Spiaggia

Description:

• Spiaggia means "beach" in Italian, and the restaurant's name is a tribute to its spectacular view of Lake Michigan and Oak Street Beach. But this is no casual beach cafe. Spiaggia is widely acknowledged as the best fine-dining Italian restaurant in the city (and probably the entire country). The dining room is bright, airy, and sophisticated, an atmosphere far removed from your neighborhood trattoria -- so dress to impress (jackets are required for men, and jeans are a no-no).

  You can order a la carte or a seven-course degustation menu; entree choices change often and emphasize seasonal ingredients. Recent starters included carpaccio of smoked Sicilian swordfish or pork loin wrapped in pancetta, served with sautéed artichoke hearts in a balsamic vinegar dressing. This ain't your mama's pasta, either: Recent offerings have included pheasant-stuffed ravioli, pumpkin risotto, and gnocchi with black-truffle sauce. Entree examples include products of the restaurant's wood-burning oven, including monkfish; salmon; duck breast with Ligurian black olives, tomatoes, fennel, and baby artichokes; and grilled squab over lentils with foie gras. You're encouraged to order Italian-style (appetizer, pasta, meat), which means the bill adds up pretty quickly. But if you're a cheese lover, this is the place to splurge on a cheese course: They'll roll out a cart filled with rare varieties and give you extensive descriptions of each one.

  Adjacent to the restaurant in a narrow, window-lined space is the more informal Café Spiaggia (tel. 312/280-2755), which has the same dinner hours as the main restaurant but is also open for lunch every day. Although prices are lower than at the main restaurant, I wouldn't consider them cheap; lunch entrees (which run $15-$25) include pastas, fish, and pizzas rather than sandwiches.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Chicago Magazine

•  Best Dish 2007

Food and Wine Magazine

•  Go List 2008

CitySearch

•  Fine Dining 2006 – Audience Winner
•  Special Occasion Dining 2006 – Editorial Winner

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2009
•  Very Highly Recommended 2010