Restaurant
Review: Papa Milano's, Chicago
Papa Milano's is the kind of good-old-days
Italian restaurant that we love. Conveniently
located in Chicago's Gold Coast (though
it seemed to be populated more with locals
than tourists), this longtime family run
spot features fantastic pastas - think spaghetti,
mostaccioli, linguine with clams, lasagna.
Excellent gnocchi. Killer thin crust pizza.
We found it by following our noses. Literally.
After arriving at the Sutton Place Hotel
one Friday evening after a long day of travel,
we set out to find some dinner. No reservations,
no plans, but plenty tired and hungry. Papa
Milano's turned out to be just around the
corner, and the wafting garlic-tomato-bread
aromas reeled us in, powerless to resist
the lure.
The line of people waiting to get in was
a good sign, plus we could relax next door
at Mondelli's Lounge, also owned by the
Milano family, where they'll call your name
when your table is ready.
While we waited, we got the scoop (or at
least the legend) on Papa Milano's - stories
that dated back to the 1950s were sprinkled
with words like "gangsters," "celebrities"
and "Sinatra." Whatever the truth,
the place just feels good. Bustling, big
city snappy, cool. Even the menu offers
the abbreviated "fagiol" (Italian
for beans) instead of the correctly spelled
fagiole. It just sounds cooler.
We started with a simple but excellent
house salad and then braced ourselves for
the huge plates of pasta and entrees we
had seen moving through the restaurant.
The baked mostaccioli was the stuff of movies
- rich and meaty and satisfying. Eggplant
parmesan was layered with meltingly tender
eggplant, smooth tomato sauce and gooey
cheese. A couple of bottles of Chianti later,
we managed to split a plate of cannoli.
The wine list is straightforward and uncomplicated,
like the food, with a judicious selection
of Italian reds and whites. Everything is
reasonably priced - particularly when you
consider the quality, not to mention the
pricey location.
Whatever other hip and trendy restaurants
we may ever visit in town, no trip to Chicago
will ever be complete without a night at
Papa Milano's! (october 2005)
Papa Milano's Restaurant
1 E Oak St
Chicago, IL 60610-2842
(312) 787-3710
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