01WEST LOOP
For the pasta person
Monteverde
1020 W. Madison St.
Handmade pasta is the heart of Sarah Grueneberg’s restaurant, where Italian traditions meet ingredients and ideas from farther afield.
A modern Italian eveningVisit restaurant ↗
A LITTLE GUIDE. A BIG APPETITE.
Chicago.
With a side
of pasta.
Red-sauce institutions. Handmade pasta.
Pizza worth crossing town for.
Your next Italian night starts here.
Good food. Good company. No overthinking.
01 / THE SHORT LIST
Three very good
places to start.
Different neighborhoods. Different moods.
A few starting points for your next dinner.
02RIVER WEST
For the red-sauce romantic
La Scarola
721 W. Grand Ave.
Penne alla vodka, pasta fagioli, and a dining room with stories on the walls. Make your reservation the old-fashioned way: by phone.
Bring your appetiteVisit restaurant ↗
03RAVENSWOOD
For one more slice
Spacca Napoli
1769 W. Sunnyside Ave.
Neapolitan pizza with carefully tended dough and an oven built by artisans from Naples. A little piece of Italy on Sunnyside.
An evening in NapoliVisit restaurant ↗
Details checked against each restaurant’s official website in September 2026. Follow the links for current menus, hours, and reservations.
02 / WHY WE’RE HERE
Some domains are bought on a whim.
This one came with an appetite.
An independent little corner of the internet for Italian food in Chicago. Starting small, following our curiosity, and always leaving room for pasta.
See you at the table.