DINING IN LITTLE ITALY
The history of University Village/Little Italy is closely linked to a history of
Italian food. In the Taylor Street area are the roots of nationally known
restaurants and local favorites which go back to the early 20th century. It is a
history of entrepreneurs who were creative and hardworking and who have
risen to become among some of the top restraunteurs in the country. Today
the street has attracted a diversity of restaurants serving everything from French
cuisine to traditional Thai food.
Rosebud - 1500 West Taylor Street. This legendary Chicago restaurant
with a national reputation all began when Alex Dana purchased a run down
building on the corner of Taylor and Laflin Streets in 1977. The building was an
Italian Men's Supper Club that Dana transformed into his creation called
Bocciola della Rosa (bud of the rose) after Sicily's native flower. Renamed as
Rosebud, his concept has given birth to ten fine Italian eateries and steak houses
around the city and suburbs. The original Rosebud is still on the same corner
serving customers who enjoy the fine food and old Chicago atmosphere.
Tuscany on Taylor - 1014 West Taylor Street. Restaurateur Phil Stefani opened
his first Tuscany restaurant on Taylor Street. Stefani, a native Tuscan, has
created a group of restaurants and cafes that offer fine Tuscan dining in a
comfortable Italian setting. Tuscany on Taylor continues to be one of his
flagship restaurants.
Francesca's on Taylor - 1400 West Taylor Street. One of the famous
Francesca Restaurants found in Chicago and the suburbs. Chef Scott Harris,
a veteran of many well-known Chicago restaurants, opened his first Mia
Francesca on North Clark Street in 1992 and Francesca's on Taylor is his
fourth restaurant. They feature the cuisine of Rome and the surrounding areas
of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio and are a welcome addition to the restaurant
scene on Taylor Street.
Tufano's Restaurant - 1073 W. Vernon Park Place. Also known as the
Vernon Park Tap, this Chicago institution near Taylor Street serves simple,
straightforward fare at inexpensive prices. With their menu on the blackboard,
the family has lovingly served its customers good food since the 1920's. Today,
Joseph Dibuono runs the restaurant his grandfather and grandmother started
over seventy years ago.
Gennaro's Restaurant - 1352 W. Taylor Street. Gennaro's has been serving
up their family recipes since 1959 in the same cozy restaurant on Taylor Street.
Customers must be buzzed in, a legacy from when the neighborhood used to be
dicey. Mary Jo Gennaro and her brother John, Jr. run the restaurant their
parents started. Once in this little place the aroma of fresh tomato sauce takes
over. Serving their specialty item of homemade noodles with meat sauce and
bracciola (stuffed beef roll) has pleased their clientele for years. Other signature
items include pork chops and peppers.
Pompei Bakery/Restaurant - 1531 West Taylor Street. This success story in
University Village/Little Italy began as a small family owned bakery making
breads and pizza for the local Taylor Street residents in 1909. The name
Pompei was chosen because the original location was near Our Lady of
Pompeii Church, which is the oldest continuing Italian parish in Chicago.
Now, in a new location on Taylor Street, Pompei has expanded throughout
the Chicago region with seven locations serving the same delicious pizza
recipes and a full menu of hearty Italian food. Still owned and managed by the
Davino family it has won the hearts of all Chicagoans searching for the unique
flavors of the family's pizza.
Chez Joel - 1119 West Taylor Street. Chef Joel Kazouini and his brother
Amed offer Southern French cuisine in this quaint bistro on Taylor Street.
The outdoor courtyard offers open-air dining in the spring through fall seasons
in one of the nicest al fresco dining settings in Chicago.
RoSal's Italian Cucina - 1154 West Taylor Street. Roseanne and Salvatore
both grew up in Little Italy and in 1990 fulfilled their dream of opening a
restaurant on this legendary street. Salvatore Perry worked in the food
business his whole life and for years ran Sol's West Side Foods on Taylor
Street before deciding to open RoSal's. The family business continues to
expand and attract customers who want authentic Italian family style dinners
and long-established Sicilian favorites.
Leona's - 1419 West Taylor Street. This successful family operation consists
of twelve locations in the city and suburbs. Leona's started nearly sixty years
ago and in addition to their excellent restaurants they also run a large catering
business.
Sweet Maple Cafe - 1339 West Taylor Street. This busy restaurant often has
customers outside lining up on the sidewalk waiting for tables. Owner Laurene
Hynson's cafe has a laid back atmosphere and everything is made from scratch.
It's not southern food but there are a number of typical southern specialties on
the menu like grits and homemade biscuits for breakfast or a fried chicken
sandwich for lunch. Sweet Maple Cafe is a popular spot for undergraduate and
graduate students at UIC and also draws customers from all over Chicago and
the suburbs.
The Original Al's Beef - 1079 West Taylor Street. Al's Beef had its start in a
small family owned drive-up establishment on Laflin Street between Harrison
and Flournoy streets in 1938. Al Ferreri, his sister Francis and her husband
Chris Pacelli, Sr. started small and as their popularity grew, they moved to the
current home on Taylor Street. Al's continues to draw customers from around
the country looking for the original Italian beef sandwich and is a legitimate
contender for having created the Chicago-style Italian Beef sandwich. Now
with 20 locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Arizona, Al's Beef has expanded well
beyond its humble roots.
Fontano's Subs - 1058 West Polk Street. It all began in a small family owned
grocery store in 1963 when Aniello, affectionately know as "Red," began making
sandwiches for college kids. Red and his wife Gilda are community legends who
raised their family in the neighborhood and Fontano's grocery store is still there on
the corner of Carpenter and Polk Streets in the heart of the Taylor Street
neighborhood. The original Submarine sandwich they created is as delicious as
ever despite the fact that Fontano's Subs is now a large successful regional catering
business with seven locations in the Chicago area and two in Denver.
Mario's Italian Lemonade - 1066 West Taylor Street. This Taylor Street
curbside lemonade stand is a family run establishment the likes of which can only
be found in Chicago's Little Italy. In the area for decades, this is the place to
visit when one wants good authentic Italian ice. Patience is a virtue when visiting
this establishment since on hot summer nights the line of customers waiting for a
taste of a fresh fruit ice can be very long.
Carm's Beef and Italian Ice - 1057 West Polk Street. Started in 1929 as a
grocery store, lemon Italian Ice was made in the front of the store from April
through September. When the University of Illinois at Chicago was built and
the owners passed the store on to the next generation, the store was turned into
a fast-food restaurant which now serves a variety of hot and cold sandwiches
and a variety of flavors of Italian Ice.
Original Ferrara's Bakery - 2210 West Taylor Street. Located on Taylor
Street since it opened in 1908 the bakery is still owned and operated by the
Ferrara family. A wonderful array of Italian pastries, many with the flavors of
Naples, Salerno, Sicily can be found here. The most popular and famous of their
creations is their signature Canoli Cake with fresh strawberries. For generations,
brides chose the Ferrara wedding cakes with their unique ornamentation. In the
early years, even singing canary birds would be perched in cages on the top of
elaborate wedding cakes! Now, in addition to fine bakery products, one can
enjoy homemade items at lunchtime - soups, salads and pizza.
Bacci Pizza- 2301 West Taylor Street. In 1996 Robert and Lisa Di Diana
started the original Bacci Pizza on Taylor Street across the street from Robert's
boyhood home. Since then they have opened 19 family-owned and operated
stores in Chicago and the suburbs becoming yet another restaurant success
story on this street.
Damenzo's Pizza and Restaurant - 2324 West Taylor Street. This restaurant was
the dream of its two owners, Damiano Mannino and Vincenzo Leone, who
combined their names and savings to open it in 1985 just down the street from the
home where Damiano grew up. Damiano and Vincenzo have expanded both their
restaurant and menu since then and people come from all over Illinois, Wisconsin
and Indiana for their pizza and pasta.
The Patio - 1503 West Taylor Street. Established in the 1920's this is a casual
place to go for hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian beef and much more. Don Caputo
and his sister Eleanor Varelli have owned and operated the Patio for nearly six
decades.
Conte Di Savoia - 1438 West Taylor Street. Established in 1948, Conte Di
Savoia remains one of the city's best Italian Deli's serving imported products
from Italy and around Europe. Fresh Italian deli meats such as prosciutto di
Parma, mortadella, salami's, and fresh cheeses such as parmigiano reggiano,
provolone, mozzarella are but a few of the many items in their fresh deli cases.
Spices, homemade pasta, sauces, olive oils, specialty vinegars, Italian wines,
sodas and water and other specialty items can be found in this historic store.
Pans of homemade lasagna can be purchased, ceramic ware, espresso
machines, and other Italian goods can also be found here also.
Ichiban Sushi Cafe - 1422 West Taylor Street. A recent addition to Taylor
Street, this sushi cafe has a modern look inside and serves a variety of
specialty rolls, traditional sushi and sashimi and a number of cooked options.
Jay's on Taylor - 1421 West Taylor Street. Jay Emerich's newest venture
after owning over twenty different establishments, many on North Rush Street,
is his location on Taylor Street. Jay's offers Italian cuisine and their signature
thin crust pizza in a friendly atmosphere.
Busy Burger- 1120 West Taylor Street. A great place for a quick burger with
French fries.
Sofia's Pizza - 1132 West Taylor Street. Sofia's offers pizza along with a
variety of other fare including sandwiches, burgers and pasta.
Taylor Made Pizza - 1220 West Taylor Street. Thin and thick crust pizza
along with Italian Beef, Italian Sausage and Peppers and a variety of sandwiches
are offered at this recent addition to Taylor Street.
Yummy Thai on Taylor Street - 1418 West Taylor Street. Classic, fresh Thai
food from delicious noodle dishes to Thai Curries is offered here. An upstairs
private dining room is available for special occasions.
Golden Thai - 1509 West Taylor Street. Thai cuisine offered in a casual
atmosphere.
Tatsu Sushi Bar: Pan Asian - 1062 West Taylor Street. Tatsu offers a
combination of contemporary Japanese and Thai cuisines.
Osaka Sushi Express 2 - 1311 West Taylor Street. This second location has a
full kitchen unlike its Michigan Avenue counterpart so it offers a bigger menu
with tempura and teriyaki dishes. A full sushi bar turns out a variety of specialty
maki.
Demitasse Cafe- 1066 West Taylor Street. This intimate cafe serves up coffee
and deserts in addition to art exhibits and live music.
Lu-Lu's- 1000 South Leavitt Street. Sports and other Chicago memorabilia
line the walls of this fast food restaurant.
Rick's Bar and Cafe - 939 South Western Avenue. This Tri-Taylor bar on the
corner of Taylor St. and Western Avenue is a comfortable place to grab a
hamburger or chicken sandwich and a beer.
De Pasada- 1517 West Taylor Street. No frills Mexican food served at great
prices.
Taj Mahal -1512 West Taylor Street. Indian and Pakistani dishes are served in
this casual atmosphere.
Jubrano's- 1519 West Taylor Street. Middle Eastern fare along with burgers,
sandwiches and wraps make Jubrano's a popular student destination.
Couscous- 1445 West Taylor Street. Middle Eastern dishes prepared in the
style of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria are served here at very affordable prices.
Bar Louie- 1321 West Taylor Street. A Restaurants- America concept, this
popular spot offers an extensive selection of appetizers, pastas, entrees and a
wide variety of beers, microbrews and wines by the glass or bottle.
Hawkeye's Bar & Grill - 1458 West Taylor Street. Housed in a historic,
century-old building, this restaurant and bar has become a neighborhood
institution. Award-winning homemade chili, chicken pot pie and other comfort
food make this a great spot to enjoy a game on one of their 20 High Definition
television sets.
Granddaddy's Subs - 2343 West Taylor Street. A wide variety of sub
sandwiches are served on Gonnella bread. Vintage posters of the Rolling
Stones, Bob Dylan, James Dean and other legends hang on the brick walls.
Lemongrass Thai Restaurant - 1520 West Taylor Street. A BYOB restaurant
that serves a variety of Thai dishes, including a few northern Thai options, at
reasonable prices.
Papi's Tacos - 2320 West Taylor Street. This is a classic Chicago taqueria.
Little Joe's- 1041 West Taylor Street. The kitchen stays open until midnight
at this family-owned bar and Italian restaurant.
China Night Cafe - 1140 West Taylor Street. An inexpensive small, quiet eat-in
or take out Chinese restaurant.
The Drum & Monkey - 1435 West Taylor Street. Fish and chips and
shepherd's pie and served here along with Bass, Harp and Guinness. A tin
ceiling from the 1940's and Tiffany-inspired lighting help make this a quaint spot.
