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Accanto - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
2171 N Milwaukee Ave(between Francis Pl & Talman Ave)
Chicago, IL 60647
Neighborhood: Logan Square
(773) 227-2727
- Nearest Transit:
-
California-o'hare (Blue Line)
Western-o'hare (Blue Line)
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
24 reviews for Accanto
Review Highlights
24 reviews in English
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Review from Kelsey K.
6/17/2011 Seated via OpenTable
This place was completely unexpected and entirely amazing. Their wine selection was great, their risottos were second to none and their fish was perfect!!
We were told that they are known for their risottos and I can completely understand why!! We got a truffle risotto (risotto of the day) and a strawberry risotto and they were both rich, decadent and perfect. I would have to say that, of all the risottos I've had in my life, these were my favorite. The flavor of the strawberry risotto was completely unexpected and superbly balanced. It was rich, with tart and sweet flavors, and mmmm... it was just SO good.
We also got a fish dish, the braised lamb and a beef tenderloin. All of them were cooked and seasoned perfectly.
The ONLY downside to this place is that it is a fancier place. It's not a "hey-let's-just-go-somewhere-for-dinner" kinda joint. BUT, there is free parking, the staff is incredibly friendly and it seems to lack the pretention that many such places throw at their guests. I would HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone seeking a romantic and/or special occasion kind of spot. -
Review from Andrea F.
Chicago, IL
10/19/2011
Accanto, thanks for cancelling my reservations 2 days before I was supposed to dine with you. I really appreciated learning about it via email from opentable versus a phone call from management (though you did tell me that you were going to eventually call me). I hope the "famous person" who bought out the restaurant and wants no one else there has a very nice meal.
And yes, this is sarcasm. I would give you zero stars if I could. -
Review from o o.
Chicago, IL
9/25/2011
Shady location, but food was very good. Buffalo short ribs incredibly tender, not a huge fan on bone marrow but like the Fred Flintstone bone. Pancetta risotto excellent. Romantic, intimate and nice place for date. Tables a little close together, so you get to listen to the entire update on the jackass next to you, but that's ok.
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Review from Natalie B.
Evanston, IL
11/14/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Actually 4.5 stars. This was the second time I've been here - and really loved it both times. I like that it's small, quiet and kind of mod inside. Perfect for a date nite!
No longer BYOB but our waitress reco'd a fantastic red that was so good that I wish i had a glass of it right now. Valpolicella.
We started with the calamari tempura and it was not only gorgeous - loved that they split it so nicely for both of us - but so good. I think this is the only way that I want to have calamari from now on - light tempura but so flavorful.
Me and my date both had risotto - He Lobster, Me short rib with saffron. Both perfection.
Dessert was a sort of napolean with fig, chocolate and layers of pastry. Yum.
We were surprised that on a Friday night there were only 3 tables dining while we were there. The waitress mentioned that they were expanding for the summer with a small patio....I really hope that Accanto lasts. It's a true Logan Square gem! -
Review from Ani F.
Chicago, IL
1/25/2011
Logan Does Upscale Italian Deliciously: Came across this place here on Yelp and checked it out based on reviews and what was open on a Monday. I was not disappointed and we are looking forward to returning.
The atmosphere is indeed chic and cozy and despite the small venue, the staff really does a great job of ensuring you don't feel rushed.
The Food was lovely. We shared all our dishes and they did a great job of plating the shared dishes for us. We dined on Tomato Soup, a lobster Risotto along with a Cornish Hen that featured perfectly moist meat, crunchy skin and gnocchi to die for.
The one hitch - it is a bit pricey for the area.
Regardless, we will be back. -
Review from Lisa R.
8/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
Heard about this place while on a recent visit to Chicago and got a last minute reservation. Tiny place, 10-14 tables, beautifully decorated, worm, modern, sleek, romantic. It is BYOB!!! So don't show up empty handed and expect a great glass of wine with your meal.
We went all out and had four course meal that we selected course bybcourse ourselves, no prix fixe here...
Artfully prepared, fresh, beautiful and tasty. Pricey, but not outrageous.
Greaet service. -
Review from Brian L.
12/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
Psst, I don't want the word to get out about how delicious food is here, PERIOD. So keep this on the dL.
We shared the tomato soup, short rib risotto and chilean seabass (no dessert, yep, diet through the holidays, whodathunk?)
- Tomato soup comes with this freshly popped popcorn that complements the soup so well that you'll never have tomato soup without it ever again.
- Risotto is as promised, the chef's main talent. Just try it and it's like a symphony in your mouth. A beginning, a middle and an end. Beautiful.
- Seabass was good but not as good as I had hoped. Especially when it had to follow up against something like the risotto. Pah! No way. I'll skip it for something else next time.. Dessert perhaps??
Great wine. Great service. Amazing Risotto. (and seemingly amazing chocolate lava cake as well, mmm) -
Review from Kit H.
Chicago, IL
6/6/2010
Accanto is a good addition to Logan Square. The setting was intimate, the food was imaginative and tasty, and the wait-staff was knowledgable and enthusiastic.
Lobster bisque was very good - an interesting take on one of my personal faves. Purposefully non-creamy, the addition of mango slices and lots of lobster made it a memorable bowl of soup.
Linguine was fantastic with a perfect tomato and light pesto blend.
The highlight of the night was the chocolate dessert - just awesome.
Still ironing out some kinks, but a solid option for Italian and a lot of potential to be a real standout. Could maybe reduce prices by a few bucks, but overall a great night of dining. -
Review from Melissa S.
Chicago, IL
5/22/2011
Really, this place gets three and a half stars. Yelp, when will you let us do halves??
Be on the lookout for Accanto from the street, since the beige blinds will make the place look like the windows have been papered up like an empty shop space. Once you get inside though, the space is very small and intimate, with a simple modern design. I particularly enjoyed the flatscreen showing a slideshow of classic film posters in Italian. Makes for a great thing to space out on when your table's conversation is getting a bit meh!
The menu is a bit limited, you should know. When we went, there was only one salad option and one pasta option. This may probably change since it sounds like they change the menu now and then, but suffice it to say there's not a lot on offer. This may be understandable, since the operation is on a small scale and the kitchen probably can't handle a massive menu. As the other reviews say, the risotto here is excellent. Note that unlike other restaurants, one order of risotto here is good for exactly one person. They don't load the plate up. I had the one with lobster and blood orange sorbet, my folks shared the one with lemon, saffron, and shortrib. We were all pleased with the dishes, but I was the only one who was satiated. My parents then also ordered the sea bass, which seemed to be the most popular fish dish from looking around us. It was good, though we had expected more blowing of our minds after that delicious risotto.
I understand that they're very proud of their olive oil, which gets its own page on the menu. However, my beet carpaccio salad was excessively slathered in it to the point of overwhelming all other flavors and weighing down the vegetables, so that's one (or a half?) star off. I usually go heavy on the dressing, so me not being pleased is not a good sign. Another downer is the service. There were only two waiters for the whole place and they definitely needed one more when things got busy. And possibly one more person in the kitchen? We came early so our food arrived promptly, but the later we stayed, the more I could hear neighboring tables complaining to their waiter. One family had been waiting about an hour and still hadn't received anything. Another couple wanted to cancel their chocolate tortino dessert, which they had ordered along with their main course since it required 25 minutes at least, because they didn't believe that it would actually come out promptly after their main course. Finally, another couple nearby left the restaurant sometime during my appetizer and the table was still not turned over when we paid the bill. I appreciate that they're going for the whole intimacy thing, and the waiters really looked like they were trying their best, but management needs to take note. It's a place with food worth coming for, but people will eventually peter out with service like that. -
Review from L S.
Chicago, IL
11/7/2011
We bought a $100 gift certificate to this restaurant 3 weeks ago and I believe they've now closed their doors. They will not return our calls left on their answering machine regarding the gift certificate. Obviously pretty disappointed.
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Review from Ellen O.
Chicago, IL
4/12/2011
tried accanto last weekend. our group of six were the first people in the restaurant (7:15 on a saturday night), but the small dining room quickly filled up.
service and the dining room were both a little strange - i sort of felt like i was in a hotel restaurant, but the food was pretty solid. though my sea bass was overcooked and a bit chewy, i really enjoyed the flavor of the dish. free parking in the back is also a plus.
we had a nice dinner but our experience got even weirder when we stepped outside to find ourselves in the middle of a teenage drinking party. there were kids loitering literally EVERYWHERE around us, drinking and making out. i think it had something to do with the music venue down the block but it seemed really bizarre to walk into that scene after a classy dinner.
overall this place was good. i doubt i'd go back just because there are so many restaurants, and so little time (and money). -
Review from Tina K.
3/10/2011
We went here for the first time last month, after hearing some good reviews. The food and service were wonderful. The server was friendly and helpful. Everything from the starter to dessert was yummy!
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Review from Mario R.
Plainview, NY
Updated - 4/5/2011
I hosted a party at Accanto last week. It was a great success. Everyone loved it. I'm still getting calls about the evening. The food, wine, staff couldn't have been any better. Thank you. I can't wait to go back.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/30/2011
Had an amazing night at Accanto. The food and service were great. My guests and I had a wonderful… Read more »
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Review from Paul K.
Chicago, IL
3/27/2011
What are great place. A treasure in the community.
Great food in a really nice atmosphere. -
Review from Sara M.
Chicago, IL
5/25/2010
So bummed after reading Time Out review- as my experience was the exact opposite...
First the service was excellent- our waitress was so cute and really passionate about the food
The owners- such a neat story, they were actually eating right next to us and even sent us over there homemade (from Italy) lemoncello (actually made from mangos if I remember correctly)
The food- so fresh, the calamari was quite the standout! our waitress suggested sharing a pasta instead of another app and was honest enough to steer us away from our choice and insisted on a risotto- AWESOME!! my fish dish was so fresh and the veal wrapped in proschiutto was out of this world! And the fiance hates frou-frou restaurants that I love and his was a kid in a candy shop- he still cant stop suggesting
Cost- when we received the bill we were like, "Say What?!?!" BYO helps but still- great bargin for such fine dining!
so please, please, please go!!! -
Review from Melissa M.
Chicago, IL
11/12/2010
Chef Domenico really knows his risotto -- the waitress suggested we share one because they're "word-famous" and described the strawberry and mascarpone cheese risotto as savory. I couldn't believe her until I tried it, and I loved it (and I hate strawberries)! Both of us ordered fish and both plates were beautifully presented sizable portions. The best part was dessert; their tortino di cioccolato is worth the 25-minute wait. Since we were the last diners present, Chef was nice enough to come out and say hi and accept our compliments. This resto, to me, feels like it could belong in a boutique hotel in Las Vegas and even though its a little out of the way, DON'T MISS IT!
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Review from Jonathan C.
Manhattan, NY
9/17/2010
4.5 stars. Accanto is a pretty great place. Small, just the right amount of elegance - not too stuffy, really comfortable. We had a great experience there. They have a small wine list (not just byob anymore I guess), but maybe it is a good one because we had a $65 bottle of italian red that was just excellent ( it was one of the more expensive though because despite the somewhat pricey food the wine list focused on less expensive wines. Apparently they still offer BYOB too).
Started with soups, lobster bisque (light but so delicious, amazing broth, wish there was just a bit more lobster (well that is bound to happen I guess)) and mushroom soup - not that exciting but really good.
The waitress recommended the risotto, and it was quite good. Had the one with the pear sorbet - interesting. The texture of the rice was perfect.
We had fish dishes. The pasta my trout was on was fantastic. The trout was great too. Although, I think the fish they offer is a bit humdrum, Trout is not so exciting, nor is swordfish etc, but everything was prepared so well. I guess not quite 5 stars because for the prices the fish could be a little more interesting, but it was all delicious.
The chocolate bomb dessert, whatever it is called, well this desert is a little overdone at this point - see it everywhere. But I have to say - this was easily one of the best chocolate bombs I have ever had. The chocolate was clearly high grade. I definitely recommend it, and I usually would not bother with this desert. -
Review from Emily B.
Chicago, IL
6/24/2010
i wanted to like this place...i really did. when my g/f and i walked in, we were greeted and immediately shown to our table. i really like the intimacy of the space and thought we were in for a treat. the waitress got an ice bucket for my girl's beers and opened my wine. when she came back to our table, she proceeded to go through the ENTIRE MENU with us. and i'm not talking about a few dishes; no, she went into detail about every single item. then when she got to dessert, i thought for sure she would stop and let us digest everything. no...she went right into explaining all the desserts. and she wasn't the most eloquent waitress. told us that a combo of flavors didn't sound like they'd be good but the chef wouldn't do anything "gross."
anyway, we ordered and started out with the guacamole tian. for our mains, i ordered the the swordfish medallions and date had the turbot. the starter was the best, by far; the crabmeat was fresh and all the flavors went together nicely. but it went downhill after that. the swordfish medallions had WAY too much black olive tapenade and as a result, were too salty. the turbot was way too oily and just not pleasant to eat. we stayed away from dessert.
it's really too bad that we didn't have a better experience because i wanted to recommend this place to people. i love logan square and am happy when the area gets new restaurants. maybe a new chef is in order. -
Review from R M.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 6/22/2011
Quick update.....Accanto was as wonderful the subsequent times as it was the first. And, there are parking spots in a small lot next to the building.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/20/2010
My friend and I went here for dinner about a week ago. WE LOVED IT!
We arrived shortly before our… Read more »
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Review from T M.
Chicago, IL
10/12/2010 Seated via OpenTable
Everyone needs to buy a clue in this place. I made reservations for four at 6:30pm. I was the first to arrive at around 6:20 pm and no one was outside to valet my car. I waited as five or six people dressed in black shirts peered out at me from the side door of the restaurant while I was parked underneath the valet sign. Not one person came out of the door. So, I put on my blinkers and went inside. Things got worse. One of the black shirts slowly approaches me and asks if he could help me. I stated I wanted to valet my car. He then states "oh noone's out there?". And I'm thinking you were one of the idiots peering at me from inside. I stated" NO there isn't. He then calls another ogler from the back this one female and tells her that I want to valet my car. She states "You want Accanto restaurant"? At this point I'm standing there imagining using their heads to beat each other with, but instead I nod my head Yes (afraid of what my come out of my mouth). The female black shirt then tells me to pull around to the back of the building and park there. So, instead I exited the restaurant and anxiously informed the other three people that we would not be dining with a bunch of black shirt ignoramuses. Can't imagine what service would have been like for the four of us if they couldn't comprehend that I wanted to dine at their restaurant. What a waste of good real estate.
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Review from Shelley K.
Chicago, IL
5/3/2010
I had high expectations for this place but they just weren't met. The service was mediocre and the prices are WAY too high. I may have liked it more if the prices were lower but I just didn't feel the quality, portion size, or service matched the prices. A couple of the dishes we ordered were good but that didn't make the meal worth it. There are too many great Italian restaurants in Chicago and unfortunately this isn't one of them.
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Review from Robert W.
Deerfield, IL
9/4/2010
Tried this place for our anniversary. Location is off the beaten path. Food is delicious - a little pricey. The risotto is the best I've ever tasted. Hope the place stays open!
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Review from frequent d.
Chicago, IL
4/19/2010
the most amazing risotto i ahve ever had in a restaurant and wonderful food and presentation. Although pricey for logan, the food is definitely destination in the way that Arun's is. Worth the trip, the room is pretty and tasteful with great lounge music and sophisticated feel.byob for now til next week.
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Review from m s.
Chicago, IL
4/25/2010
We called on Saturday night and were able to score an 8:30 dinner reservation. I loved the look and fell of the restaurant. Music was great and conversation friendly. The lighting was soft and got dimmer as evening went on. We were having a mini celebration that night and vibe of the place was perfect for that.
The Portobello mushroom starter was excellent--but I only had one bite--my husband nearly licked the plate clean.
My venision chop was a little tough and/or should have come with a steak knife. But flavor was good, not gamey and the rissotto cake that came with it was delightful.
The beef tenderloin with gnochhi was great. Gnocchi were little pillows of heaven.
The Chilean sea bass was light and buttery --I really enjoyed it.
Prices--ok--I see what people are saying. For the neighborhood it was surprising, but I don't think we would have blinked if the restaurant was in the Loop. Plus the BYOB makes up for that.
BTW--It was raining that night and the hostess noticed us gathering our things to leave--she ran up and took our valet pass for us so we didn't have to stand the in the rain and wait. Super nice touch and very considerate.
Definitely worth a look.
