Great pizza! Amazing ambience! Frito misto cannot be missed!…read more I actually loved everything we ordered! Such a gem of a place ! Can't wait to go back

This was a very nice visit for Italian out in Winnetka. We had a date to go to Lightscape at the…read moreChicago Botanical Gardens and looked for a place close by to have dinner before ... thus we found Mino's. It was a very nice place with simple decor, had great ambiance for families, a lot of outdoor seating that we could return for with better weather, and a little firepit going on the patio to greet you as you walked up to the front door. Nice start. One of their hallmarks is handmade pasta and pizza ... and for dinner one in our party had the Il Mino pizza (4 stars, which was very nice with little pieces of Calabrian chili in it to give it some oomph and a generous helping of sausage); another had the White Truffle Pasta (5 star stuff, with shaved white truffles on top of very nice pasta); and the last had the Tortelloni (4 star stuff that was delightful, but just a bit al dente). I was leaning toward a 4 star rating for the whole experience here, but had to round it up to 5 stars because of the Burrata appetizer ... creamy cheese and nice prosciutto. Other stuff: as a family place, you should expect that there will probably be kids running back and forth, something which is not the establishment's fault ... but can be distracting at times; the full-service bar served up nicely curated drinks, but suffered a bit from small pours; service (Andrew) was exceptional, as he appeared every time we were just about in need; easy 90 minute street parking was available; the men's bathroom could have used a bit of attending; and they don't offer bread for the table: probably because some bread appears with appetizers like the crostini that came with the Burrata, and they probably want you to get a pizza rather than fill up on plain bread. While they have gone the way of most restaurant in adding a 3% surcharge for using a credit card ... all in all this was a very nice dinner ... we will be back.

Get this! We had a 4:53pm arrival, and 1/3 of the dining room was full! By 5pm sharp, I heard the…read morehostess quote a 45-60 minute wait time. So do what you will with that! My family has dined here twice now and enjoyed both meals thoroughly. A full bar is stocked, and I've enjoyed a strong lemon drop martini here, as well as a glass of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. Dining area has about 18 tables, so it feels very intimate and cozy. The menu is posted on a large whiteboard and can change frequently. Favorites we've tried are the ravioli (filled with spinach, mushroom, whatever is offered) and chicken picatta. We don't leave with any leftovers. Entrees can range from $25-60 at moderate portion sizes, so it is a spendy meal but worth every penny. Warm bread and butter are served before dinner and the fried calamari is a crispy appetizer that hits the spot. To touch on post dinner... save room because that butter cake is one of our favorite desserts anywhere!! It is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, served with gelato on top/side, whipped cream, and caramel and toasted pecans on our latest visit. Because there is no dessert menu (just what the waitstaff verbally tells you), here's what I can recall from it on our last visit last month: carrot cake, tiramisu, gelato, Oreo cake, banana chocolate chip cake, butter cake. Skip the Oreo cake. It tastes just like chocolate cake (a tasty one with a lovely crumb, just not reminiscent of Oreo at all) with a scoop of chocolate gelato on the side. Can't wait to return!

I'll start with a confession: I don't even like Italian food. And yet, this little hole-in-the-wall…read morehas earned a spot in my top five restaurants of all time. That alone should tell you how special it is. The Food: No matter what you order, it's consistently excellent. The artichokes are addictive--I could eat them nonstop. The branzino is perfection, cooked to a level that makes you forget every other fish you've ever had. The Atmosphere: Small, cozy, and charming. They've done a remarkable job maximizing the space without losing that intimate feel. It's the kind of place that feels like a secret you're lucky to know about. The Downside: They don't take reservations, which means the wait can be frustrating. Timing your visit is a bit of a gamble, but honestly, the food makes it worth it. The Service: Exactly what you'd expect from a team that's been doing this for decades--steady, reliable, no frills. The real highlight is the owner, who personally greets every table to make sure you're enjoying yourself. That kind of hospitality is rare and unforgettable. Final Verdict: Even if Italian food isn't your thing, this place will win you over. It's authentic, welcoming, and downright delicious. A true neighborhood treasure.

I must have passed Carlos and Carlos hundreds of times on Green Bay Road, always wondered if it was…read morea Mexican restaurant. Found out it's Italian, so based on positive reviews, my wife and I went there early last night. To start they bring out a warm mini-loaf of crusty bread with a small serving of garlicky olive tapenade -- we knew right away we were gonna enjoy this place. The Bella salad had a huge amount of arugula, pear, figs and goat cheese, enough for two. My wife had a special: spinach stuffed ravioli, with a paper thin dough -- very light and buttery. I had the tasty vermicelli amatriciana -- a huge serving, the leftovers was my lunch today. What's interesting was the waitstaff tag-teamed us: Everyone could do everything from take our orders to bus dishes -- you could see they were pros, had worked together for a long time. The only negative (which I will not deduct a star for): There were two huge TV's playing with their sound off -- this did not add anything, were rather distracting. But the food and service won us over -- we will be back.

I was looking for a place to have dinner with a former co-worker who lives up near the border of…read moreWisconsin. I was trying to find a place at least midway between us and discovered Carlos and Carlos on Yelp. Carlos and Carlos is old school from the perspective you actually have to call the restaurant to make a reservation. The space itself is located in what I think is a condo building. The space itself is compact, with tables relatively close together. We ended up sitting at table next to the kitchen door, which for me turned out not to be too bad as we were not sitting on top of other folks. The restaurant and bar were packed as it was a Saturday. Based on the size of the space and number of tables, I would strongly suggest making a reservation if you go there. We started out with fresh bread and one of their specials for the night: flash fried calamari served w/fresh tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, shaved garlic, black olives, capers & garlic butter. This was a first for me as I have never had calamari served this way and it was great. Definitely a dish I would drive back to get. The bread was wonderful and hot. I could see through the kitchen as fresh bread was being pulled out of either a warmer or oven, not sure. It was served with some sort of olive oil and pesto, I think. It made for a lovely spread on the bread. For dinner I ordered a dish called "Meatballs" and it was just that, a whole lotta meatballs with some spaghetti thrown in as a side...HAHAHA! Not complaining, just staying a fact. The meatballs and pasta were good, but I would say there was a fair amount of garlic in the dish. I had my dish as a leftover and as I was warming it up, The Doctor commented that he could smell the garlic. The Doctor had the Pollo Vesuvio, which also came with pasta. I had a small piece and it was pretty nice. Again there was more meat than pasta, but again we were not complaining. The chicken was nice and tender and had a lovely flavor to it. My GF got the Risotto Al Fungi (Arborio served with wild mushrooms & goat cheese). Prior to sampling her dish, I would have absolutely stated that this was a dish I would not order in a restaurant as I wouldn't have any interest in it. I tried a spoonful of my GF's and was amazed at how good it was! The broth that the risotto was cooked in was chicken and I think beef. That with the goat cheese made this a very nice dish and the second reason I would drive here to do a repeat visit for dinner. Portion sizes were nice as The Doctor and I had plenty to eat and enough for light snack the next day. My GF had no leftovers, she became a member of the clean plate club. For dessert we shared a slice of the chocolate mousse cake, which was really nice. It had a lovely dark flavor to it and was creamy in texture. Service was nice and everyone was friendly. There is plenty of street parking within walking distance as well. While this is a bit of a drive for us to get to since it is outside of the city, I could see coming back here. I think I want to try a serving of that risotto on my own instead of a taste.

We wanted to try this place so we brought our parents. We ordered a bottle of wine with the…read morecalamari in the Beet salad for appetizers, which was really good. Our server was really knowledgeable about all of the dishes and suggestions on what we should order based on how many people we had at the table. The place was super cute inside and had many windows so you can see the downtown area from anywhere in the restaurant. It was also very easy to find and we did not have trouble finding parking on the street. I had one of the ravioli dishes, my dad and the pasta carbonara, which is very good and we liked all the food that we ordered price point was decent all over their past homemade and I will go back.

The restaurant is very cute! We went on a cold/snow day so it was pretty empty. The service was…read morevery good. The bread for the table was not the best (but free). Both pastas were good! Not the best Italian ever, but it was fresh and flavorful! I would go back!

Luis provided cheerful and excellent service. The cream of…read morered pepper soup was so yummy. I would like to find the recipe. Everyone enjoyed their dinners which could be customized to fit your needs. Very clean, beautiful resaurant with a bar. We will return

We were excited to finally try Olivia's. We decided to go for an early dinner (5:30ish) on a…read moreFriday evening. First impression, the parking lot was empty. We had heard they were busy, many times with wait times. So we were surprised. The ambiance is really nice, A really nice Italian dinner restaurant. I started with an Old Fashioned and it was one of the better ones I have had. They really nailed it. There are a couple on their menu so I was sure to say "not the one with soda/selter". That a Wisconsin one :) We asked if the Caesar was large enough to split to start. They said yes. Great. There were 3 tables filled so it was finally not empty. Not sure why the bar seating was empty- looked like a great place to sit too. After ten minutes we gave our order, Chicken Piccata for my wife and I had the Pork Chop special. The waiter didn't come by and we didn't get our salad. He was busy making drinks for one larger party (the 4th table). Finally our entree's came. I asked what happened to our salad. He looked confused. I reminded him we asked if it was large enough to split and we would start with it. He was genuinely sorry. It happens. Then we ate the entree's. My wife's Chicken was flavorful and served hot. It was very good. My pork chop was closer to room temp rather than hot. The flavor was really good. Unfortunately I have a thing about eating my food hot, not on the cold side. I told the waiter. He was sorry and asked if he could have them heat it up. I passed .... Didn't want dryer food while my wife ate alone. The manager came over and insisted it didn't sit at the window. Not sure WHY he wanted to argue this point. I offered the plate so he could taste or even feel the dish at that point. He seemed genuinely wanting to help, but he didn't need to make us feel like we were wrong. Again - not the end of the world. So why 3 stars? My wife's food was great. The taste of mine was good. They didn't charge us for my dinner. Their Old Fashioned was out of this world (ask Omar to make it). The truth is we want to try it again and see if this was a glitch. If it wasn't a glitch, it's why they weren't packed on a Friday night.

They did it again! We enjoyed another great birthday dinner here. Everyone is so friendly here,…read morethe vibe is cozy and lively, and the food is bueno! Our crew enjoyed the chopped salad and calamari ( needs more than ketchupy dips) starters and the mains --chicken Marsala, cavatelli, nanas gravy, rigatoni vodka, and of course the signature meatballs. A very nice slice of tiramisu arrived with a candle for the birthday boy. If it were closer I'd be here every week.

If I could give this place less than a star, I would…read more What went right? I found a parking spot in the small lot and the bread was good (when they actually brought it to is after asking four times). And mind you, they were not busy at all. There were a lot of empty tables. Everything else was terrible: service was non-existent, food was flavorless, bussers kept taking our appetizer/bread plates away, and the noise level at the bar was loud. We could not hear people talking at our own table. They put two tables together and covered the difference in heights with table clothes, so naturally our glasses fell over and spilled water all over me. Their solution was not to remove the soaking wet table clothes, they brought another one to put on top of the wet ones. Not a good solution. The waiter never checked on us after we got our entrees. My wife's pasta dish was just a bowl of mushy noodles in a bland sauce. My chicken lemone was flavorless and drowning in an equally flavorless sauce. Instead of the mashed cauliflower, I ordered the Vesuvio potatoes that turned out to be four small potatoes that were overcooked and mushy sitting on a bed of peas. No olive oil or oregano. Just flavorless mushy potatoes. How a chef lets this food leave the kitchen is beyond me. The hostess was at the bar constantly chatting up the other people sitting there which was directly behind our table and they were obnoxiously loud. We're done coming here.

Everything you're looking for in family Italian restaurant. The sautéed fish was a hit, and…read moreRigatoni vodka with sausage, creamy as silk and a crowd pleaser. I have to say both Red wines (Montepulciano and Sangiovese) were pretty bad so they need to work on their Italian reds but not deducting given the rest of the experience.

Francesca's Intimo is a great Italian restaurant with amazing ambiance. It's a perfect place for…read moredate night. FOOD: we stated with the calamari, risotto, and carpaccio. All three appetizers were delicious and I'll definitely get them again. The calamari was fried to perfection. I hate it when it's chewy and that was not the case with their calamari. For my main dish, I got the sea scallops linguine with spinach and tomato cream sauce. It was sooo good. My favorite pasta from there. They did not skimp on the sea scallops. We ordered 4 desserts: tiramisu, lemon olive oil cake, sticky toffee carrot cake, and chocolate torte. All the desserts were good but my favorite was the tiramisu. It's probably one of my favorite place to get tiramisu. Honestly, you probably cannot go wrong with any of their desserts. The one thing I was kind of disappointed with the Hugo spritz but not a big deal. It was weirdly too light for me SERVICE: service was slow in the beginning. It took awhile for the waiter to get to our table. But after that it was great.

Amazing service and authentic italian food! Ambiance is perfect for a date night too!read more

This is a fabulous restaurant! I had a great cocktail and wine here in addition to a lovely entree…read moreand affogato. However, the apps stole the show! That focaccia is MAGICAL. The calamari here is also among the best I have ever had. It's a bustling, tight, and busy atmosphere, but the food is comforting and delicious.

What a gem of a place! From the moment we walk in, this family-owned restaurant isn't just about…read moregreat food - it's about creating a welcoming experience. The owners are so friendly and hands-on, making sure every guest feels like part of the family. The atmosphere is cozy, warm, and perfect for and special casual meal with loved ones. The food? Absolutely delicious! Every dish is made with care and top-quality ingredients. We started with the homemade bread with garlic spread and calamari "Bobby style" a signature appetizer, which was perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. For the main course, I had the Veal Pancetta, and as always it was one of the best I've ever had - rich, flavorful, and packed with layers of love (you can really taste the passion in the cooking). You can tell this restaurant is dedicated to keeping things local and supporting the community, which I truly appreciate. It's rare to find a place that combines amazing food with such a strong sense of family and connection. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area - you won't be disappointed! We'll definitely be back!

Fine dining atmosphere, polite service. There's valet parking, which is probably optional, but…read moreyou'd really have to drive right by the guy if you wanted to park yourself. (It would be awkward.) The appetizers were my favorite part--I honestly filled up so much on them that I barely had room for the dinner. No regrets though, I would absolutely order the appetizers again!

Outstanding restaurant The food is tasty and they serve…read moregenerous portions The price is appropriate for he quality of the food Friendly stay A great place for dinner

We went there with another couple. Even though we arrived an hour before our reservation, they were…read moreable to accommodate us. This was our second time there, the previous being as outstanding. My girlfriend and I both opted for the halibut with farro special. I'm a pescetarian and picky about my fish and this was perfectly cooked. The basmati reduction was mellow and savory. The couple we were with had pasta and both loved their dishes. This is the quality of food one would hope for in a downtown or River North restaurant, but it's in Evanston with more reasonable parking. The menu leans towards elevated Italian, and not the heavy red sauce stuff (not that there's anything wrong with that). Everything has been great. The restaurant itself is in a vintage building with nice high ceilings. It's much larger than what it seems from the outside. All in all, a nice place to take a date, or for a special occassion or even if you just feel fancy. Not too spendy considering the food quality and service. Can highly recommend.