02/21/08

A place with potential

by satirav

I moved to Rogers Park in November, and since then I have been to Gruppo di amici three times, and every time I've been there my personal dining experience has been quite disappointing. Their mussels and other items in their menu are really salty, service from the host / bartender / waiter and I think manager is bad and his attitude at times is even worse but I don't blame this poor multi functional guy for that. One positive thing though is that you will always have cold iced water thanks to the dedicated Hispanic bus boys that work there. Oh! and one last thing. They offer Half price bottles of wine on Thursdays I just hope that when you are down to your last glass you don't happen to find sediment or residue like I did on my last glass of Shiraz.

• Pros: cold iced water to wash the saltiness from your main course
• Cons: Service and saltiness in the food

11/10/07

Quite Overrated

by roger_rater

Gruppo di Amici benfits from lack of competition in Rogers Park; there just aren't a lot of good spots to dine there. In other parts of town, it wouldn't get much attention. The food is good, but rather overpriced - especially the daily specials. I dislike restaurants that have menu entrees substantially lower priced than the specials and that is exactly how it is set up at this restaurant. Menu entrees are around $14-$18, but the specials that are announced without price run $25+. Portions are large, so sharing is the way to go. The pizza is good.

There is a good, but inconsistent wine list - you get a wine that you like, but the next time you go there, they no longer have it. Service is pretty awful, frankly. Slow on a good day, unfriendly on a bad one. The atmosphere isn't as good as people here are saying either. They always have televisions on - ususally sports, so hardly a fine dining experience and the audio system is cheesy making the music either overpowering or inaudible depending on where you sit. Worse, they seem to have developed a snotty little clique at the bar that is unwelcoming to many.

I still go there occassionally because, as I said, there isn't a lot to choose from in Rogers Park.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Service, Atmosphere

09/21/06

Rogers Park really needed this!

by mfdonnelly

Very good food. Wine list is limited, but offers some nice selections at reasonable price. Friendly and efficient service. Nice atmosphere. Great job!

• Pros: Good food, friendly service, parking