Trattoria Gianni

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Charming, busy Italian spot in the heart of Chicago's Northside theater district.. In Short
A bustling pre-theater crowd fills this restaurant before heading to shows at Royal George and Steppenwolf theaters. The long, narrow dining room has a cozy, old Italian feel with hardwood floors, red curtains and framed photos. The menu features hits like tender, grilled duck breast with portobello mushrooms, onions and plum tomatoes, with pan-seared polenta on the side. Signature rigatoni nocerina is a delectable bowl of sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic in cream sauce.

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chitownfood

Joined 6 years ago

Go for the pasta, Stay for the dessert. Went on a Saturday night around 8:30. Was shocked at how empty the place was. I immediately wondered if we shouldn't go somewhere else for Italian as there were only 3 other tables seated. I was very glad we stayed. The salads were excellent, extremely fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella - although the Caprese could use more than just one tiny fresh basil leaf. The rigatone dish w/ sun-dried tomatoes in a cream sauce was amazing as was the shell pasta w/ sausage and peas in a tomato sauce. Nice and spicy. Vittelo Marsala, which I thought I couldn't go wrong with, was a bit disappointing and quite boring, actually. But the different pasta dishes and the ricotta-filled gnocchi our table ordred were all phenomenal. Do not leave w/out trying the Panna Cotta for dessert! Hands down the best dessert I have ever tasted. Love Trattoria Gianni, can't wait to go back soon.

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mrjustice

Joined 7 years ago

Decent Food on the whole, but much too noisy and dishes can be hit-or- miss.. Gianni's is nicely decorated and lit, but any romance or 'peaceful' dining is lost in the excessive noise level. Place is badly in need of acoustic insulation. As for the food, enjoyed both our appetizers: Muscles in wonderfully seasoned tomato sauce was some of the best I've had; and the Roasted Eggplant topped with parmesian cheese and tomato sauce was also quite tasty. Main Courses were hit-and-miss. The seared duck breast with polenta and portable mushrooms which was tender and delicious. But, the grilled Pork Chops served in supposed Chianti sauce and garlic was a definate 'miss' -- overcooked and tough, and even worse grossly oversalted (both sauce and chops). Couldn't even taste the chianti or garlic over the saltiness. Presentation was also underwhelming. What happened to quality control by the Chef? Might go back if I had nearby Theatre Tix, but otherwise wouldn't go out of my way.

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nadih70

Joined 8 years ago

Good....but. The atmosphere is charming and our waiter was quite capable. The food was a bit heavy but good. However, it was unpleasant to watch the owners berate the waiters in front of everyone.

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loistheladybug

Joined 11 years ago

Amazing!. The best homemade Tiramasu around. Everything is so fresh. The restaraunt is perfect for a romantic evening out. I love Trattoria Gianni!

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Natalie

Joined 11 years ago

We had a very nice time. I took my boyfriend here for his birthday. It was wonderful. The staff/service and food was impeccable. We had a great time. Plus, it was so convenient from the Royal St. George theatre. I would highly recommend it.

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da_mike

Joined 11 years ago

Good before the show. I took my family to Trattoria Gianni before the show at Steppenwolf and had a better time at dinner(though the show wasnt bad)! The wine list was quite impressive-though only featuring Italian wines-and our dishes came out great. My veal chop in barolo sauce was excellent and all fish dishes my family had were great. The pasta my girlfriend had was not quite al dente and a little watery but her tiramisu was fantastic. Great coffee and service- thank you Gianni for our experience!