The Windy City has so many great Italian restaurants that narrowing it down to ten is a challenge.

Virtually every neighborhood has at least one traditional trattoria where you can get a great plate of pasta and a good glass of wine. And these days, most Chicagoland suburbs have one too.

Here’s our list of the Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Chicago:

1) Spiaggia
Right on the Magnificent Mile, Spiaggia isn’t just one of the best Italian restaurants in Chicago, it’s one of the best restaurants, period. It’s the only place rated four stars by both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine. Sophisticated, beautiful, and expensive, it’s the perfect restaurant for travelers on an expense account. Since opening in 1984, it’s consistently wowed critics and patrons alike with dishes like pancetta-wrapped rabbit loin, gnocchi with black truffles, and Alaskan halibut with beans and guanciale. If you can afford it, the 7-course tasting menu is the way to go. It’s $160, or $250 with wine pairings. But the adjoining Café has excellent food and more reasonable prices.

2) Coco Pazzo
Featuring the cuisine of Tuscany, Coco Pazzo has hearty dishes like grilled game, bistecca alla Fiorentina, and pappardelle with rabbit ragu. Many dishes are prepared in the wood-burning oven, and the menu changes seasonally. When truffles are available, they’re used to make an amazing risotto. An antipasto table is laid out with salumi, cheeses, white beans, and other goodies. The all-Italian wine list has been recognized by Wine Spectator.

3) Picolo Sogno
After leaving Coco Pazzo, chef Tony Priolo and sommelier Ciro Longobardo opened this stylish restaurant. The seasonal menu includes appetizers like chickpea flour fries with parmesan and rosemary and wood-grilled calamari, shrimp, and octopus are followed by pappardelle with wild boar ragu or little bags of black truffle and potato. The pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven are also excellent. When the weather’s nice, dine on the beautiful patio.

4) Cibo Matto
Come to this restaurant in the Wit Hotel to sample 2010 James Beard Award Semifinalist Chef Todd Stein’s contemporary Italian cooking. His sublime Bucatini Carbonara is topped with a duck egg, and the squid-ink spaghetti has lumps of crab. Braised short ribs and grilled chicken with oyster mushrooms are outstanding. Begin your evening with a hand-crafted cocktail and end it with peppered plum cake.

5) The Italian Village Restaurants
In business since 1927, the Italian Village has three restaurants in a multi-level space in downtown Chicago. Vivere, the fine-dining venue, has a dramatic, modern look and an ambitious menu. Signature dishes are pappardelle with duck and pheasant-filled agnolotti, and the wine list is one of the best in Chicago. Village, on the second floor serves Italian classics like eggplant Parmigiana and fettuccine Alfredo. It’s a good choice before or after a show. La Cantina, which is a casual trattoria specializing in seafood, is located in the basement.

6) Anteprima
Located in Andersonville, Anteprima is a friendly, neighborhood trattoria with a pretty patio that’s very popular in summer. Start with a plate of salumi, an antipasto salad, or grilled octopus. Then indulge in house-made pasta like tagliatette with a prosciutto ragu or ravioli with ricotta and English peas. Roast suckling pig with pancetta and kale is comfort food at its best, and the home-made desserts are good too. You can order a pitcher of good Italian house wine.

7) Gioco
Located in the South Loop, this loud, lively restaurant offers inventive takes on Italian classics. You can get a terrific Bistecca alla Fiorentina or Beef in Barolo wine. But more adventurous diners can try wood-roasted duck with black current, whitefish with fava beans, or spaghetti with chili-braised octopus. The yummy desserts include cherry and dark chocolate bread pudding and fruit-filled filo dough with Mascarpone ice cream.

8) Francesca’s Forno
Any top ten list of Chicago Italian restaurants will include at least one, and possibly several of Francesca’s restaurants. There are currently more than a dozen in Chicago and its suburbs, and they’re all worth a visit. The 15th in the chain, Francesca’s Forno features small plates of Northern Italian dishes that are designed to be shared. Antipasti like roasted beets and Gorgonzola and pear, Parmesan and Balsamic are great starters. And the wood-fired pizzas include ingredients like Chianti-braised figs or white truffle oil.

9) Rose Angelis
This romantic spot occupies several rooms in the ground floor of an old home in Lincoln Park. Guests can also dine on the pretty patio. Pastas are the stars here and include mezzaluna in a brown butter sauce, tortellone in a walnut cream sauce, and ravioli in a sun-dried tomato, cream sauce. Baked polenta with homemade lamb sausage and spinach is another favorite.

10) Osteria Via Stato
Although you can order off the a la carte menu, getting the Italian Dinner Party is a lot more fun. For $38.95 per person, diners share five appetizers — including yummy veal meatballs — two pasta dishes, a main course of their choosing, and two sides, all served family style. The Just Bring Me Wine option includes three glasses of wine chosen to complement the dishes. The least expensive level is just $15 per person. Bring an appetite because you can ask for seconds of everything but the entrée.

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Panini from Coco Pazzo Image Flickr: iLoveButter
Snapper from Spiaggia Image Flickr: Tammy Green (aka Zesmerelda)
Café Spiaggia Image Flickr: superciliousness