooked. Â The portion wasn't huge, so he ended up eating half my pasta I couldn't finish anyway. Â The tiramisu was realllllly yummy as well. Â
Overall, I think this place is a good standard Italian restaurant and we will probably go back.
Went to Trattoria Gianni on Saturday night with my girlfriend and cousin. Â We had a groupon to this restaurant or else we might have never heard about it otherwise.
Service: 2 stars
Food: 2 stars
Wine: 2 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Owner: 5 stars
The waiter was a spacy, he forgot that we had ordered an appetizers when we placed our entree orders, and then also forgot the glass of wine I had ordered. Â
The food tasted ok, nothing spectacular. Â I studied in Italy for a year so I can tell fantastic Italian food when I taste it.
All of the wines seemed to come in the generic stemware, which I hope isn't the case, but whatever the case may be I didn't particularly enjoy the wine I had (Montepulciano).
The atmosphere is lovely, pictures of italy adorn the walls, and the tables are spaced far enough apart that you don't feel like you are on top of your neighboring diners.
I think the most memorable part of the dinner we had was that Gianni himself commented on my hat, saying he liked it and that I had good taste. Â Hence, his restaurant gets 3 stars instead of 2.
I'm just going to put it out there...there is nothing here you cannot easily make in your own kitchen. I say that because there dishes are plain looking and plain tasting.
We started off with the bruschetta and it was seriously four pieces of cut up bread topped with pieces of tomato and olive oil. There is no way that could have taken them more than 2 minutes to make.
For dinner, I basically had the equivalent of fettuccine with bolognese sauce. I remember making my first spaghetti dish when I was twelve and it tasted about the same as my dish tonight. My wife had the salmon special and there was nothing special about it. She said it was overcooked and pretty tasteless.
So we figured we would give dessert a try. Another failure as they did not have their chocolate cake that we wanted and ended up getting the chocolate gelato...a.k.a. chocolate ice cream in a square shape with powdered sugar on it.
Maybe this happened because we were using the Groupon, but seriously...this bad? To boot, the bill came out to $11 more than the Groupon and they wouldn't let me pay cash because they say on their menu it has to be a $15 minimum. I just wanted to leave, so I paid cash, but usually when someone tries to pull that crap, I just let them know they can't do that and I will contact their credit card processor because that is against their rules.
Don't waste your time coming here. Come pay me $50 and I will make you the same food and throw in a couple bottles of two buck chuck.
Went last Saturday night - the place was packed, probably because of the Steppenwolf theatre being across the street. Â Had a reservation but still had a wait 20 minutes to get sat when we showed up on time. Â One of my biggest pet peeves!
We were finally sat and it seemed like the staff was slammed or the kitchen had crashed and burned. Â Took awhile for our orders to be taken let alone given a menu. Â
I had a salad and their Conchiglie del  Mercante.  All I can say about the food was "meh" because while it wasn't HORRIBLE, it wasn't memorable either.  My dish was rather bland so had to add pepper to it. Â
We decided to split dessert, the Semifreddo which by description was "Not quite frozen hazelnut mousse, topped with chocolate sauce & whipping cream" - what came out was what looked like three ice cream bars cut in triangles. Â It wasn't what we expected, but it was ok.
I would not make a special trip to come here again.
Really average Italian place, definitely something short of spectacular. Shafted from our usual Italian haunt, we decided to pick a random spot and Gianni was cute enough inside and outside. You enter its looooong dining room and it's cozy but the food was so so so average.
I got one of the specials-homemade pappardelle with mushrooms (a plus) and pecorino (another plus, one of my fav cheeses that I feel few restaurants have). I wasn't into their thicker cut of pappardelle--way too much dough in one bite. In fact, their pasta:ingredient ratio is waaaaaay off. I think my dish came with a total of 2 mushrooms, they just disguised it with slicing them up.
I tried a sizeable portion of my friend's Tortellini Baronessa and we agreed that was probably the least favorite. Something about the sauce or the stuffing (something mysterious) was off. Plus, the tortellini itself tasted rubbery. Another friend enjoyed her veal dish though I did not get to try. They were nice about substituting sides.
Plus, I'm still ticked that my 1/2 portion pasta went only from $15 to $11. wtf. Service is friendly but really, I'm here for the food.
Been here, done it. Next, please!
If you walked into Trattoria Gianni at 7 PM on a Saturday, you would think this was the hottest restaurant in town - packed to the nines with people dressed to the nines, loud and boisterous, the way only great food and drink can cause.
The adjective "pre-Steppenwolff" is ubiquitous in the reviews up on the walls in the entryway, going back and spanning over a decade in Lincoln Park. We even saw what looked like a pack of prom/formal attendees with corsages and all.
Our waiter, a Bradley Cooper with traces of a young Gérard Depardieu (think the nose) was charming and very hospitable to our large group of 9, assuring us this was the "best Italian in the city" - then catching and correcting himself, "Well, I'll let you be the judge of that". He let us pick out a pinot noir and upon a request for a second red, recommended a valpolicella that he described as a young amarone.
The pasta took a while to come out. Some ordered gnocchi the waiter assured us were "little pillows of heaven" and while I might not have gone so far, the pasta in general was really authentic, perfectly cooked and seasoned. I had conchiglie al mercanto, leftovers of which are still in the fridge because I'm still savoring / having difficulty finishing.
In terms of desserts, the tiramisu and the cannoli are yummy - a little too much cocoa powder on the tiramisu (I inhaled a little too hard and almost choked, that's one addictive powder you're not meant to snort), but nothing bad, certainly. Overall, it was just a terrific meal with a entertaining atmosphere. By 10 when we left, it was absolutely empty/dead - this place is like a loop lunch spot, with a crazed dinner hour.
At the beginning of the night, as this spot is two houses south of 1723 N Halsted, I gazed at Alinea wistfully on the walk down the street to Trattoria Gianni...but at the end, as we walked by, I didn't give it a second glance. The food was hearty, the price tag right, and I'd had a wonderful night.
Went here for dinner a while back. Â I used to live in the area, and figured it must be decent. Â The decor was very cute and authentic looking. Â There was one large party, but most tables were filled with couples. Â The food was good and seemed like a reliable option for good Italian food as many of the other yelpers rated it high. Â It was good, but not great. Â Though I'm not a huge fan of Italian cuisine.
S&J summer08
If i lived in Chicago, I'd love to come here before a show, or late dinner after it, either way works. Afterall, who can refuse a cozy warm restaurant with delicious food?
My friend and I went there for a late lunch last week. Everything turned out very well, including the price. Service was impeccable, meaning nice manners, knowledge, recommendation, clean white shirt, attentive yet not pushy.
We were starving , devastating (I live in Cali and Austin, definitely not a cold-weather personnel) and finally walked our way in drizzling snow from CTR station (only few blocks away but felt like forever...). Â
We started with  portabella mushroom appetizer, which was nice but not impressed, and some sangiovese. Our pasta dish, however, was yummelicious. Conchigilie was perfectly cooked, fused with italian sausage, tomato sauce and a touch of parmigiano . My friend had ricotta ravioli and I had to borrow 2 from her plate, mind you I usually do not care much about ravioli.
Serving size is very generous. Somehow I managed to persuade myself this is gonna be my only and last meal of the day, so we had dessert, and another glass of wine, and espresso. And the bill was not bad at all (to my surprise).
Wish I could be a regular. :(
Small cute place with great food. Service was excellent, very attentive without being annoying.
I recommend the Rigatoni Nocerina and the Fried Calamari. The calamari was perfectly fried, not too oily like you find at a lot of places, and not overcooked either.
They give generous portions, so generous I didn't try any deserts, but I would guess they are good, everything else is.
If you take public transportation the Halsted bus drops you off right there and the red line stop is a short walk too.
This is my favourite place to eat in Chicago - I came on it by chance with friends back in Summer 2006 when we were looking for somewhere nice to eat. Â I have only been back twice since then as we like to take friends/parents who come from out of town for a special night out as it is expensive (but worth it).
Wonderful ambience, service is excellent, the reason we go back is the food is outstanding. The best food I have eaten in Chicago.
Pre-show dinner at this restaurant last night & we were NOT disappointed. Â Romantic, yet not overly "couple-y." Â Italian, but not Sopranos-y. Â Token wall with photos of celebrities, but the entire place wasn't covered with them.
Appetizer: Â "Melanzane del Pecaraio - Roasted eggplant baked with tomato sauce, topped with goat cheese garnished with black olives." - Good Lord was this good. Â Two eggplant pieces ... only wish we could've eaten more!
Salad: Â Greens, light lemon dressing, tomato, shaved parmesan. - Delightfully refreshing.
Entree: "Risotto con Funghi - Italian arborio rice, sauteed with wild mushrooms and truffle oil." - For anyone who has read my Tarantino's review & knows how much I flipped over their mushroom risotto (which is not a permanent menu item anymore), I have found it here ... DIVINE!!!
Dessert: Â The waiter told us their Tiramisu was the "best in the city." Â We joked with him that that was a bold statement. Â I'm not so sure about the BEST, but it was certainly delicious.
Our waiter was extremely pleasant, the owner was ever-present to be sure everyone was pleased. Â A woman at the table behind me complained about a dish she was served ("I've had this before & it just doesn't taste the same.") & from what I could hear, the staff made every effort to make it up to her.
All that AND we made it to our play across the street at Steppenwolf with plenty of time to spare! Â I will DEFINITELY go back to Trattoria Gianni.
PS: Â The risotto even heats up well for lunch leftovers ... yuuuummmmmmyyyyy!!!
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