Chicago
>
Francesca's Forno
EXCELLENT FOOD - but be willing to wait!. I LOVE Francesca's. Their food is excellent. Their wine is good and very reasonably priced. My fave appetizer - prosciutto di parma. Muah. Wine/Appetizers/Food - all VERY highly recommended. Now the downside: You have to be willing to wait. This past weekend took us almost 2 hours to get seated (but of course we went with no reservations). The host did bring us a round of champagne as a way to make up for the wait. It's also very noisy, so having conversation can be difficult. It's pretty small, so when waiting you are CRAMPED in with a whole bunch of other people - clausterphobe's stay away! : ) Wait staff seems pretty attentive.…
Honor your guest's reservations!. My boyfriend and I went on a Saturday night. We had an 8pm reservation but were not seated until 8:50. We think that the host forgot about us a couple times because even after following up twice and being told we were "next," other parties kept being seated before us. Naturally, we were frustrated. After the meal, we spoke to the manager, who only offered excuses ("it was an unusually crazy night") and nothing else. He just wanted to know "but will you come back?" It's too bad because the food & wine are really fantastic and at a wonderful price point. But waiting 50 minutes when we had a reservation -- and not having anyone aknowledge that they messed up -- was a big disappointment. Not sure if we'll be back.…
Great food, Great prices!!. Everything we tried was great! The appetizer salads were a good size, and tasty. The pizza was crisp and flavourful. We will be back here soon. Good service and the prices are pretty good.
Wonderful. I am still drooling of the thought of eating here. Try the seafood dishes.. all the food is bursting with flavor. The best in town. I will continue to enjoy the friendly staff and wonderful variety of foods on the menu.…
was expecting more.... i would have to say that i was disappointed. Food was not all that great and the portions were tiny. The service was good, but could not make up for the disappointment with the food. I would think twice before going in there again, especially with all the other good alternatives in the neighborhood.…
Very Tasty!. The food was excellent, but it is a loud atmosphere. If you are prepared for it though you will enjoy the overall ambiance and the delicious food. We went on a Friday night with no reservation and really didn't have to wait that long. We had an appetizer at the bar and the service was great!…
For cheap, good Italian eats, check it out. I had read a lot about Francesca's, and I was intrigued. I had called to make a reservation at 6 on a Saturday night and told it would be a 45 minute wait. When we arrived at 5:45 we were seated immediately. Anyways, the food was excellent, the service prompt and efficient albeit not the friendliest. The portions were quite nice and we even took some food home. This is a great place for classic Tuscan food at a reasonable price, with a fun atmosphere.…
Small plates favor rustic flavors at this boisterous scenesters' trattoria in Wicker Park..
The Scene
Anchored at the busy Six Corners intersection is this looser, hipper version of sister Mia Francesca on Clark. An L-shaped dining room features a bar and open kitchen to the left,
with banquette seating, distressed wood tables and mismatched chairs to the right. Globular light fixtures hover over thrift-store chic hipsters who practically have to shout to be heard over the conversational din. Floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto North and Damen make gawking at passers an irresistible distraction.
The Food
Shareable small plates plus pasta and meat entrees appeal to classic Italian palettes. Start with antipasti like tangy Sicillian tuna served puttanesca style or truffle-flavored sheep's milk cheese, honey-infused ricotta or prosciutto. Chilis spice up lump crab and tomato paired with black-colored squid ink linguine. Succulent chicken breast is topped with prosciutto, fontina, portabella and drizzled with white wine sauce. Star desserts include gelato sandwiches in chocolate, caramel and raspberry flavors.…
Great non-first date spot.
Had a great time here. I called this morning and made reservations. Was delightfully surprised when we walked in and were seated IMMEDIATELY by very attentive staff. Our server, Phil, was great.
Helped us select items. The extra staff was great with delivery, removal, waters, etc.
The food was great. We had the Ricotta with honey, I loved. The Fave Bean app was great. The Neopolitan Pizza is very flavorful. Vanilla Creme Brulee is delish and sized to share.
I was expected a "small plate" in the vein of a tapas place or Halsted's new XO. But Forno had huge portions. You could easily share with three or people. Great value.
We are very full and had dessert and a BOTTLE of great sangiovese for right at $60 for two.
It is pretty loud but we were prepared for that.
Love it!…
Make Sure You're Part of the Crowd. The patrons were all the twenty-somethings and , judging by the noise of conversations, all were having a wonderful time. The food was excellent (we had two different fish courses--salmon and swordfish--and shared a spicy pasta amtriciana--which was in the menu as bucatini but when served was the usual spaghetti--and had no wine because the restaurant does not have a liquor license (as of 30 August 2005)). The menu, a little skimpy on offerings, listed pork chops and two chicken dishes as meat entrees. The service was exuberant and considerate and the staff was eager to explain and be helpful. But the noise! Does no one complain about that any more? Conversations were impossible at normal volume because the restaurant blasted loud music over the house speakers all evening, and although most customers seemed not to be disturbed by that you have to be willing to tolerate the cacaphony.…
