Osteria Mozza

As soon as Nancy Silverton and celebrity chef Mario Batali opened Pizzeria Mozza at Highland and Melrose Avenues in November, 2006, whispers began circulating about the sister restaurant to open in the empty space next door. A once cursed location that was home to several forgettable Italian eateries, the doors swung open again on Friday, July 13th, 2007, in an action that some speculated was an affront to any superstitious naysayers.

Any negativity associated with the previous restaurants that filled Osteria Mozza’s New York-inspired space, was immediately dispelled when the reservation line opened on Thursday, July 12th, and the line remained busy for the rest of the day. Rumor has it that in order to secure a covetted table, one must call a month before the date of the dinner, at precisely 10 am. For those who lack the persistence to keep hitting that redial button to get through to the overwhelmed hosts and hostesses, there is another option: Show up, and request to sit at the bar.

Because Osteria Mozza boasts a more refined environment than Pizzeria Mozza, the bar is a less desirable option than at it’s sister restaurant – especially with the high price tags that accompany the appetizers, pasta entrees, and main courses. This is fine dining at its best, and while the boisterous crowd lends itself to creating an environment where people can come as they are, sophistication is the name of the game.

Tuscany

I like to consider myself a chain-restaurant snob, a prestigious foodie who deems popularity a downfall. But, I've come to realize that duplicating restaurants is just a sign of good food that appeals to many types of people (…I suppose).

Tuscany, a Phil Stefani signature restaurant, is located at 3700 North Clark Street in Wrigleyville (other locations can be found downtown on West Taylor, in Oak Brook and in Wheeling, Illinois). Oddly placed in a neighborhood of Cubs bars and noisy baseball fans, this restaurant stands out like Ronnie Woo Woo at any given home game (if you aren't familiar with this Chicago legend, you might want to give our dear friend Google a visit). However, the inviting north Italian motif is consistent in Tuscany's comfortable decor and attentive wait staff, giving diners a truly European experience in an unexpected locale.

Immediately after we were seated, a basket of Crusty Bread was placed at the table. Our likely-mafia-affiliated waiter then prepared the restaurant's routine Roasted Garlic Dip tableside, first popping out the golden cloves from the peel (straight outta the wood-burnin' brick oven), then adding olive oil and fresh parmesan cheese for a dipping delight. This fab first impression was carried out throughout the course of our meal as I had one of my favorite Italian meals in Chicago.

"Strongly encouraging" my date to participate in my signature Half & Half (2 dishes to be split between 2 people), we had no problem deciding on our entrees.

The highly acclaimed Ravioli Pera Alla Giorgio filled with pear and parmigiano and topped with a puree of pine nuts, walnuts & cashews, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh pears and mascarpone cheese definitely lived up to its fame. The pear points bobbing out from the heavy cheese sauce gave an unexpected crispness to the creamy pasta plate. With bikini season around the corner-it's a good thing I only ate half of the uber-rich ravioli.