aspenjack

I went here the other night on a date and was very impressed!! The ambience is amazing. We were seated promptly and our server suggested an outstanding chianti. We started with garlic mushrooms and had the roasted butternut squash filled pasta and the seared snapper. Both dishes were phenomenal. Lots of flavor and good sized. The sommelier suggested a white wine that was perfect for our dishes. I will definitely go here again.

So I have been to both Italian Village and Vivere on several occasions so I thought I’d try out La Cantina, which is their steakhouse. I have always had great experiences at both of the other restaurants and wasn’t surprised when the service here exceeded my expectations. We had reservations for 7:30 on a Saturday night, and were seated very promptly, our server greeted us right away and suggested a fantastic pinot grigio to start off with. The wine selection at all three of the restaurants, I believe their wine cellar has something like 45,000 bottles of wine, and a lot of reasonably priced bottles. We started off with the beef carpaccio which was delicious. We then had the Captain Salad, the Italian dressing was outstanding. For dinner we had the Beef alla Toscanini, which were sautéed in a mushroom and marsala wine sauce, and the New York strip, the gorgonzola cream sauce was to die for. Overall, the experience I had here was outstanding. The Italian Village restaurants continually impress me with their excellent service, knowledgable staff and amazing food.

Italian Village is a Chicago Icon. I’ve come here several times for lunch and dinner. The service is always outstanding whether its crowded or not and the food is always impeccable. The ambiance is romantic, but very good for lunches and the wine list is off the charts. I am always very impressed with how knowledgable the waitstaff is and how professional they are. I will continue to enjoy the food and service for years to come.