We came for the first time on a Wednesday evening. We sat outside because the weather was decent,…read morethe only issue was the cars are parked so close to the tables, that if someone has just pulled into the parking spot, the heat emanates from their car right onto your chair. Wish the tables were a little bit further away, or maybe along the wall, anyway, that was probably the only issue with the tables outside. The menu is extensive, with a wide variety of dishes. My better half got the pork chop, which was pounded thin yet still on the bone. It had a very nicely seasoned breading with lots of garlic and a few herbs. It also had three or four fresh cayenne peppers, which were sautéed with a butter type sauce and poured over the pork chop. It was nicely spicy with very good flavor. My entrée was the chicken Milanese, which was virtually identical in preparation as the pork chop, except obviously no bone, and no peppers or spicy butter sauce and was served with an arugula salad, which was delicious. Our two table mates got salads, one with grilled chicken, which was nice and warm and the other with shrimp. We also shared an order of the sautéed broccoli. It was amazing! It had nicely crisped and toasted garlic pieces, some lemon and olive oil. It was one of the most delicious broccoli side dishes I've had at a restaurant. Even though I took a pass on dessert, they ordered the cannoli which came two to an order. Am going to have to say that the cannoli shell itself was not very good. I tasted a tiny piece of it, and it seemed to have a little stale/refrigerator flavor and was not crisp or fresh tasting. That was the least favorite part of the meal. Everything else was delicious. Service was solid and there were a decent variety of wines by the glass available. We will definitely return to try other dishes that sounded great!

We had a hard time connecting to make a reservation. Open Table has no availability. We called and…read morewaited then got a call back that they were closed and remodeling. It would be nice if they updated their website about this.

I traveled a long way from California once a year to eat at this restaurant the food,wine , and…read moreservers are awesome !! Thank you all for filling my belly with some of the best Italian food I have eaten. Hats off to the mangers, who actually come to your table and share in your experiences ! This place is above the rest ! Delicious 1/2 chicken and lemon sauce with salad and bruschetta Wine and desserts were awesome

If there is one place on EARTH that I could eat at all the time it would be this place! I requested…read moreMickey she is one of the very best servers anywhere and I've been to 11 countries ! Frank the owner even remembered I have Severe Genetic Food Allergies and omitted what I cannot eat, without me mentioning it ! All the staff are WARM , Friendly , and Fast ! Even the Busboy is very Professional ! This place is Cozy and Romantic . The Food is made to order and fresh , just like my Body Desires . Thank you Frank for giving our Community Superb Meals that even someone like me can truly appreciate repeatedly. Most places I stick to what I know will not give me a Histamine Reaction, but I took a chance with the Lasagna and was very Glad . It was perfectly seasoned and a huge portion . Leave room for Dessert it's worth it !

Amazing. Every single thing our party of 6 ordered was terrific. We went over one week ago and…read moreeveryone is still talking about it. Salmon was amazing, filet was amazing, house gnocchi was to die for. We will be back.

Disclaimer: I'm a New Yorker who's moved to Chicagoland so maybe I'm a bit snooty but the regular…read moreYelpers in the Midwest should always be viewed with a star and a 1/2 less than what is expected normally. Can't remember the last time we were here but the wife remembered us enjoying their food. Went back last night and was again, a great experience. Fresh pasta, well-seasoned proteins, generous cocktail portion, and 2 bussers whom I felt like, were there to solely cater to our table only; I love restaurants when you don't have to ask, they just know. I would highly recommend this place if you're in the area for an NU event. If you're a local, get your butt over there tonight!

Tocco sets the standard for all other area restaurants, and it's a high bar…read more Quality ingredients crafted with skill. Seems like it should be simple, but everyone else fails in comparison. We're so lucky to have this nearby.

Was looking forward to trying this place. Very nice interior and cozy atmosphere…read more Atmosphere - very beautiful inside but they put tables super close together since the space is small. Great outdoor area though ! Service - excellent. Our group wasn't the easiest and server was great. Price - expensive for what you get $16 INSALATA DI BARBABIETOLE (Sliced beets, fennel, shaved parmigiano, almonds, aged balsamic) - tiny for $16, felt like a few bites. Very simple salad, was fine $44 BRANZINO (Baked Mediterranean sea bass, green beans, roasted potatoes) - flavorless. Cooked nicely. Green beans were great. Potato's bland. Really hoped for more flavor. $32 PAPPARDELLE ALLA NORCINA (Handmade pasta, Italian sausage, black truffles, cream) - very mushy overcooked pasta. Enjoyed the sauce but couldn't get past how mushy the noodles were. You tried to take a noodle and it would just disintegrate and break into pieces, falling back into the bowl. $22 VEGETARIANA PIZZA (seasonal vegetables, mozzarella, tomato sauce) - not much sauce or cheese. Crust was good but it was very bland and needed more cheese, sauce and toppings.

I really wanted to like this local spot. Having its own parking lot is definitely a plus, and there…read morewas plenty of seating when we visited. The interior, however, is very dark and could benefit from better lighting. Service was disappointing. Despite having plenty of wait staff and not many customers, we waited long and had a hard time getting attentive service. The food itself showed promise and was flavorful overall. Unfortunately, the pasta was cooked too al dente for my taste, especially the ravioli, which was on the verge of being undercooked. The biggest letdown was the cleanliness. An ant crawled up my arm during our meal, and we noticed several flies, bugs in the dining area. I truly wanted to enjoy and support this local restaurant, but the lack of attentive service and cleanliness issues made it difficult to overlook the negatives.

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.

For years, we have eaten at Viaggio before attending summer concerts at Ravinia. This year, we…read morelearned that Viaggio had "evolved" into Nico, so we didn't know what to expect. It turns out, Nico is GREAT! Many of our favorites from Viaggio remain on the menu; the crusty bread, the Caesar salad, the gnocchi, the chicken Parmesan, all were top-notch. Terrific seafood dishes remain, too, although we didn't try them during this visit. And some new items that will be fun to try have been added, such as pizza. As always, the service was friendly and efficient. And best of all, the spumoni bombe is still on the menu! (It's our favorite and SO delicious.). Other delightful desserts, such as Tiramisu, are also available. We loved Nico and we will return soon!

Nico's, formerly Viaggio's, underwent a full renovation and change of ownership. Thankfully, much…read moreof the excellent staff remains. We loved the old Viaggio's and really wanted to love Nico's, but one major design decision has completely changed the experience for us. The bar was always the heart of this restaurant. It was a comfortable neighborhood bar where locals could have dinner, drinks and conversation. The new owners installed the pizza oven and pizza-making station directly in the middle of it. As a result, the bar is now literally a pizza counter. When you sit there, you are sitting directly in front of a working pizza station, watching pizzas being prepared, with boxes and supplies around the bar. Instead of feeling like you're having dinner and drinks at a neighborhood bar, it feels like you're sitting at the counter of a pizzeria. For us, that simply isn't an appealing or relaxing way to spend an evening. The layout also makes normal bar service extremely awkward. The pizza operation physically separates the bartenders from many of the customers sitting at the bar, requiring them to walk around the bar to take orders and serve patrons. Finally, you are sitting directly in front of a large, very hot pizza oven. The heat is significant. The pizza maker working in front of the oven was, quite understandably, sweating heavily throughout the evening just a few feet in front of us while we were trying to eat dinner. That's not a criticism of the employee--it's an illustration of why placing a commercial pizza oven directly in the middle of a dining bar simply doesn't work. The frustrating part is that so much about Nico's is good, particularly the staff. But putting the pizza operation in the middle of what was previously the heart of the restaurant fundamentally changes the experience. I hope the owners reconsider the layout and return the bar to being a bar. We would happily come back.

amazon service and friendly staff. great food at atmosphere. always will come back! great dinner…read moreplace always.

It's always amazing to have lunch at Francesca's in the #1 voted city in Illinois - Lake Forest…read more The pasta primavera is king! Farrah gives great service and the food is top shelf. I have to visit this town and restaurant every year!!

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

Hubby & I went there Saturday night, 7 pm reservations for my 55th birthday celebration. They sat…read moreus in the dungeon, aka, basement. Horrible table, crammed like an after thought to squeeze more money out of 2 suckers in the corner. When I complained, we were seated in Margo's section. I heard her tell the table next to us something along the lines, if they liked her so much, don't forget to leave a review! I foolishly thought, cool, we'll be in for a treat. Took 10 minutes before she came to us. We had to ask for water & the few times she came over, she acted like we were a major inconvenience. I ordered the Pappardelle Bolognese. At $29 it was a major ripoff. Had no taste & there were tiny scraps of veal. Photos I've seen of this dish have decent sized clumps of meat. The whole point of Bolognese is the meat!! The "wonderful" Margo only checked on us as soon as the food was delivered, asking how it tasted. It was just placed on the table, barely had a chance to taste it! Never asked if we needed drink refills until we were ready to leave, never came back to see if the food actually tasted good. My birthday wasn't even acknowledged by the hostess or the waitstaff. We will never return & highly recommend you avoid. Would give 0 stars if I could.

My lovely wife and I were recently invited to a luncheon at Café Lucci in suburban Glenview. Our…read moresizeable group occupied the main banquet space on the upper floor. The Italian meal included bread, salad, and soup to start things off. Dishes included sliced sausage with peppers (our favorite), penne pasta marinara, and chicken marsala. One vegetarian opted for the eggplant parmesan and it looked good too. Spumoni ice cream completed our meal. Service was spot on, as our glasses of water were filled throughout the meal.

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!

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.

Good pasta, great service, lovely intimate dinner ambience. We were traveling and definitely…read moreunderdressed for such a lovely setting but didn't feel judged by the staff, they were just as kind and attentive. Very fast service. We had a radicchio appetizer with goat cheese that was very unique but the bitterness was unbalanced. We LOVED the bread and butter basket that was free for the table, genuinely some of the best bread I've ever had!! My friend loved his pasta dish with a red sauce and another liked the halibut, it was satisfying and cooked well. I didnt mind my penne red sauce pasta, it just didn't wow me. I would have loved a pesto or similar option on the pasta menu. Very kind waitress as well. Overall such a lovely dinner that we were excited we didn't have to go searching for in Chicago itself, right in Evanston! Would love to go back, especially if they rotate their pasta menu.