La Luce

04/18/08

Cozy atmosphere

by hemmybubb at Citysearch

The service is great. The food is either good or average; some dishes are much better than other ones, but I didn't try anything that was lousy. The pasta is homemade (yum) and some of the salad dressings are as well. The complimentary bread you get when you are seated is tasty and smells wonderful. The style is reminiscent of what I call "old chicago" with a lot of woodwork, fancy copper accents, a large decorative bar, and small, square tables. Overall, taking food, service, atmosphere, and price into consideration, I like the place and will go back but I wouldn't save it for a special occasion.

• Pros: Customer parking lot available
• Cons: non-alcoholic beverages are unnecessarily overpriced.

10/31/06

Bland average Italian, nice neighborhood ambience

by jbhiller at Citysearch

With all of the Italian restaurants in Chicago, this place faces stiff competition--especially in the price range. The food was bland and average, but service was above average. The atmosphere was cozy, but the bar is imposing on the cramped restaurant. The place has the feel that you're going to get super Italian from this non-trendy, quasi hole-in-the-wall atmosphere. We ordered an apetizer (calamari), 2 entrees and tiramisu. The app was the best of the 4 selections. The entrees were not very flavorful. The dessert was a catering mass order variety. There are countless other Italian restaurants you can go to that beat this place. If the food was truly great, the atmosphere would be forgiveably quaint and rough around the edges to the point of charming. But, the food is mediocre to possibly below average; this makes the atmosphere feel like you're at some unkept restaurant in the suburbs. Too many choices in Chicago to go again. If you're going to spend near $100 for an app, 2 entrees, dessert and 2 glasses of chianti, you can certainly do better.

• Pros: Easy in without reservations, quaint.
• Cons: Average Italian for Price.

10/26/06

Great ambiance and solid pasta dishes.

by nberan at Citysearch

The place was very quaint. We were treated very well, and it felt like there were a lot of regulars. The flavors felt like old style recipes -- maybe that is the Northern Italian. But my wife and I really enjoyed the food. I had the Farfalle Luce which was excellent. I could really taste that the sauce was made with wine. My wife had a pasta dish with their Vodka Sauce. I have had better vodka sauce, but my wife loved it. Overall, the food is solid and the ambiance is great. We will definitely be going back.

• Pros: ambience, service, very good traditional dishes
• Cons: crowded bar and small waiting area

04/10/06

Good Stuff

by robbb at Citysearch

Solid Italian dishes, specials were very good. Home made ravioli in vodka sauce special,

chicken parm, and sausage & peppers appetizer were excellent.

Overall a very good experience.

• Pros: Free Lunch Valet, Great weekday Special
• Cons: Small bar

02/14/06

Wonderful Italian Food and Experience

by queenb_chicago at Citysearch

This is one of my favs in Chicago. I love the building, service, and food. It's a quant restaurant with a small bar. The review above was mistaken. I love it that you can walk in and get sat right away. I recommend this restaurant. Enjoy!

• Pros: Food, Service, Ambience
• Cons: Small

08/28/05

It's a bar

by surferjo at Citysearch

It's a bar with a few tables to eat at. The baked clams were very good, the gnocchi was not, it was spongey with no flavor at all. The bracciole was tough and should have been cooked another couple of hours. Over all I wouldn't recommend eating there unless everything else in the west loop is booked.

• Pros: No reservation needed, excellent baked clams, you get a lot of food
• Cons: it's a bar, it was cramped, the food was not good

Traditional northern Italian cusine is on the menu at this West Loop restaurant.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
Open since 1993, this West Loop restaurant features traditional northern Italian cuisine with an emphasis on fresh ingredients. Cold and hot appetizers like bruschetta, carpaccio, baked clams and grilled portobello mushrooms start off the menu. Pasta dishes include bracciole with linguine, sage ravioli and gnocci with asiago cheese sauce. Chicken Vesuivo, grilled pork chops and N.Y. strip steak are some of the entree offerings. For dessert, there's cannoli and tiramisu.