Many people – myself included – forget that there are so many diverse locations in the Chicagoland area that we could be taking advantage of to find good places to hang out or eat at. So, I’ve decided to explore this diversity and find some Italian restaurants – my favorite cuisine – in nearby areas so that I don’t have to eat at Francesca’s in Lake Forest anymore.

Professor Pizza

My first stop was Professor Pizza in Old Town, Chicago. It’s in a great location: right next to The Second City, a famous comedy

performance venue, and the surrounding area is beautiful. The building is hard to miss; it’s colored as the Italian flag and has a Professor Pizza sign. I will say it’s a bit weird, though. The inside is very rustic-chic with a nice large bar with two TVs (definitely good for watching sports) and casual decor. I went for lunch but, if you find it awkward being in a restaurant without many people, go for dinner.

We – my family and I – were seated promptly, and our server / bartender was very kind; she made good recommendations and conversation. Food and drinks came quickly as well. The highlights were definitely their garlic knots and deluxe pepperoni pizza. The garlic knots came with a vodka, marinara and pesto cream sauce which, to me, all tasted great; but, make sure to stay away from the marinar

a if you don’t like it sweet. I recommend mixing the pesto and vodka sauce together.

All of the pizzas are unique in one way or another, even considering a classic, like pepperoni. Professor Pizza has four different crust styles; we got their signature “grandma crust” for the pepperoni. The “grandma crust” is thick with a lot of garlic; it’s almost like garlic bread since the bottom is fried in olive oil. The pizza was very good and had cute dollops of ricotta cheese that added a nice touch.

Professor Pizza was very good, but beware that it is pretty expensive.

Rating:

• Ambience – 4/5 
• Service – 5/5
• Food – 4/5

Bella Via

For dinner and dessert, I went much closer to home at Bella Via in Highwood. It was originally located in Highland park but moved locations relatively recently. It has a nice outdoor area in the front and a parking lot with valet in the back. Although the restaurant is a bit small, there’s a beautiful, large bar with dark wood and a contrasting marble countertop that creates a classy, modern feel. Many chandeliers cover the ceiling. A steady flow of customers came in all throughout the meal, even on a Thursday night, which was promising.

For appetizers, we ordered calamari and meatballs. The meatballs were good but very standard. Squid is often chewy but I found this calamari in particular exceptionally so; I did not enjoy it.

I ordered the gnocchi with vodka sauce for my entree and I can’t say I recommend it. The sauce was good, and the gnocchi was very soft and light, but it had a cheese filling. I am not a fan of cheese on most things and this was not an exception. The menu didn’t make the fact that the filling was inside the gnocchi clear enough so I was very disappointed when I bit into it. I wanted gnocchi, but I got glorified ravioli.

For dessert, I got tiramisu. It was almost like drinking espresso itself because the ladyfingers were freshly soaked, and the cream balanced out the flavor nicely. I definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy extra espresso, but overall there are better Italian dinner options around; it’s also pretty expensive.

Rating:

• Ambience – 4/5
• Service – 3/5 
• Food – 3/5 

Maria’s Cafe

Lastly, I went to Maria’s Cafe in Highwood. It’s cute and cozy with an old-fashioned homey vibe that was very charming; albeit a bit tight, so I took the food to go. They have a wide variety of Italian pastries along with paninis, ravioli, coffee and a small selection of breakfast foods. 

I got a lobster tail and tiramisu. The tiramisu was very cute and pretty typical, but good; it had a bit too much cacao powder on top, though. 

Many people might not be familiar with lobster tails. Despite looking like a croissant, they’re tough and flaky pastries filled with custard. The one at Maria’s was very plain – just covered in powdered sugar – but the custard was absolutely delicious— sweet and light.

The service was pretty average but the owner recommended some good sweets to get; if you aren’t sure what to get, you should ask. Maria’s is very simple but it’s a good choice for breakfast or lunch.

Rating:

• Ambience – 4/5
• Service – 3/5
• Food – 3/5