Cafe Bionda

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Citysearch

The Scene
Spiffing up a formerly dreary stretch of south State Street, the restaurant is divided into two halves--sporty bar with flat-screen TVs on one side, and a more elegant dining room with original art on the other--separated by a dark wood and frosted glass partition. Diners are a neighborhood mix of newly urban empty nesters and young South Loop condo dwellers.

The Food
The menu features hearty southern Italian fare that offers sausage lovers plenty of options: from salumi (cold cuts) samplers featuring smoked paprika and hot sopressata to antipasti like mild or hot char-grilled fontanini sausage served with crunchy broccolini. As for pastas, the bucatini--thick spaghetti noodles--comes nicely spiced thanks to chili flakes and garlic, but is stingy on the pancetta. The traditional veal francese is a satisfying dish, enhanced by details like thinly sliced roasted garlic flavoring the sauteed spinach side.