Franco's Ristorante
Chicago, IL 60616-3627
Phone: (312) 225-9566
- Price:
- $
- Cross Street:
- Princeton Avenue
- Directions:
- El: Red Line to Sox-35th
- Hours:
- Tue-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri 11am-10:30pm, Sat 3pm-10:30pm
Editorial Review for Franco's Ristorante – by Jennifer Olvera
The Scene
The heady scent of slow-cooked sauce greets patrons within this small, family-run spot. Warmly colored walls are decorated with Tuscan scenes and black and white photos; linen-topped tables and slow-turning ceiling fans complete the cozy scene. Boisterous, friendly diners and enthusiastic servers promise a convivial dining experience.
The Food
The menu is short and sweet with a satisfying selection of pastas and entrees. Starters include filler-light crab cakes with corn relish and spicy mayo or crusty bruschetta with a topping of garlic-and-basil-specked tomatoes. For pasta-lovers, the spicy pesto penne with capers and salty pancetta is a fiery addition to any meal, and homemade, cloud-like gnocchi, topped with sweet plum tomato sauce and creamy ricotta, is bliss. Entree offerings include hefty roasted pork chops in salty, rich gravy with fork-tender rosemary potatoes. To finish: a generous serving of airy, coffee-soaked tiramisu.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Know Before You GoAll dishes are made to order, so don't be surprised if they take a little time. Specialties can take up to 35 minutes.
What to DrinkThe wine list is small and affordable with 20-plus bottles ranging from $19 to $42. House wines are the only ones available by the glass and include a chardonnay, pinot grigio, merlot, Chianti, white zinfandel and pinot noir selections for $5.50.
User Reviews for Franco's Ristorante
03/01/2008 Posted by pvlahos86
My boyfriend and I and another couple recently went to Francos ristorante. My boyfriend found it here on city search. Don't be fooled by the outside.Its the cutest restaurant with a casual yet elegant atmospere. We started out with the field greens salad. The dressing was amazing, but it was just field greens with dressing. The bread was hot and crusty . Our meals were awesome. Fusilli with roasted peppers and peas in a light tomato sauce was perfect! The vodka sauce was also very good...not to creamy and not to thick. Our waitress was very attentive and we met the owner's wife and she was ver nice! All in all it was great authentic italian food with a quaint atmosphere
Pros: Great pasta sauce
Cons: salad was plain
06/07/2007 Posted by galexe
I went for dinner before a night sox game. It was perfect. The bread basket was fresh and hot with a crunchy outside and doughy warm inside. Throw some oil and cheese on that bad boy and have a ball. I had the romaine salad and the grilled octopus appetizer. The salad was delicious and simple. The octopus was chewy which I think it almost always is, but it was packed with flavor. I enjoyed it immensely. My friend had three glasses of the house wine which was chianti and she liked it alot considering how much she drank. She had the salmon entree. It was grilled perfectly. The polenta was really really creamy. Maybe a bit overdone, but we still devoured it. My favorite part of the dish was the sauce on the salmon. I think it was an emulsified marinara. Really flavorful and delicious. I wanted to take a bath in it. Like I said I think the flavor is all in the tomato. But it was damn good. Okay so the bad part. The placed was filled up with only one waitress on a wednesday night. And everybody there was rushing to get to the game by 7. So needless to say she had her hands full. She was late with drinks. She brought both my dishes before my friend got her salmon. My intentions were that my grilled octopus was supposed to be my entree and brought out with her salmon. So I sat and ate both my dishes while she sat and ate nothing. Then they cleared my plates and she got her salmon while I sat and ate nothing. Little disspointed there. But it was before a game and everybody was rushing. I totally understand and don't judge this restaurants service by this visit I would eat there again even if the service was bad that night. The food was that good. Thats what I love about bridgeport. The place might look like a dump from the outside but you go in and then the italian food is worth the visit. By the way the inside restaurant probably seats about 40. They do have an outside area but it wasn't open when I was there.
Pros: Good food
Cons: might get slow service depending on the night
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