3 Illinois Eateries Among 50 Best Italian Restaurants In America

Three Chicago eateries landed on a well-respected list of the top 50 Italian restaurants in America. Balena, Davanti Enoteca and Spiaggia all earned spots on The Daily Meal’s 2017 ranking of America’s 50 Best Italian Restaurants, which was released last week.

Coming in at No. 39, Balena, 1633 N. Halsted St., is a "Chicago-must visit," according to The Daily Meal: "There aren’t too many restaurants where all the pastas, including the dried varieties, are made in-house, but that’s what they’re doing at (Balena)." The publication gave a nod to Balena's potato gnocchi with mushrooms and Parmigiano-Reggiano; orecchiette with kale and lemon crema; tagliolini nero with crab, sea urchin and mint; and Sardinian gnocchi with walnut pesto and chard.

At No. 35, Davanti Enoteca has locations in Western Springs, River North and in Chicago's Little Italy on Taylor Street, plus a San Diego branch. The Daily Meal had this to say: "Chef-restaurateur Scott Harris is the brains behind the more than 20 Francesca’s restaurants in the Chicago area, but this rustic enoteca, which also has two locations in San Diego, is his masterpiece. Communal tables made from reclaimed wood and bare brick walls create the ideal ambiance for a meal filled with hearty Italian fare." The eatery also has an in-house wine shop.

Finally, Spiaggia, 980 N. Michigan Ave., ranked close to the top at No. 10: "(Chef-partner Tony) Mantuano has won countless accolades, including the 2005 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest, and was named Best Italian Restaurant in Chicago by The Daily Meal. Reopening after a redesign in 2014 (its first since 1999), the restaurant added 50 percent more seats with views, a new lounge, and a floor-to-ceiling glass-enclosed, temperature-controlled wine room showcasing 1,700 of Spiaggia’s nearly 5,000 bottles," The Daily Meal notes.

The Daily Meal said it assembled the ranking by building a list that's as "thorough and comprehensive as possible."

"We recruited an illustrious panel of judges that included some of the country’s top food writers, critics, and bloggers to submit their suggestions for the country’s best restaurants, which we supplemented with our own choices, including previous years’ rankings as well as lauded newcomers," according to the article.

You can read the whole list here.

Tom Davis (Patch Staff) contributed to this article.

Patch file photo