Fine Italian cheese
Any serious diner who frequents Chicago knows about Spiaggia. Not only is this one of the best Italian restaurants in Chicago, it’s one of the best in the country. For more than 25 years, it’s been impressing both diners and critics with exceptional food, service, and fabulous ambience. For a special evening out, Spiaggia is hard to beat.
The tiered dining room features floor-to-ceiling windows with drop-dead gorgeous views of Lake Michigan and Oak Street Beach.
Chef Tony Mantuano, the original driving force here, remains actively involved. The 2005 winner of the James Beard Foundation Best Chef in the Midwest award, Mantuano trained in some of Italy’s best restaurants before settling in Chicago.
Spiaggia is the only restaurant in the Windy City to receive a four-star rating from both Chicago Magazine and the Chicago Tribune. And it has won the Tribune’s Good Eating Award. In perhaps the most compelling endorsement, President-elect Barrack Obama had his presidential election victory dinner here in 2008.
Mantuano has assembled a top-notch team including Executive Chef Sarah Grueneberg, who has been with Spiaggia since 2005. Grueneberg spent part of 2009 perfecting her craft in several Italian restaurants with three Michelin stars.
Sommelier Steven Alexander has built a best-in-class wine list and developed an innovative wine program that showcases Barolo, Barbaresco, and Collio wines. Many of the wines on the Spiaggia wine list were introduced to America here, and Alexander has also brought artisanal Italian beers to Chicago.
Spiaggia uses the finest available ingredients and makes virtually all their Italian food from scratch. The menu changes often and is designed to make the most of seasonal ingredients, which might feature delicacies like truffles, and foie gras. The dishes here are not complex – they are made sublime by the quality of the ingredients.
The a la carte menu includes starters like wood-roasted diver scallops, pancetta-wrapped rabbit, and sweet corn and crab soup. For special occasions, Petrossian Royal Osetra Caviar is available. Pastas are simple, yet exquisite. And there’s usually a gnocchi and risotto selection among the primi piatti.
You’ll find several superb seafood choices available for your main course, often salmon or halibut. And lamb, pork, and veal are frequently on the menu.
The seven-course tasting menu provides the opportunity to sample many incredible dishes. At $160 per person, it’s not for the faint of heart. But you won’t be disappointed. Wine pairings are an additional $90 per person.
Italian wine
The Cava di Stagionature, which was introduced in 2002, is the first cheese-aging cave in the Midwest. A truly impressive selection of goat’s, cow’s, and sheep’s milk cheeses is imported from Italy and served in perfect condition from a trolley. In addition to Pecorino, Parmigiano Regianno, and Gorgonzola, you can sample rarely available cheeses like Robiola Tre Latto and Ragusano. Seasonal condiments are created to complement the cheeses.
Those who aren’t on an expense account can have excellent Italian cooking at the less formal Café Spiaggia for about half the price. Locals and visitors alike flock to the Café for great pasta dishes, pizzas, and home-made gelato.
Read about the other Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Chicago here.
Fine Italian cheese Flickr Image: Rubber Slippers In Italy
Italian wine Flickr Image: delphaber
