Monteverde

The high priestess here is chef Sarah Grueneberg (former Top Chef contestant and Tony Mantuano's protege at Spiaggia). Every dish is reasonably priced, encouraging multiple orders and revisits of the seasonally driven menu. The lively, airy dining room is alive with clinking glasses and a healthy buzz as guests reach over each other for tastes of each other's dishes. Grueneberg and her team of pasta-makers are hard at work on that night's eight or nine offerings, behind a slightly raised bar—or stage, depending on your perspective.

From savvy tourists to well-heeled West Loop residents, Monteverde is one of the most difficult seats in town to secure. The restaurant, which opened in 2015, is officially a neighborhood draw, attracting pasta-loving gourmands as well as out-of-town parents who are impressed by the contemporary Italian dishes. Naturally, Italian wines dominate the wine list, though Italian varietals from California, such as Broc Cellar's excellent Nero d'Avola, are sprinkled throughout. Prices range from $40 to $200 per bottle for interesting, food-friendly indigenous varieties like Fiano di Avellino, Falanghina, and Carricante, as well as more well-known styles like Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.

Google Rating: 4.5/5.0
Address: 1020 W Madison St., Chicago , Illinois, 60607United States
Phone: (312) 888-3041
Website: monteverdechicago.com