Francescas on Chestnut The Seneca Francesca's on Chestnut

Francesca's on Chestnut

Cuisine: Italian
Italian tradition powers on at this Gold Coast restaurant.
Openings: Lunch & Dinner daily, Brunch Sat.-Sun.

Features

Francesca's on Chestnut, Chicago, IL


Francesca's on Chestnut Restaurant Review:



About the restaurant: Grounding The Seneca apartments, this handsome restaurant is a neighborhood destination for its convivial atmosphere and reliable fare. A well-heeled crowd pops in for wines by the glass at Brunswick bar, or white-tablecloth dining by the fireplace inside the main dining room decked out in dark wood. Service is friendly and paced just right.

Likes: Consistent, traditional Italian fare.
Dislikes: Underwhelming tiramisu.

Food & Drinks: Francesca’s Restaurants have flourished in Chicago for decades, and here’s an example of why: classic, no-pretense Italian cuisine. The 20th location of the group ticks all boxes off the checklist, from antipasti to pasta to fish and heavier mains such as pollo alla Diavola (roasted chicken) and vitello Pagliacci (roasted veal medallions). Commence with crispy calamari fritti and tangy burrata con pomodorini. Pasta options include a sausage-specked fettuccine and cappellacci alla panna stuffed with four cheeses, ham and sweet peas. Tiramisu is on the soggy side. A generous but not overwhelming wine list represents the Tuscany and Piedmont regions, and a decent selection of California reds and whites.