Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
149
Mia Francesca
ITALIAN Though it's been open since 1992, Mia Francesca remains
a hot dining spot—one that has spawned more than 10 sister restaurants throughout the
city and suburbs. Its strict no-reservations policy used to mean weekend waits of up to 3
hours, but that 's eased no w that the r eservation policy has been changed (that said,
families should definitely call in advance for a table). The restaurant's clean, modern take
on the Italian trattoria concept attracts lots of locals, and the affordable prices keep them
coming back. The food—unpretentious but never dull—includes a range of homemade
pastas, thin-crust pizzas, chicken, v eal, and standout seafood (ev en if y ou don't usually
order fish in an Italian restaurant, it's worth trying here). Tables are packed close together,
so you can't help eavesdropping on your neighbors—and checking out their food.
You'll find mostly the same menu at three other Francesca's locations in the city:
Fran-
cesca's Forno,
1576 N. M ilwaukee Ave., in Wicker Park (
&
773/770-0184
);
Frances-
ca's on Taylor,
1400 W. Taylor St., in Little I taly (
&
312/829-2828
), and
Francesca's
Bryn Mawr,
1039 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., north of Wrigleyville (
&
773/506-9261
). All
accept reservations, which are highly recommended on weekends.
3311 N. Clark St. (1
1
/
2
blocks north of Belmont Ave.).
&
773/281-3310.
www.miafrancesca.com. Reser-
vations recommended. Main courses $13-$27. AE, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 5-11pm; Sat-Sun
11:30am-2pm. Subway/El: Brown or Red Line to Belmont.
INEXPENSIVE
Ann Sather
AMERICAN/BREAKFAST/SWEDISH A sign hanging b y Ann
Sather's door bears the following inscription: once one of many neighborhood sw ed-
ish r est aurant s, ann sa ther 's is the onl y one tha t r emains. Ann S ather is a r eal
Chicago institution, where you can enjoy Swedish meatballs with butter ed noodles and
brown gravy, or the S wedish sampler of duck br east with lingonberr y glaze, meatball,
potato-sausage dumpling, sauer kraut, and br own beans. All meals ar e full dinners,
including appetizer, main course, vegetable, potato, and dessert. It's the sticky cinnamon
rolls served at breakfast, though, that make addicts out of diners. Weekend brunch here
can get frenzied (get here before 11am), but the people-watching is priceless: a cross sec-
tion of gay and straight, y oung and old.
There are smaller cafes with similar menus in Lakeview at 3411 N. Broadway (
&
773/
305-0024
) and 3416 N. Southport Ave. (
&
773/404-4475
).
929 W. Belmont Ave. (btw. Clark St. and Sheffield A ve.).
&
773/348-2378.
www.annsather.com. High-
chairs, boosters. Reservations accepted for parties of 6 or more only. Main courses $6-$12. AE, DC, MC, V.
Mon-Fri 7am-3pm; Sat-Sun 7am-4pm. Free parking with validation. Subway/El: Red Line to Belmont.
O'Donovan's
Finds
AMERICAN This centur y-old neighborhood r estaurant and
jovial pub has kept up the tradition that has thrilled kids for decades: M agicians who
perform tableside tricks on S aturday ev enings. ( To av oid the bar-oriented r ush, come
early, at 5 or 6pm.) Although ther e's no kids ' menu, or dering appetiz ers for the kids
works just as well. For adults, burgers are the thing, although options also include steaks,
chops, and seafood. As the night pr ogresses, O'Donovan's draws a good mix of late-20-
something blue- and white-collar patr ons with a healthy selection of micr obrews. On
Sunday the expansiv e buffet featur es all-y ou-can-eat scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage,
carved ham, roast beef, waffles, omelets made to order, and biscuits and gravy.
2100 W. Irving Park Rd.
&
773/478-2100.
Highchairs. Reservations not accepted. Main courses $6-$16.
AE, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11am-2am; Sat-Sun 11am-3am. Subway/El: Brown Line to Irving Park. Bus: 11 or 80.
5
Penny's Noodle Shop
Value
ASIAN/NOODLES Predating many of Chicago's
Pan-Asian noodle shops, P enny's has kept its lo yal following even as others hav e joined
