When only a big bowl of pasta or a plate of chicken parmigiana will do, head to one of these Oak Park-area Italian restaurants to mangiare to your heart’s content. Just remember that napkin to catch any sauce splatters. And top everything off with fresh Parmesan!
This Oak Park staple, a family-owned fixture since 1995, has long been known as a fine dining experience with Mediterranean influences. Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Parma cheese and drizzled with balsamic reduction are a perennial favorite here. Other classic small plates like baked meatballs, fried calamari, and cucina puffs (cheesy zucchini fritters) are other fan favorites.
There’s a menu of 10-inch pizzas to share or feast on yourself, including the San Gennaro (sausage, caramelized onions, roasted peppers and ricotta) and a che fico fig pizza (fig jam, prosciutto, mozzarella, goat cheese and arugula). Classic pasta-lovers will be delighted with their rigatoni bolognese and linguini.
A family-style, dine-in menu for groups of 10 or more has age-old favorites including entrees like chicken marsala, whitefish piccata and rigatoni arrabiata, plus tiramisu and chocolate lava cake for dessert.
Cucina Paradiso also offers takeout and has a large catering business. It’s open seven days a week from 5pm to 9pm.
You’ll find a new menu every week at this Forest Park Italian place. Fingers crossed that it includes Nonna’s meatballs, agnolotti with black truffles, and a sausage pizza with vodka sauce and herbed breadcrumbs.
There’s something old-school about visiting the website to see the new menu, and poring over a hand-written note with Fiore’s specials and delicacies for the week.
Fiore Pizza and Bakery hosts onsite events and also does offsite catering.
Hours are Monday through Wednesday from 4pm to 9pm, Thursday from 11:30am to 9pm, Friday from 11:30am to 10pm, Saturday from 10am to 10pm and Sunday from 10am to 8pm.
Join Oak Park residents at Il Vicolo Trattoria. Opened by Vito Tufano --a native of Naples -- in 2011. The welcoming, family atmosphere makes Il Vicolo an area favorite.
The restaurant features a menu of Neapolitan classics. Favorites include grilled calamari steak, eight-finger cavatelli, hand-made gnocchi and veal scallopine, plus an excellent pizza selection. There’s a full bar and nightly wine specials, plus an extensive takeout and catering menu.
Hours are Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm, and Sunday from 4 pm to 10 pm.
Come to chef Giovanni Mancini’s Oak Park restaurant for modern twists on Italian cuisine. Orechiette della Casa is tossed in garlic and oil with shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes and rapini. Pollo alla Fiorentina is a chicken breast sautéed in a lemon butter sauce and layered with spinach and mozzarella. There’s a lengthy list of nightly specials, plus a molto bella list of wines and cocktails, too.
Stand-out desserts include “the Tulip,” a flower-shaped cup filled with tiramisu and chocolate mousse and topped with fresh strawberries, and Torta di Ricotta della Nonna, a family recipe for ricotta cheesecake.
La Notte Ristorante Italiano has banquet facilities that can hold up to 200 people. Hours are Monday to Saturday from 4pm to 10pm, and Sunday from 4pm to 9pm.
When you want pizza, pasta and more, head to this local mini-chain pizzeria run by a family from Calabria, Italy.
Salerno’s opened their first restaurant in 1966, and became best known for their thick- and crispy thin-crust pizzas (which are available gluten-free) with all the classic toppings like pepperoni, anchovies, and Chicago faves like Italian beef.
The other part of Salerno’s name is ‘pasta,’ which also gets rave reviews. There’s in-house made lasagna, pasta e fagioli, shrimp scampi, plus more casual fare such as pepper and egg sandwiches or ribs.
A private dining room is available for events. Check the website for location-specific coupons and specials.
Salerno’s is open Sunday to Thursday from 10 am to 11 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 10 am to midnight.
Feast on a rustic Italian menu at this full-service Oak Park favorite that includes wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas and artisan gelato. It’s all made with local, organic and sustainable ingredients whenever possible.
Start with a grilled Caesar salad and prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella. Move on to a “funguy” pizza with crimini mushrooms and smoked mozzarella. Try a chicken saltimbocca (with prosciutto, artichokes, capers and lemon butter) before ending your meal with chocolate gelato layer cake.
A kids’ menu for 12-and-under diners includes cheese ravioli, pizza, and chicken with broccoli.
The restaurant has private and semi-private event space that can accommodate 20-150 guests.
Trattoria 225's hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 5 pm to 9 pm.
Tre Sorelle is a new(ish) kid on the block with old roots. It opened in 2019 in a space formerly occupied by a restaurant called Mancini’s by the man who started it all –Al Mancini. That spot eventually came under new ownership and closed in 2017, but Mancini still owned the building and got back into the business.
Like Mancini’s, Tre Sorelle’s menu is filled with Italian classics with modern twists: grilled calamari served over arugula with cherry tomatoes and balsamic glaze; or beef ravioli topped with mixed mushrooms in a tomato, basil and red wine sauce. Get creative by building your own pasta dish, choosing the type of noodle, sauce and protein for endless mix-and-match combinations.
The restaurant sources local ingredients whenever possible and caters outside events.
Hours are Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday from 4 pm to 9 pm, and Fridays and Saturdays from 4 pm to 10 pm.
Whatever you do, don’t miss Joe’s Mama’s Meatballs, made with chef Joe Farina’s family recipe, served with whipped ricotta and marinara. Victory Italian is an Oak Park favorite for a very good reason.
Save room for classics including Sicilian arancini, escarole and beans, rigatoni alla vodka sauce, and chicken cacciatore.
There’s an extensive wine list and cocktail menu with the best of American wines plus a wide selection from the old country.
If you fancy a more exclusive experience, Victory Italian also offers onsite private dining and offsite catering.
Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 4 pm to 10 pm, and Friday and Saturday from noon to 11 pm.
Get in that perpetually long line at Freddy’s Pizza – we promise it’s worth the wait. Freddy’s roots in Berwyn go back to the 1950s, when it was known predominantly for its pizza and Italian ice.
Today, Freddy’s storefront is often lined deep with customers still eager for classic Italian fare: pizza, ices and so much more: house-made sausages, soups, pasta dishes, chicken dishes, sandwiches, plus a rotating roster of freshly made gelato flavors.
While Freddy’s is primarily available for pick up, there are some tables for on-site dining. The store also does catering. Hours are Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm.
Stepping into the dining room of this Forest Park restaurant feels like walking into one of the best Italian restaurants. The first floor resembles an outdoor café, complete with street-style lamps. Upstairs, dine under Venetian lanterns, or on a rooftop terrace with indoor-outdoor fireplace.
The menu includes Italian food favorites like sausage and peppers, minestrone soup, risotto, osso buco, and eggplant parmigiana.
Private events for up to 50 guests and outside catering are available.
Caffe De Luca's hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 pm to 9 pm, Thursday through Saturday from noon to 9pm and Sunday from 10 am to 9 pm.
Join generations of local fans who frequent this Forest Park favorite. Jimmy’s Place has been serving Italian home cooking for more than two decades.
Start with stuffed artichokes, garlic bread and baked clams before moving on to some great cream sauces with the fettucine alfredo or Gorgonzola alfredo, or veal marsala.
Celebrating a special occasion, or just bringing the family together? Jimmy’s Place’s party room accommodates up to 80 people.
Hours are Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4 pm to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 4 pm to 11 pm and Sundays from 4 pm to 9 pm.
Fancy a sweet treat after your delicious Italian meal? These are the best places for hand-made candies around Oak Park.