Near North Eatery Named Best Italian Restaurant In Illinois

CHICAGO, IL — For discerning diners who turn up their noses when they hear someone talk about going out for “eye-talian” food, The Daily Meal has come up with a definitive list of the best Italian restaurants in every state. In Illinois, Chef-partner Tony Mantuano brings an authentic pizza to the menu at Spiaggia on Magnificent Mile.

Italy’s rich cuisine culture goes back centuries and includes pastas, breads and food preparation techniques that vary by regions, reflecting cultural traditions that evolved based on the availability of local foods.
For example, Tuscany is known as the land of bean eaters, so you’ll find lots of foods rich in cannellini beans in the region’s famous cuisine.

Polenta is big in Milan; chefs in Rome find delicious ways to serve pasta, bruschetta, artichokes and zucchini; and on the island of Sicily, look for the region’s famous meatballs — called polpette — topped with a spicy, aromatic tomato sauce.

The Daily Meal’s list of the best Italian restaurants features chef-inspired creations that bring many of these traditions to the United States. To assemble the list, The Daily Meal looked at various “best of” lists, reviews from local publications across the country, and also restaurants that have huge local followings. Big chains weren’t considered.

And if you’re just thinking about spaghetti — not that there aren’t some scrumptious-looking spaghetti dishes among the food site’s picks — you need to get out a lot more.

Here is more information about Spiaggia:

Why The Daily Meal loves Spiaggia: from the restaurant's massive 5,000-bottle wine room to its innovative truffle gnocchi and duck tortellini dishes, the eatery never fails to impress its diners: "...before the likes of Mario Batali and Michael White reimagined fine Italian dining, Tony Mantuano taught Chicagoans how to enjoy refined Italian fare at Spiaggia...” Read more.

Where to find it: Mag mile — 980 N Michigan Ave.
Phone number: (312) 280-2750
Website: http://www.spiaggiarestaurant....

Tell Us: Do you agree? Where do you go when you want scrumptious, authentic Italian food in Arizona? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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