NBC Chicago’s Steve Dolinsky dives inside a River West eatery offering homemade Italian staples.
All year long, NBC Chicago Food Guy Steve Dolinsky has been diving into "Chicago Classics."
They're restaurants that are at least 15 years old with consistently good food and atmosphere that you'd be proud to take a tourist to. Tonight, that's Piccolo Sogno, located in the city's River West neighborhood.
The brainchild of a chef who worked at Coco Pazzo for a decade before, this River West gem continues to fire on all cylinders showing no signs of slowing down.
“Our goal was, and still is, to just be a local, neighborhood Italian restaurant featuring local ingredients and imported Italian ingredients,” said Tony Priolo, the Chef and Co-Owner of Piccolo Sogno.
For Priolo and wine expert Ciro Longobardo, their “little dream” – known as Piccolo Sogno - launched in 2008 and continues drawing fans to the corner of Halsted and Grand.
“Since Day 1, everything we sell, we try to make. Bread sticks, bread, you name it,” he said.
The antipasti is a given, especially the 19 month aged Prosciutto di Parma sliced just before serving, but pasta is a mainstay. Lasagna is a yearround favorite.
“Spinach pasta layers, slowly braised meats, mixed with bechamel, and we layer that up with Parmesan, bake it in our wood burning oven and I just serve it with a light tomato cream sauce,” said Priolo.
Wide, thin pappardelle is tossed with a gently spiced wild boar ragú.
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“Wild boar that’s marinated – juniper berries, red wine, orange, cinnamon – dry it, dice it, sear it, slow braise it in that liquid and then we toss it with pasta and some parmesan cheese,” he said.
Whole fish is imported from Italy, stuffed with aromatics, roasted gently in the woodburning oven.
“Imported Italian branzino; this is a tribute to Sicily, the fish comes from the Mediterranean, we bake it with Sicilian sea salt, with Sicilian capers, Sicilian blood orange juice,” he said.
The fish is meticulously cleaned and filleted, removing all skin and bones, then dressed with winter citrus and that blood orange sauce. Heartier dishes include braised short ribs over white corn polenta from downstate.
“Three Sisters Farm cornmeal, local greens, Illinois beef, braised slow,” he said.
Priolo’s secret to longevity? Keeping a loyal staff and taking care of their guests.
“Most of them have been here since the beginning. But I think the success is the harder you work, the luckier you get, and you give people value and you treat people the way you want to be treated,” he said.
And in about a month or so, that enormous back patio will open up – truly one of the best al fresco dining experiences in the city.
As Priolo says, he’s had opportunities to do restaurants in other locations and in other parts of the city, but he’s content just being here at the mothership, getting to greet his guests every day. He’s been here 17 years, showing no signs of slowing down.
464 N. Halsted St.
312-421-0077
