10/02/09

Great food, nice ambiance

by MarkFister

The menu includes an excellent variety of appetizers, pastas, meats, seafood, dessert. Very good wine menu.

• Pros: Excellent quality, friendly staff, good value
• Cons: Not close to downtown Chicago

08/16/09

used to be good and my favority. Key word "USED"

by RedRidingHood

Totally disappointing experience, the dinner which was to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday was a complete disaster. Va Pensiero used to be our favorite Italian restaurant. My husband and I have been there several times and loved it; although last time service was questionable but the meal was good. This time the bad experience started from the walking in, we had to wait 5 minutes for someone to acknowledge we were waiting to be seated (the host was MIA). We set down and another 10 – 15 minutes until the waiter appeared introducing himself and apologizing for the wait (did not ask and did not take our drink order). Another 5+ minutes and the waiter came back and got our drink orders and disappeared but this time came back a bit quicker. Dropped the drinks and another 15 minutes went by before coming back to take our meal order.

The mixed field greens salad was fresh and crispy although room temperature with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing which did compliment the field greens. The good meal and bad service only god worst from there turning the experience into a complete disaster.

My husband ordered the Garlic-Rosemary Marinated Medallions of Beef, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Exotic Mushrooms cooked median rare and I ordered the Lamb Scaloppini, Gorgonzola-Infused Polenta and Braise Italian Greens. Both meals were over cooked with burned yes bitter burned chunks on the thing and toughs meat. It was so burned and over cooked it tasted bitter. We waited for our waiter to come back to check on us and see if we wanted anything else to drink but that never did occur. The only time to waiter was prompt was at dropping the check.

I am extremely disappointed and will not return. Once bad shame on you, twice bad shame on me.

• Pros: Ambiance
• Cons: service, food

03/24/08

Hidden Jewel with great food and service

by ihatetocook

From the time we entered Va Penseiro, we were treated like royalty! The service was exceptional and the servers were so discrete...it was as if our water glasses were refilled and bread replensihed magically!

The Wine list was excellent and reasonably priced. The food was even better than the service! We had the beet salad and the field greens with gorganzola and michigan cherries. Both were tasty and a wonderful start to a fabulous meal. My husband had the pork and I had salmon with lentils. Both main courses were taste sensations that exceeded our high expectations. We ended the evening with the budino~ a warm chocolate with a a melted chocolate center ~It was to die for and the creme brulee, again an exceptional taste sensation delight! We go out to eat almost every weekend night. After our ivsit to Va Pensiero, we know where we will be going again and again!

• Pros: great service, food, wine and reasonably priced
• Cons: hard to find, but worth the search

01/31/08

Yuck! Bad food - Agressive service.

by arafel

I really don't understand why this place gets such good reviews. The food was bland when it wasn't strangely acidic. The mushroom soup might as well have been battery acid. The portobello piccatta... just yuck. Overcooked mushroom with soggy breading and a really strange souffle on the side. I am normally the type of person who loves to try adventurous dishes and I'm not much of a picky eater, but this place couldn't seem to get the most simple dishes right. Even the pre-meal bread was rubbery. I couldn't make myself take more than a few nibbles of anything, before I gave up.

The weight staff and manager were aggressive. We were constantly being interrupted by questions about how we were doing. When it became obvious how unhappy I was with the food, the waiter's demeanor became odd and pouty. It was very uncomfortable.

Otherwise, the place is cute. They have interesting presentation... too bad nothing tastes as good as it looks. I wouldn't recommend this place AT ALL to anyone - EVER. Yuck!

08/04/07

great atmosphere, food , and service

by elizscott

Va Pensiero in Evanston is a bit hard to find the first time, but is so worth the effort! We dine out often and we have never been disappointed here. The food is flavorful and authentic; it reminds us of our vacations in Italy. The staff is attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and the wine list. The rooms are elegant and inviting; they have a quaint patio. They have a drink called La Dolce Vita, which they created, and it is amazing! We have attended the monthly wine dinners and have always been quite impressed--we have even met winemakers from Italy there! Va Pensiero is perfect if you are looking for an elegant evening of fine food and wine with an impressive backdrop (check out the art in the rooms).

• Pros: wonderful food, service and ambience

01/04/07

Creative, upscale Italian cuisine in a warm, old Evanston atmosphere make this a pleasant special-occasion spot.

by Contributor

The Scene
Gracious service and a reputation for excellence have made this elegant space in the basement of the stately Margarita Inn an Evanston classic. A chatty crowd of professionals and NU students with parents in tow fill the inviting dining room, which boasts classic Romanesque decor, complete with columns; the textured golden walls are covered with tasteful paintings of Italian street scenes.

The Food
Va Pensiero's hearty, ever-changing Italian fare impresses with inventive flavor combinations and artful presentation. A Parmesan basket brims with chunks of tender scallops and shiitake mushrooms; pistchio pesto brings pan-sauteed tiger shrimp deliciously to life. One delicious pasta dish presents savory artichokes, roasted tomatoes and roasted chicken, all bathing in a sweet lemon rosemary cream beneath perfect parsley pasta sheets. Meat and pasta plates include succulent pan-roasted veal medallions with white truffle polenta, and flaky roasted salmon with a subtle mustard mascarpone glaze.

• Pros: excellent italian farewarm ambience

08/07/06

Amazing food, atrocious manager

by occhiblu

Va Pensiero seems to have hired an assistant manager on a power trip, and he ruined my family's experience there last week. He was aggressive and rude throughout our meal. He refused to change our table (until we were equally rude in asking him to move us) even though 75% of the restaurant was empty and remained empty throughout our meal; he accused us of lying; and he got into a staring contest with my father about a bottle of wine. Despite continually saying "no" to our requests, he never apologized or worked to find a compromise, he simply sneered at us as if he shouldn't have to talk to such commoners.

Until that evening, we had experienced nothing but wonderful service and professionalism from everyone who worked at Va Pensiero, but we will not be returning after that experience. The prices are too high, and the location not nearly worth it, for such atrocious treatment.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Rude management

04/30/06

Excellent Italian Gem --Recommended

by nprbuff777

Service and food were excellent. Warm and soft sourdough rolls started the meal with a toasted walnut and sage butter.

We're vegetarians, so we ordered one bowl of wild mushroom soup made with vegetable stock (2 thumbs up!). Don't even think about sharing your soup spoon. An extra one will mysteriously appear, thanks to the discreet but attentive wait staff.

We also had the baby arugula + blood oranges salad (very fresh) and the mixed greens and beet salad (savory). For entrees we had Semolina Ravioli with Spinach and Ricotta (delicious) and Portobello Piccata with a Fallen Spinach Soufflé and Goat Cheese (tasty but a bit fussy.)

For dessert, the Mascarpone Cheesecake with rasperries and graham cracker crust was substantive and satisfying.

The wine recommendation was helpful. We are not crazy about Italian wines, but the Chianti the waiter recommended was surprisingly good! Overall, the ambience was relaxing and romantic.

08/02/02

A jewel

by snatie

This is a great restaurant, consistently good all around. Great martinis.