I ate at this restaurant about a year ago and it was just as busy then as it was when we ate there recently. We had a 7 o'clock reservation and did not get seated until almost 7:30 which happened to us when I ate here a year ago. The restaurant seemed extremely busy. However, they were extremely accommodating and apologized for seating us late. In addition, they sent over three appetizers for free because of the delay in seating us. That alone gets five stars from me. We had the tavern style pizza, which is only offered on Monday nights and it was delicious! The meatballs, fried cheese and salad was amazing as well! I recommend their creamy Italian dressing. It is delicious! They also brought over some bread and butter, and the butter had coarse salt mixed into it, which was unbelievable! I will definitely be returning! read more

This place is excellent. A true neighborhood spot with elevated food that is neither stuffy nor dumbed down. We had a lobster risotto, chicken Marsala, branzino, and a pizza. Okay first the free bread, although the bread is nothing special the butter is noteworthy. Salty and creamy, just incredible. Let's move to the rest of the meal. My chicken Marsala was seasoned beautifully and a decently sized where it was a good portion for one and decent portion to share with a salad and dessert. The branzino was a full fish deboned and lovely. It was a Saturday and the special was the lobster risotto which was incredible. SO MUCH lobster. This is a must order. Although I did not partake in the pizza, the pizza eaters at the table couldn't stop raving about the pizza. The service was spot on and the restaurant was managed really well. Strongly recommend this place and I'm hopeful their Lincoln Park location is just as lovely. read more

Went there last night with our kids for an unusually late dinner and had a wonderful time. Our waiter, Nathan, was attentive and kept us informed of our order status (we told him we had a limited window before the kids would be asleep). Everyone ordered different dishes and we were all very happy with the food quality. The ambiance was comfortable, casual and family-friendly. We'll definitely try to go back. read more

We wanted a casual dinner, and how can you go wrong with Italian on the North Shore? Denucci's had a short res available, and was right around the corner from our destination. We were seated promptly. The place is a little louder than I prefer; we had a 2 top booth in the rear of the resto that tempered the sound level a bit, but keep in mind it's not a "quiet place". The menu is straightforward; pizzas, pastas, proteins. We started with the arancini; they were great (and a large portion, to boot). I had the house made pasta with Bolognese, and she had the chicken piccata. Both dishes were wonderful; again, really large portions. Service was fast and friendly, and dinner for two with tip didn't break $80 Recommended for a good southern Italian meal in Highland Parl. read more

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What to do on the 4th of July when it's cloudy, raining and everything is cancelled? Find out who is open and go out to eat with good friends; and that is exactly what we did. Thank you Denuccis for being open on the holiday. I am sure you were glad you were because the place was packed! This was my first time dining in at this establishment. We made a reservation on the earlier side, arrived and were seated shortly. Service was great. My food was even better. I cheated and viewed some Yelp food photos before we went so I could get a feel for the menu. I had a pretty good idea what I was going to order but it all looked good. I ended up ordering the spaghetti lemon and added some grilled shrimp to it. I was not disappointed, it was absolutely delicious and the shrimp were perfectly grilled. For dessert , I opted for the pistachio blondie sundae to share. Usually desserts are meh for me, but not this one, it was delicious. I would totally order both again. The atmosphere was casual elegant and everyone seemed in a great mood. We had some fabulous drinks while we were there but when the bill came, determined that they were charging $17 per cocktail!! Ouch! I like a good drink, but for that price I can make it at home. So next time, no drinks, just good eats. read more

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Beautiful decor, friendly staff, delicious food and well equipped bar. DeNucci is a welcome addition to downtown Highland Park. Their menu has a perfect dish for everyone, from pizza to veal scalloping. True to the Italian inspiration, the menu prominently features several amari. For your convenience, DeNucci offers valet parking, online ordering, and reservations on Resy platform. read more

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I'm surprised that this place is rated as average, because we are a couple of foodies and this is definitely our new favorite place in town. We ordered the arancini and artichokes to start, which were both very delicious and the perfect blend of savory and interesting flavors. My husband, who doesn't like artichoke typically, said he really enjoyed the starter and would get it again. As our mains, we requested family style cavatappi ragu and tagliatelle bolognese. The cavatappi was served with short rib that was very rich, meaty, and a well-seasoned and saucy. Both pastas were handmade and cooked al dente. The tagliatelle was perfectly balanced between savory and a bit of acidity and tomato from the sauce. We also ordered cannoli for dessert. A big part of our experience was the environment, which was lively and upscale but still pleasant and relaxed. I also enjoyed the mix of modern and old-world interior decor. We sat outside and enjoyed the summer weather on the patio when we came, which was a big draw for us because there was plenty of seating yet it felt uncrowded despite the obviously busy season. If you're looking for a good meal and some nice wine with a great service, this is a great place to try in the north shore. read more

Denuccis - Cavatappi ragu - Italian Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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I was really excited to try DeNucci's because I have seen it everywhere, but it did not live up to the hype for me. The bruschetta was great, but the vodka pasta tasted sour and was not enjoyable. The chocolate gelato was good, but nothing special. Service was nice and the vibe was cute, but overall the food missed the mark. I might come back to try the Tavern Pizza on Mondays, but I am unsure after this visit. read more

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Was visiting Highland Park and loved our experience at Denuccis! Located in downtown, it's a great place to sit outdoors when there is nice weather. We ordered an array of dishes - artichoke, salad, a few pastas and a pizza. Everything was delicious! The highlight for me is their lemon pasta - perfectly balanced with a tangy yet delicate flavor. Pasta was cooked perfectly. Service was top notch! Can't wait for my next visit! read more

So happy Denucci's came to the Northern burbs! Such a great spot. The food is delicious. The vodka pasta is one of the best I have had and the pasta is always cooked al dente and not mushy. The drinks are delicious as well. The espresso martini is exactly the color you want and tastes like espresso (not the milky kind - yuck). The restaurant has amazing ambiance and the bar area is super cute. Service is always top-notch. I wish they were open earlier on weekends! I highly recommend Denucci's to anyone in HP! read more

Denuccis - Espresso martini - Italian Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

First time in. Excellent food top notch service Ricky was awesome. He was training Marley. Very very knowledgeable. Food was excellent. Everything was so delicious and fresh. The only thing that I wasn't crazy about were the garlic knots their tomato sauce I wanted to drink. Was so fresh tasted like a summer tomato from the garden Crab pasta was delicious lots of crab. Our waiter Ricky was one of the best waiters I've ever had. ( eating is one of favorite things to do ) Ricky was Very knowledgeable wonderful energy . I'll be back . Meatballs were amazing. Was a wonderful experience. One of those places where I want to come back the next day. Was pretty packed for a Thursday night. Did not dissapoint. Service 10 stars Food was bursting with flavor. read more

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Food, service and ambience was all great. The problem is that everything is à la carte and small and yet they charge for everything! So the food is delicious but the price sky high. read more

Tried this spot for the first time and overall had an average experience! We ordered the grilled calamari, chopped salad, artichoke, broccoli, and branzino. The appetizers were decent, nothing particularly memorable. The broccoli stole the show!! Perfect crunch, a touch of heat, and packed with flavor. The branzino was also a standout: beautifully cooked and portioned for sharing, which was a thoughtful touch. I really appreciated how they spaced out the dishes--it made the meal feel relaxed and well-paced. We sat outside on the patio, which felt more like an alleyway. It could definitely use a little sprucing up to make it more inviting, especially since the food deserves a better backdrop. Tons of pizza options on the menu, so we're already planning to come back with the kids. Bonus points for being part of Ballyhoo Hospitality--always a good sign. Looking forward to round two! read more

If you find yourself in the Highland Park area for dinner, stop at Denuccis. Italian made right. Great location, cute atmosphere. There's a bar area and dining room along with outdoor seating. The service was top notch. Justin (mgr) and our server was Bailey. None of her recommendations steered us wrong. Apps, meals, dessert and drinks. Perfect work outing dinner. read more

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This is for delivery. We ordered through thier Toast App today in their website in advance. Food was on time. I attempted to text and call the driver-Daniel-to give better instructions on which unit (8 unit townhome) is mine. Had blinds open and porch light on. All other units were dark, Drivers phone was turned off. I saw him place the food on the stoop of another unit. I called out to ask to bring to mine to no avail. Having just gotten home from an extended stay in the hospital, I struggled to put on shoes and retrieve it. Food was ice cold. Bag with calamari came sealed. Pizza box was not. After reheating the calamari was soggy and pizza pretty good. I would think delivery would have some sort of thermo bag to keep food warm. While I expect the pizza is better, all in all, Domino's delivers a better experience read more

Downtown Highland Park seems to get restaurants to come in, but a lot really don't stay. The stalwarts are all here (Michael's Red Hots, Once Upon A Bagel, Backyard Grill, etc.) but others tend to come and go. I'm hoping DeNucci's can make a go of it as it's a really good place and it is situated just off the main street, Central Ave, on 2nd Street, next to the Wayfarer Movie Theater. They have a nice outdoor seating area that is covered by the building, so rain would not disrupt a meal outside. The place on the inside is huge with a nice size bar and counter seating. There are a bunch of booths and tables and areas inside for larger groups with a private room in the middle surrounded by walls of wine bottles. We were seated along the windows at a table that faces the patio. They took our drink order and let us review the menu. Then we placed our orders. My wife ordered a salad and shrimp scampi with noodles and I ordered the chicken piccata with a side of noodles with butter and parmesan cheese. So, here's my issues with the restaurant. They do serve bread, but you have to ask for it (and I don't mean their garlic knots - which we ordered because we wanted bread and didn't know they had any). I think that was kind of crappy that the waiter didn't mention that they had bread and when we ordered the knots, he didn't say anything about their bread. It felt that he was padding the bill a bit for a larger tip. The next thing that bothers me is that the dishes do not come with pasta. You have to order them as a side. And it's $9. That's a bit pricey. Especially when the dishes a little pricey for what you're getting (as in the shrimp scampi - which is $26 for 6 shrimp sitting on a plate and then you're adding another nine bucks for pasta. Seems like a bit of nickel and diming the customer. A "Spirit Airways" take on Italian dining. Now, my chicken piccata was very good and the cutlet (there were two) are sizeable, so adding the pasta was a very filling meal, which I had leftovers of and brought home. And that's where you have to be aware of what you're ordering as some items are generous portion sizes and some are not and are not worth ordering, delicious as they may be. I would question your server on portion sizes before adding on the pasta and make sure you get the bread before you feel like the restaurant is holding out on you. And how did we know about the bread? After we got the garlic knots, we saw another table get served the basic bread and butter and asked about it and our server was very nonchalant about stating, "oh, that's free, but you have to ask for it." Um, if it isn't brought complimentary, why would I even think to ask for it? Yeah, that's the "Spirit Airways" of doing things. It's a good restaurant, and well worth checking out. Just be aware of some of the tricks (asking for bread, portion sizes, and $9 pasta added on to your meal). read more

I have been here a few times, and I was thrilled to see it locally after enjoying the Lincoln Park location. Despite being almost a year old, they keep running into the same issues and need to "have it together" more than they do. The service continues to let everything else down. That is NOT to say that the servers are anything but polite and friendly, so that is good. But it is very inattentive. On multiple occasions here, I tried to look for the server, knowing they cannot be near my table all the time. Even so, once you finally see the server again, they sometimes walk by, almost as if trying to avoid eye contact, so you keep trying to locate them for another 10-15 minutes. They also get a lot wrong here, and it's happened each time I've been to this restaurant. My friend got chicken on top of her gluten free pizza. She received fried chicken that had breading, an issue for her dietary restrictions. Our waiter (younger guy, a bit friendly if preoccupied, and impossible to flag down) said he'd have it redone. After at least 15 minutes, there was no remade pizza, and she had to get home to put her kid to bed. They said it would be a few more minutes, and it was really 10 more, if I had to guess. It was great that they comped the pizza, but they needed to be reminded to bring it, and it was a mess. There are other times when the service is very absent and kids are involved, waiting 30+ minutes for their (simpler) dishes. More recently, my husband had the rest of his pizza boxed up. After about 30 minutes, when we were ready to leave, he realized that no one brought his box back to our table. He had to ask, and we didn't locate our server for this, but someone else, who then convened with a few other people. It was still there, thankfully, but no one would've brought it to us if we hadn't asked. It still gets four stars for a less complex reason - the food is outstanding. I haven't had anything less than excellent. I'll list my favorites below, even though this is novel-esque in length (apologies!): - Broccolini: Perfectly cooked, amazing herb/pesto sauce (?) with a variety of flavors - Caesar salad: Surprisingly light, and a unique preparation - Shrimp scampi: No pasta with it, but you don't miss it, so delicious - Pizza: Have tasted others' margherita orders :) Nothing mind-blowing, but simple and effective - Chicken marsala: Leftover-friendly portion of tender chicken with a flavorful marsala sauce, and they don't skimp on mushrooms - Lumache alla arrabiata: Somewhat creamy arrabiata, al dente pasta, what a combo I look forward to coming back here, but I hope they can build on their good foundation to work out some kinks! read more

Everything was great from the service to the food to the atmosphere it was all there can't wait to come back

DeNucci's is a Highland Park Gem! From the moment my wife and I walked into DeNucci's, we were welcomed like family. The hostess staff couldn't have been more friendly or gracious, and the general manager went above and beyond--warm, accommodating, and clearly passionate about making every guest feel special. Now, the food... absolutely outstanding. We started with the truffle arancini--crispy on the outside, creamy and decadent on the inside, with just the right touch of truffle. The garlic bread was perfection: warm, buttery, and impossible to stop eating. For mains, the Chicken Marsala was exceptional--tender, juicy chicken in a rich, flavorful sauce with just the right balance of sweetness from the Marsala wine. The Pasta Arrabbiata had the perfect kick--spicy, garlicky, and deeply satisfying. And let's talk about the New York-style pizza: thin, crisp crust, great chew, and classic flavor done right. Truly some of the best we've had outside NYC. Every dish was a hit, and the service made the entire experience feel like a night out at a dear friend's home--only with better food. Highly recommend for a date night, family dinner, or just because you deserve a great meal. Can't wait to go back! read more

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We had a wonderful private dinner tonight to celebrate a birthday. Pedro was an excellent server - he was very knowledgeable about food allergies & the food itself was excellent. The room was very quiet and this was very nice in a usually energetic environment on a Saturday evening. They partnered with a bakery for an awesome cake dessert. Highly recommend & will ask for Pedro the next time we come for dinner read more

I had an extremely uncomfortable experience during my pickup at DeNucci's today (December 6th, around 5:35PM). When I approached the counter, the staff member was on the phone, so I respectfully waited. I was speaking quietly to my sister in Spanish while the restaurant music was loud. The employee abruptly told me, "Excuse me, can you be quiet? I can't hear the client," which immediately made me feel singled out and embarrassed given the noise level in the restaurant. What made the moment worse was that as soon as another customer walked in, she served him first and completely ignored me until I stepped forward again. When she finally handed me my order, she repeated that I was "extremely loud," even though the environment itself was noisy. As a customer, and as someone who rarely leaves reviews, I left feeling dismissed and looked down on -- in a way that felt unnecessarily harsh and, frankly, discriminatory. No one should walk out of a restaurant feeling that way. I hope management takes this seriously and addresses how guests are spoken to and treated. read more

We had a terrific dinner last night. The tossed salad, shrimp scampi and lobster risotto were just outstanding. When asked, I guessed correctly --they have a new chef, and he's great. Service was good and Justin, the beverage manager, was very helpful. I absolutely recommended this restaurant now for a well-prepared and fun Italian meal. read more

We were excited to try DeNuccis in Highland Park for the first time while celebrating a friend's birthday. Our server, Title, was outstanding and provided excellent service. Unfortunately, the end of our meal was extremely uncomfortable. Another party waiting for our table hovered near us, stared at us, talked about us, and eventually approached our table. One woman clapped her hands and told us, "It's time to get up now," and others joined in with sarcastic comments. It was clear they had been told they were waiting specifically for our table, which created an unnecessary and disrespectful situation. This behavior completely disrupted our celebration and made us feel rushed while we were still paying and finishing our drinks. The ambiance and food were great, but this experience left us hesitant to return. I hope management addresses how tables are communicated to waiting guests to prevent this from happening to others. read more

Denuccis - Italian Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Beautiful space bar is gorgeous. Service is top-notch loved the pizza and the pistachio gelato was so good.

Sunday night and no special and no gluten free pizza. Really?!??!?? Plan ahead and figure it out read more

Branzino in lemon sauce was perfectly cooked. Our friends thought the lobster agnolotti was good but the lemon was very strong. Veal scallopini was delicious. Fried calamari was ok. Indoor decoration was very pretty n easy street parking read more

The most simple review for this place. Service sucks. Food is hit or miss. Great location

Service was wonderful, food- pasta dishes, eggplant and grilled calamari excellent. Nice restaurant atmosphere. We enjoyed it as a family. Highly recommend read more

From the moment you walk in to the moment we walked out it was one of the best experiences as a family we have had. The staff are so welcoming and we are impress with their hospitality. Our server Nathan was very accommodating, patient, & answer any questions we had. The garlic knots & pizza is worth getting ! Chicken Marsala very delicious. Tiramisu wow out of this world! Thank you to the management for the warm welcome & for making my brother birthday a memorable one. Definitely go and enjoy this lovely establishment. read more

Denuccis - Garlic knots - Italian Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Massively disappointing DeNuccis' is the new venture from the Ballyhoo hospitality group, and is a clone of their downtown restaurant. It has the same limited menu, but more on that later. The restaurant is a handsome layout with dark wood tables and adequate space between them. However, we were there on a Saturday night and the place was fully occupied. This resulted in a noise level that was painful to endure, and people were virtually shouting to be heard. Our waiter was not great. There is no bread service, so we ordered the garlic knots. He had to be remined about them after the appetizers and salads were served. I'm sorry we ordered them, for in what universe could Parker rolls with some garlic and oil on top be garlic knots! To make it more insulting they charge $8.00 for them. We also had the Sicilian artichoke "Vesuvio" swimming in oil, not remotely a Vesuvio preparation ($16.00). The four of us split 2 "little gem" Caesar salads. I needed to ask for more dressing, but I will state that I liked the salad. The dressing reminded me of the Caesar salad dressing that I make based on Michael Lomonoco's recipe from the time that he was the chef at the 21 Club in NYC. So--one positive. I had fried calamari. The only correct way to prepare fried calamari is to flash fry for no more than 60 seconds, or the calamari gets tough. Unfortunately, what was served to me was rubbery and overcooked, with a thin marinara sauce with no redeeming quality. As to our entrées: L** had tagliatelle Bolognese. I didn't taste it so I can't give you a first hand account, but she said it was "OK" but not special. R** had shrimp scampi oreganata. To my mind, one of the pleasures of a shrimp scampi is the sauce, rich in spice and garlic, and begging for some spaghetti aglio olio or even some plain pasta to soak up the sauce. But at Denuccis' all entrées are served with no sides whatsoever--no pasta, no vegetables--nothing. In fact, a side dish of pasta is not even on the menu as an extra! My spouse got the best meal, a nicely plated filet of branzino, which, with the exception of too much garlic, was tasty. I don't know why restaurants are getting away with overcharging for this fish, but even in comparison to other restaurants, $38.00 with no side dishes starts to set new records. Finally. my entrée was the agnolotti with Maine lobster. What could have been a delightful dish was a big letdown. Agnolotti should be light pillows of thin pasta, filled with a tasty mousseline. If there was lobster in the mousse filling the too thick agnolotti, one would have to guess--the mousse was tasteless. Small, and I do mean small, pieces of lobster in the cream sauce were overcooked and rubbery. The chef needs to learn the technique of Thomas Keller for his French Laundry preparation for butter poached lobster that allows one to preserve the delicacy and wonderful taste that Maine lobster is known for. So, overpriced, uninspired, limited menu, painfully noisy. Shall I say rip-off? Yes. It is a shame. Highland Park needs good restaurants. This is not one of them. read more

The Good: The food was amazing! Their tavern-style pizza was great and so was their spaghetti & meatballs. The atmosphere is fantastic as well. It's a fun environment. The Bad: The service was lousy. It started with having to wait 15 minutes for a table (even though we had a reservation). The people I was with got their entree about 20-25 minutes before I did. When I finally did get mine--it was the wrong entree. So I then had to wait an additional 10-15 minutes for them to bring the right one out. To their credit, they did take care of a portion of our bill, which I appreciated. Because of the good food & atmosphere, I'd be willing to give them another chance and am hopeful the service will be better the next time around. read more

excellent food and service. had to wait a few minutes for a table, but that was expected without a reservation.

Classic pizza to go. Thin crust, definitely not tossed. Maybe pressed like Panera Bread-style? To be fair, might be delicious when served hot and greasy while gossiping with friends. Unfortunately, I ate this immediately while drinking by myself after work on Monday night. read more

Worst spaghetti cacio e pepe I've had. Tasted like Olive Garden - they clearly didn't use the traditional Italian recipe. Waste of money - go to the authentic Italian in Highwood (or anywhere else). read more

My best friend and I ate here on Fri night. With reservations. Started with a glass of wine at the bar because they were very busy andnour res. Ran behind about 5min. But everyone was so accommodating and nice! And attentive. The teamwork really showed. The food was absolutely amazing. Authentic Italian, bold flavors and wonderful textures. The artichoke appetizer was phenominal- tabgy, garlicky, could cut the artichoke with a fork it was tender but also crisp! The wine selection was beautiful- mostly Europe, and an alexander valley CA red as well. We were just so impressed! Thank you to Title (spelling) the server , she is a beautiful person and gave top notch service! Ambiance was low lighting, candles, amber glows and rustic vibe. Very Italian! Upscale casual read more

First time dining here. Really enjoyed the food. Pasta dishes were excellent. Service was very good. However, there were a couple of things that I think can be improved which would have me rate this restaurant 5 stars. One, why do I have to ask for bread? I spent a fair amount of money, north of $400 and I have to ask for bread? It's an Italian restaurant, they should give it free. 2nd, I get the a la carte feel but $7.00 for a side of pasta to go with my Veal Parm? Just raise the price a couple of bucks or not and let me choose my side pasta or side veggies. I think if they did that, my review would have been 5 stars as the food was very good. read more

Pastas were a hit. Everyone who ordered a pasta said it was great. I did the tavern style pizza which was just ok. Would be willing to come back and try the pastas, not the pizza read more

We have had many great meals at Denuccis. But, last evening with windchills in the teens, we decided to pick up our dinner and dine at home. We ordered eggplant parmigiana which we have had on several prior occasions. I arrived at the restaurant about 1 minute before my order was ready. So, I expected it would be piping hot when getting back home 5 minutes from the restaurant. Not only was it tepid, but it was undercooked and not edible to our dismay. The eggplant was tough and couldn't be chewed. Our order was scheduled to be picked up at 5:45pm well before busy hour for the restaurant. There should have been no excuse for the kitchen staff to have been overwhelmed with orders to be prepared. Since this was an aberration, we will return for future meals, but we are disappointed in having to have experienced a miserable dinner at home. read more

I had an AMAZING time at denuccis food service and vibe was out of this world would recommend to try out this spot if you haven't already!!!! read more

We have been here several times now and it has become a go to. We were able to find a last minute reservation and it was so easy to find parking on 2nd in Highland Park. The food was delicious! We also have had wonderful wait staff every time. read more