This weekend, I had the tremendous pleasure of hosting my awesome, Italian through-and-through best friend in this glorious, food-filled city. Since I can't go more than a few days without indulging in Chicago's culinary offerings, I took the liberty of planning her entire trip around eating. And, since she is a fabulous friend, she willingly entertained my need to nosh over doing super touristy things like visiting the John Hancock and Sears (yes, SEARS) Tower.
Friday night, accompanied by one of my favorite chefs of all time (my mom), we visited the acclaimed Piccolo Sogno (464 N. Halsted). Piccolo's buzzworthy patio has dominated every dining publication since the restaurant opened in July 2008, so when the hostess offered us the opportunity to experience the Tuscan escape first hand, no 60 degree evening could stand in my way. Despite my reading and research, I was hardly prepared for the breathtaking oasis of greenery and soft lighting that awaited us.
Completely distracted by the beautiful ambiance of the patio, it took me a good five minutes to even glance at the menu. Our phenomenal server, Jeff, greeted us and quickly proved that his expertise was enough to guide us through our dining adventure- no map (menu) needed. To start, Jeff recommended the antipasto appetizer, a divine collection of wood grilled vegetables (complimented perfectly by the homemade, aged balsamic vinaigrette), house cured meats, and the best Pecorino Romano cheese this side of the Atlantic. The flavors were impeccably enhanced by a glass of Promis, a Toscana red wine perfect for any hearty Italian meal.
Our appetites whet for more deliciousness, Jeff demanded (seriously, we had no choice) that we sample an appetizer-sized portion of the legendary Ravioli "Piccolo Sogno", an exquisite four cheese ravioli served in a butter Marsala glaze with pine nuts and fresh Parmesan shavings. The pasta was sublime, cooked to a perfect al dente. Normally not a fan of Marsala sauce, I was perplexed by the intensity of Executive Chef Tony Priolo's masterpiece. Honestly, I wanted to get a straw and slurp it off the plate, but decided to save my companions the embarrassment by dipping delicious rosemary foccacia bread in it instead (a practice we refer to as "dinge-ing" in my family).
To cleanse our palettes, we ordered the Insalata di Pesche and the Insalata special for the evening- shaved artichoke over a bed of baby arugula, dressed in a heavenly lemon oil. It's difficult to imagine that a salad could be so damn good, and consequently we spent the rest of the weekend dissecting the flavors in hopes that my Jersey-Italian BFF could recreate this incredible dish at home (we think we have it figured out!).
After having already sampled so many wonderful dishes, we seriously contemplated our ability (and need, really) to eat dinner. Using my perpetual justification that my brother/roommate could enjoy any leftovers, we dove head first into the entree section of the menu, taking Jeff's spot-on recommendation to order appetizer servings of the Pasta and Risotto specials and the dinner portion of the Veal special. And they were exactly that- special. The pasta, infused with truffles, could have been overpowering and potent, but instead was silky and gratifying. Similarly, the veal was juicy and breaded, the large cut served simply without the distractions of a sauce or glaze. After sampling those two dishes, I barely had room to enjoy my perfectly cooked, incredibly rich vegetable Risotto.
Fulfilling my promise to bring leftovers home meant leaving room for dessert, and Jeff (who was really proving to be a wonderful tour guide) brought us a decadent chocolate and hazelnut cake, paired with a sweet Moscato, that we devoured in a few minutes (okay, seconds).
Completely satisfied and up to our eyeballs in Italian goodness, we waddled our way out of the restaurant and I was extremely grateful at my foresight to wear a loose fitting dress and stretchy leggings to dinner. Our evening at Piccolo Sogno embodied the ultimate five-star dining adventure; beautiful ambiance, wonderful service (Kudos again to Jeff, who is seriously an all-star) and ridiculously delicious food.
http://www.piccolosognorestaurant.com/
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