Rustic Italian Meets Hipster Chic at Reno Chicago
Friday January 4, 2013 by Ryan Fernandez
Reno Chicago's rustic, old-world Italian cuisine is framed in a very modern setting. It's a must-go for anyone passing through Chicago.
Reno Chicago 2607 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 (773) 697-4234
Reno Chicago sits smack dab in the middle of Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood — right at the intersection of Milwaukee Ave and Logan Boulevard, and across the street from the CTA Blue Line stop, it's literally part of The Square. A bustling, hipster's kind of place, Reno is very clean, has nice decor, and makes good use of wood in the interior. Their service is fast and concise, and their food is excellent.
For starters, one option is the frisee spinach salad. Consisting of almonds, shaved mushrooms, fried leeks, frisee, spinach and dressed with sherry vinegar, it had an oily, zesty flavor. It wasn't too light like many salads can be — this starter was both quite flavorful and substantial.
Moving on to Reno's delicious hand-made spaghetti is made with San Marzano tomatoes, which is fitting since they are known to be best for tomato paste. This dish was my favorite of the meal, but the portion could have been bigger.
The pizza we ordered utilized more than one type of cheese, and tasty peppers.
And the apple crisp w/ vanilla ice cream was a delightful cap for the evening.
With its strategic placement right at the edge of Logan Square, Reno is far from middle-of-the-road. Drop by next time you're around Chicago's near Northwest side.
A Quick Bite at Firenze Osteria
Wednesday December 5, 2012 by Ryan Fernandez photos by Olivia Chen
North Hollywood Italian restaurant Firenze Osteria, owned and operated by Fabio Viviani from Bravo's Top Chef Season 5, is the namesake of Firenze, Italy, the Italian city where the restaurateur landed his first cooking job.
Fabio Viviani is a very hard working businessman - his website is frequently updated with current blog entries. He also publishes his own books, has a consulting company on the horizon, and is owner of Cafe Firenze a bit further North in Moorpark, CA.
Firenze Osteria consists of two big rooms, the front room with a bar and the "wine room" in the back. The decor was great — featuring beautiful Italian-themed paintings (and nice wallpaper!).
Word has it the place stays packed, and it definitely was on this particular night, with families mostly - parties of five or more as opposed to tables of just two. It definitely seemed like a crowd mostly sourced from the local North Hollywood area.
On to the food:
Crostini Di Pancetta - Grilled Pancetta and Burrata Crostino toasted bread, fresh imported Burrata, grilled pancetta and crispy sage, with brown butter.
Trofle Con Anatra E Finocchio - Trofle Pasta with Duck sausage and fennel. Homemade Trofle pasta, duck sausage, cartelized fennel, and Parmesan cheese.
And flourless chocolate cake.
Add fast & attentive service into the mix and you'll agree Firenze Osteria is fully equipped to provide a fine Italian dining experience.
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