Our thanks to Choose Chicago for hosting our visit so we could write this detailed review of our experience.
This summer, we spent a jam-packed four nights in Chicago on our way home from Toronto to L.A. Chicago was a great place to stop as the last leg of our multi-destination summer vacation that took us from Sicily, Istanbul and Athens to New York, Nantucket and Toronto.
Chicago’s culinary scene is as bold and varied as its skyline. It is home to Michelin-starred tasting menus, deep-dish legends and everything in between. Our kids (ages 6 and 9) are great travelers but one of our big challenges is finding restaurants that are safe for our son’s food allergies.
Because of his many allergies, Italian restaurants tend to be the safest ingredients-wise. It’s a cuisine that’s safe, comforting and easy to navigate for our family. So, while we were in Chicago, we tried four different family-friendly Italian restaurants and they were each great in different ways.
Pizzeria Portofino
Our favorite restaurant of the trip was Pizzeria Portofino, a bright, airy restaurant perched right on the Chicago River. A friend recommended it and I’m so glad she did. Pizzeria Portofino is owned by Bill and Giuliana Rancic, who also run RPM Italian (more on that below), giving them a unique footprint in Chicago’s Italian dining scene.
The interior is gorgeous with climbing green vines and twinkling white fairy lights. The vibe is relaxed and easy, despite being packed; it’s clearly a very popular spot.
We were able to dine al fresco, on the patio along the river. Boats drift by as we enjoyed thin, crispy pizzas and simple pastas. Unfortunately, our food took forever to come out but when it did, it was worth the wait.
The thing we appreciated most about our experience there was that the chef included a small, wooden ‘Allergy’ paddle in our son’s dish to alert the server, acknowledge that this dish was prepared safely and to prevent any mix-ups with other dishes.
RPM Italian
Just a short distance from Pizzeria Portofino, RPM Italian offered a different kind of experience: a sophisticated take on modern Italian dining. Like Pizzeria Portofino, it’s also owned by Bill and Giuliana Rancic, showing their versatility in offering both relaxed riverside dining and sleek, contemporary Italian cuisine. We don’t typically take our kids to upscale restaurants but even though the vibe was definitely adult (lots of people looked like they were having after-work dinner), the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming to our family.
The menu is filled with familiar dishes, rigatoni, meatballs, perfectly cooked chicken, that feel just indulgent enough for adults but simple enough for kids.
Like Pizzeria Portofino, RPM also easily accommodated our son’s dietary needs, which we really appreciated.
Eataly
Eataly, the sprawling Italian marketplace and food hall, is a family favorite. We’ve been to multiple locations in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles. If you haven’t been before, it’s part restaurant, part shopping adventure, part cultural immersion. We wandered through the aisles of pasta, cheese and pastries before grabbing seats for a casual pizza and pasta dinner.
The Burrata alaa Caprese (pictured above) was fresh and delicious.
Our kids loved the lively energy and we loved the casual, laidback atmosphere. Afterwards, we browsed for authentic Italian ingredients.
Giordano’s
Of course, no trip to Chicago would be complete without deep-dish pizza and Giordano’s delivered exactly what we came for: gooey, golden, towering slices of the city’s most famous comfort food.
It’s a classic for a reason and for kids, watching the first slice being lifted, cheese stretching like a ribbon, is pure entertainment.
Four nights barely scratched the surface of Chicago’s food scene, but these four restaurants gave us a perfect mix of family-friendly ease and memorable meals. Chicago is a city known for its bold flavors and vibrant dining culture and while we mostly stuck to Italian food, it delivered each and every time.
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