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Categories: Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Wrigleyville, LakeviewSheridan (Red)
"I love this coffee shop. You can't go wrong with comfy couches, FREE wifi, tasty coffee and smoothies. Most other places in Chicago have…" read more »
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My previous review was based on a delivery only experience, which was stellar. Great food, good delivery times, and decent prices, literally no complaints. However, after having their deliciously thick, greasy, super cheesy pizza via delivery a few times I figured it'd be nice to stop in with some friends for some hot out of the oven pizza. I was a bit taken aback by how 'fancy' it was, and that the pan pizzas weren't even on the menu. The fancy part wasn't a big deal, the pizza I went out of my way for not being on the menu, a slightly bigger deal. We did still manage to get the pizza we were hoping for at least.
Granted I could have done some more research, so I guess that's my bad. However, the waiter sucked, seemed to barely know what beers they had, and was far from attentive. We had to track him down for more drinks, and paying the bill took around 20-25 minutes.
Good delivery times, delicious pizza.
I rarely give any restaurant a 1 start but when every aspect going bad I have to. I would give it zero if I could but they deserve one thing because at least the driver was relatively on time.
To start I ordered delivery and everything seems great. I was using a coupon for $7 dollars off an order over $25.
The delivery driver shows up and I ask him to check the order to make sure everything was there and he said he just did. I know I could have checked it but the way it was wrapped it would have taken me 10 minutes to open each container up. I go to pay and the coupon was not applied. The driver tells me I have to pay in full and they will refund the credit when he gets back so I think this is ok since I am desperate to eat.
I get inside with the food, the appetizer I ordered was not included after the whole ordeal of him going through the bag while I watched him, he must have just gone through them motions to please me. So I call and ask them to refund the cost of it with the coupon. They said no problem so I wasn't very upset.
My wife and I start eating the food, it was cold which is ok, we have a microwave. The food had no flavor and was very boring for the prices they charged I expect something a step up from fast foodish Italian.
A few days pass by and no refund, I called again and was guaranteed me it would be refunded to my credit card.
A week passes and still no refund, tried one more time to call and ask. 3 more days and still no refund issued. They say there is a delay but there was no delay when they charged my card, it showed up the next day.
I would recommend avoiding this place, there are so many better places to get Italian in my opinion.
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I don't understand why this place has 3 stars. It'll always be 5 in my book. This is Zac and my favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago. Whenever we get the urge for Italian food you'll find us at Fornellos.
The staff is extremely nice and always on their A Game. They seat you quickly and bring out bread (best bread/oil/parmesan cheese combo ever)and water. The menu is fairly big with a chef recommendation section for the day. I always get the chicken marsala and Zac usually orders the chicken parmigiana. They both are huge portions and taste delicious. Just writing this review is making me crave for some Fornellos tonight.
They are a little pricey, however the great food and the environment is well worth the cost.
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Enjoyed dinner at Fornellos with some friends on a Friday evening. The food was very good and the menu very large. The service prevents this place from getting a higher rating. Make sure you order when you see the server or you will be waiting for awhile. I had the pumpkin/squash pasta and found it very good. Nice fall flavors but not too heavy. Even the crostini al gorgonzola was very tasty for an appetizer. We'll likely try this place again on another night. It filled up fast with the busiest time between 7:30 and 8:00.
I love the pizza from this place! Their thin crust and pan crust are delicious. My only complaints are, the last two times Ive ordered from them they've messed up my order, once with giving me a 12in pizza instead of 14, and the other they sent a thin crust when I ordered a pan crust pizza. Luckily the food was still good.
I love this place!
I work very nearby, and first came upon it one dark, winter night. I was about to start my late evening looong commute home when I thought, "oh! a nice, warm restaurant visit will make it all the more bearable!" And I'm so glad I stopped in, for it was to begin a love affair.
My first visit was solo at the bar by their fireplace/oven. I had their Lobster-Zucchini stuffed pasta, a little spicy, creamy, AMAZING!!!!! I paired it with an Italian beer.
I've since had their food catered to my office, and gone back with various groups of dining companions. Any you know? Every time I order the same thing: the lobster-zucchini stuffed pasta dish. THE BEST! In fact, everyone at my work loved it, and once our Italian waitress said it was her favorite menu item!
I've come to this restaurant with a 1st generation Italian friend of mine, who says the place is great- the real thing. She says some of the dishes are traditional things her mom will make, and that this place is right on. This has to count for something!
Yes, true, the wine is pricey... but they have good wine! Split one bottle with friends and it adds a worthy touch to the meal.
In sum: nice staff, nice interior, great food. I suppose some menu items are better than others- but if you go... get the lobster-zucchini pasta dish- trust!! (Also: both their artichoke and asparagus salads are a delight, and calamari of course.)
Enjoy! ;D
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The hubbster and I had just finished a hard day of moving from Hyde Park to West Bucktown and we were friggen tired and hungry after all that heavy lifting and going up 3 flights of stairs!!! We went to I think grubhub and found Fornello's because I wanted sausage and pasta and mozzerella sticks. OH MY GOD! IT was great food! (surprizingly for delivery too) It was high quality take out italian food I can see why Rachel Ray likes it too. The pasta had chunks of garlic and tasted AWESOME and the mozzerella sticks were still crunchy and delicious!!! Their food is awesome!! When I went there a year before they gave us free lemoncello's which was a nice ending to our decadent meal there!! FORNELLO's is a must visit!
I'll start by saying that the food there is really good. I used to live down the street from here and ate there all the time. More recently I called to place an order for delivery and the guy on the phone was so totally arrogant and rude. He was rushing me and cutting me off the whole time. I told him I needed the driver to call me when he was at my place because my phone isn't connected to the dial-up system and when I was done ordering, I reminded him about that and he rushed me off the phone without bothing to take my number. I assumed maybe he had the number show up on his end. If I hadn't seen the driver outside, he would not have been able to get to me because he did not, in fact, have the number. I also told the guy on the phone that I had a free delivery coupon which was not deducted from my bill. The food is good but it's not something I can't get at other restaurants with a nicer staff. I would not go to or eat here again.
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Gee Fornello's, I had to visit you a fourth time before writing a review because each experience has been so different from the other! Nonetheless, Fornello's continues to be my preferred Italian restaurant, until someone convinces me otherwise.
Situated around the corner from the Sheridan red line stop, Rachel Ray took time out of her schedule to notice Fornello's existence, giving praise to their pizzas. Surprisingly, I haven't tried their pizzas yet, but they're on my list of things to eat!
I have partaken in the pastas numerous times, and recommend any pasta involving seafood or prosciutto. I just wish that Fornello's would bring back the special dish that I had on the night I first dined here: cup-shaped pasta with prosciutto and shrimp, in a white wine sauce. MMM! I've also enjoyed their salmon risotto, though it doesn't keep well as leftovers. I wasn't terribly impressed with the eggplant parmigiana, especially since the accompanying pasta was bland. The portions are large and unless you're voracious, you will be taking leftovers home. You can also split dishes with your friends but they charge a splitting fee.
As for desserts, the sorbets are delicious and come in their original fruit shells. I settled on the sorbet because half of the dessert menu was unavailable at the time, thus disappointing my crave for some tiramisu.
As for ambiance, Fornello's is best by candlelight on a Friday or Saturday evening. Yes, some have complained it's too dark, but I've tried dining here around 6 pm on a weekday and felt like I was in a diner because there were so many regulars. Besides, the restaurant's frescoes garner their full effect in twilight. Also note that during the summer, al fresco dining is available.
I'll admit it, I'm a sucker. The huge banner "as seen on Rachel Ray" defintely drew me in to Fornello.
The space was traditionally decorated with candlelight, white table cloths and white paper on top. They used to have a fresco on the ceiling, but I noticed it was painted over on my most recent visit. They're trying to go for a romantic vibe. However it seems better suited for groups and family dining. Customers must agree because there were several tables with small children.
The lighting on a Saturday night was very, very DIM. The restaurant was so dark that we had a hard time reading the menu. Our server quickly fixed the issue by turning up the light a few notches.
I could have eaten 10 bread baskets here and skipped dinner. The italian loaves were crusty, but not too hard, and soft in the middle accompained by your usual olive oil & parmesan. We also got a fresh dish of basil to top it off.
Server was very kind...she was actually from Italy and was very knowledgeable about the menu and even let us make special changes to our entrees.
We went with 2 of the specials: Spinach Ravioli in a Vodka Sauce (supposed to be in Alfredo, but made to order) and Chicken with Penne Pasta. Also tried the linguini with calamari - we special requested the linguini in a light sauce with a tad bit of spice vs. the marinara on the menu, and it was delicious, they were not skimpy with the calamari either.
Overall everything was served super hot and fresh, flavors were full...I just wish Fornello was BYOB because the wine list seemed a little pricey. $8 for a glass of house wine. Oh well, will come here to eat and then go out for drinks.
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Fornello is a charming little place off of Sheridan. I had initally bookmarked it because of their pizza, but once we got in and sat down, other diner's plates looked so good I had to consider a pasta dish.
I ended up with the gnochhi, which was prepared excellently, in a creamy red sauce. I also sampled the Gorgonzola Crostini which was good, but kind of basic (just gorgonzola melted over crisp bread).
Service was prompt and friendly. Since not too many Italian places hold up to my high standards, this is one place I will definitely return to.
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The scene is a lazy Sunday, me winding down off a few mimosas from a lovely brunch, finally spending a few times with the boyfriend who had patiently loaned me to friends all weekend...and hunger sets in.
After much thought, we decide take-out would be the key, he's craving a meatball sammie, and I'm just hungry. So Fornello's it is. For whatever reason, I was craving calamari (not my usual crave, but hey, it's not red meat, pork or poultry, so I was game!) so we decided to start with that.
The bf got his meatball sub with mozzarella and I got an asparagus salad with goat cheese and mixed greens. His sub was awesome, cheesy, and fantastic. My salad was very large and no skimping on the goat cheese here, folks. Crunchy asparagus spears, little bits of it, atop mixed spring greens (good lettuce!), it was a light, delicious meal. And priced at $9 for a huge portion, I felt like it was a good deal.
The only downside of our meal was the calamari. It was limp, limp, limp. Sick. No thank you. Large chewy bands of seafood DO NOT hit the spot when I'm craving crispy, lemon-squirted bites of yumminess. And for $12.95? I was expecting serious goodness. Skip it, kids, it was awful.
Everything else was amazing, though. The dining area looks adorable, we will definitely have to venture back to dine in.
The scene ended with us throwing away mass quantities of calamari, yet still being completely stuffed with good food.
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Talk about mood lighting, this place is very dark but i guess it adds to the ambiance.
I have been here twice now and both times have been underwhelmed by the food. The first time I got the Lemon Shrimp Risotto which was too lemony. The second time i got the grilled chicken and pasta which was just ok. The Bread and oil is the best part of this place. Service + Plus Ok food + plus tasty bread equals 3 stars.
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GOODBYE SOUTH BEACH DIET, HELLO FORNELLO!
Oh well, I really shouldn't be dieting anyway as I weigh all of a buck fifty soaking wet. That however, may change now that I've discovered Fornello.
If you're looking for a great casual Italian meal at a reasonable price, then look no further than Fornello. I have to say before dining here I was a bit concerned by all the 2 & 3 star reviews and now that I've eaten here I'm just puzzled by them because I had a FANTASTIC meal here.
FOOD: Excellent! After suffering through bad eggplant parmigiana at so many places, I've finally found someplace that does it right. Other standouts include their tangy lemon chicken, rich spaghetti with meat sauce, and perfectly crusty bread paired with quality olive oil. This was the best bread that I've had in a long time.
SERVICE: It seems like a lot of the staff are actually from Italy and they serve you as they would in their homeland. Friendly, but not fast is how I would sum it up. This rubs many Americans the wrong way as they feel like they're being ignored if they're not being checked on every 3 minutes. I was fine with it. After all, what's the hurry when you've got a nice bottle of chianti and are warming up next to a fire?
INTERIOR: Casual, but nice. The bar area is a good alternative if you can't get a table although they really need to get an enclosure to block out the cold air and WD-40 the door so it doesn't screech when being closed.
All in all, I had a great meal here and will definitely return!
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I just moved to this area a few weeks ago and saw this place as I was walking home. It looked small,however I decided to order last night.
It was over all good, I just went simple with a pizza, deliever time was decent and the prices were nothing to outrageous.
Maybe next time I will try something other then pizza :)
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I needed a for sure place to bring some out of town family. It helps that it was close and Italian is a favorite for all people that eat food. Our waiter brought us out an anti pasta salad (not on the menu), that was amazing. Loads of meat, cheese, black olives, some lettuce and drizzled with Italian dressing. My entree, and favorite, was the artichoke ravioli with vodka sauce. Delicious, delicious, delicious! With plenty of warm bread, oil and Parmesan cheese to go around, this place has it all.
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My first experience here was carry out pizza. Not impressed. However, I am a crispy, thin crust type… Read more »
Our delivery order was taken politely via phone and the food arrived piping hot within 45 min -- props! However, one of the pasta dishes we ordered was omitted (but not charged for -- nice phone guy must have missed it?), and the pasta we *did* receive was blah and the ceasar was nothing to write home about. But the chocolate cake (while a bit skinny for $5) was amazing, with a touch of almond extract in the icing -- yum! Maybe next time we'll try the pizza, but with all the Rachael Ray hub-bub, I was expecting much more. Glad we paid less than $40 for this dinner, but with all the amazing restaurants in the area, I don't think this one will be at the top of our list. =(
We received way too many flyers for this place since we've moved here and one night after not having meat properly thawed, we ordered from there.
I had the lasagna, and they were not kidding in their menu, it is HUGE! It was veryyy cheesy on top. It was edible. Not my favorite but also not my least favorite. I'd probably order it again. We spotted the bread after we finished eating, and wow, I liked that. I'm also a fan of Grassland butter so that probably made the bread way better for me.
The chocolate cake for dessert was pretty good.
My huge problem with this place, price. Even with a $7 coupon, it was $43 for two of us.
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Since I live in the neighborhood, I've been here a few times and it doesn't seem to change. Its a very cute romantic Italian joint. Its a little small (small to where you can hardly walk around) but its nice. The food is just okay. Not a lot of vegetarian options and the ones they do have are just mediocre.
I haven't had the pizza in years but i remember it being quite good. Now that I am older, i stray away from the pizza and move to something grownup.
Its a good place if you are in the neighborhood but i would not recommend going out your way to coming here.
This place was notably disappointing. My boyfriend and I were looking for a nice Italian place within walking distance. Something on the less expensive side, but still nice, and simple food--none of those fancy flavors that they mix and match on the Food Network.
The website looked great--classic Italian food for a good price. I had my heart set on the $10 lasagna. But, it turns out, you can't trust everything you read on the internet.
When we got there, we were seated quickly because it was empty (mostly since it was early on a Friday). While we sat, two men loudly discussed the next step in the restaurant's interior design. In all fairness, the place seemed to be going through a little renovation and the walls were only half-painted. I guess I just wonder if there was no other time for these guys to do that when there weren't guests?
We were given the menus and...nothing was there. Where was the lasagna I lusted after? The classics? Yes, everything on the menu was different than the website, and twice as expensive. The waiter took his merry time to get back to us, which was actually kind of nice so my boyfriend and I could figure out what to do. Meanwhile, they served us a basket of relatively stale bread and the other diners seemed to be taken care of.
The decision was to only order bruschetta--we wouldn't have ordered anything if we hadn't already been served the bread and felt a sense of obligation. The bruschetta was good, but nothing extraordinary.
When we asked for the check, our waiter's attitude changed from "typically nice" to "kind of a jerk." My boyfriend was given a wad of crumpled bills for change and he paying any attention to us what-so-ever. This was really the un-selling point for me: I can deal with a place advertising two different menus or serving mediocre food, but I think that service should be just as good for two college kids who order an appetizer as it is for the wealthy family who runs up a $200 tab.
As we were going, I mentioned the different menus to our waiter. His response was that they could have made anything on the online menu. Neither my boyfriend nor I were in the mood for this place anymore, so we didn't try that. Besides, what's the point of a menu if you're not going to include everything on it?
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Disclaimer: I've only been here once.
It seems like this place is maybe hit or miss based on other reviews, but when I went the other day, it was a hit. Good service. Very good food. Good leftovers. Pleasant atmosphere. Really, no complaints. It wasn't anything special or out of the ordinary, but it filled me up and felt good doing it.
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I've ordered delivery from them twice and they're definitely two for two. The portions are enormous. It took me three sittings to finish the pasta romantica and it was as good on the 3rd sitting as the 1st. I also had the butternut squash ravioli and loved it. My husband didn't care for it, but he isn't a squash person.
I'd like to dine in sometime to get the full experience because the atmosphere and service are all important factors. But to be honest I'm all for hunkering down in the cold weather...we have the technology to get it to come to us so why not????!!!
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Well..... Apparently Rachel Ray went here on a great day, and had a lot of money to spend... So 4 of us just went there and the food for 3 of us was mediocre. The dish I got, housemade pumpkin filled ravioli - was FAN-tastic. So aside from my delicious dish, the overall experience was ok at best. The decor is boring. What is true is that the service was absolutely great, although the place was empty so it better be. The food was mediocre and way over priced.
I do seriously apologize for my disconnected, train of thought, review.
and - it was freezing in there, the lights were too dim.
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Don't be fooled by the quasi-shady location of Fornello, surrounded by dumpy looking Taco places. Fornello the gem of the Sheridan Red Line stop! I've been a few times and each time pleasantly surprised by the service and food. The last time I went a friend and I sat at the bar (they make it very cosy and festive around the holidays) and had dinner and drinks. We started with the bruschetta, which was a heaping plate of bread, tomatoes and prosciutto - one can't go wrong with this combination. I enjoyed the lobster ravioli, which was amazingly fresh and filling. Two meals (leftovers!) for the price of 1! The wine list is surprisingly outstanding -- a good selection of Italian wines that are moderately, not cheaply, priced.
The service was attentive but respectul. In fact, I mentioned in a passing conversation that it was my friend's birthday, and after dinner they arrived at the bar singing with a complimentary slice of chocolate cake and candle! Most unexpected and very thoughtful.
It's not your typical "in and out" pizza joint where you'll have a 30 minute meal for $30. But that's not what Fornello is - or should be - about. In an area lacking a plethora of fine dining opportunities, Fornello is a quiet haven to enjoy good company, great Chianti or Sangiovese and phenomenal cuisine.
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Worse place ever and with the worse service i have ever had. This is the second time i have tried to eat at this place. It's right by my house so it's very conviente to take out of towners. First time i took 5 teenagers, that asked for water and didn't get it till 15 mins later. We had to walk out because they were restless. 2nd time went there with a friend visiting from the UK. We called ahead to find out thier hours. they told us they close at 10:30pm on a sunday. We get there at 8:45pm. We are talking about what wine we want to pick when the waiter comes by and says"what would you like to order" we were like i'm sorry we were still looking at the wine list. He bolts away from us. Now this place wasn't crowed it. there was about 1 other couples and a tabletop of 4. He doesn't come back for another 15 mins. Which we were like it's cool no big deal i'm not going to judge. But then the waiter comes back and again no hello no good evening. "are you ready to order" I said good evening I think we are going to start with.... He stops me and says well we are closing the kitchen soon so can we hurry with this order. At this point it's 9:16 and we were like we called they said you dont' close till 10:30. He says well we been here all day and we are kind of tired so we are closing early. Oh hell no! we walked out. What a waste of my time! i was so embrass and angry. At this point it was really to late go to dinner. So we just got drinks at the holiday club.
If I could pick one work to describe Fornello Trattoria, it would be WOW!!! I have been by this place a million times and never stopped in. The food was out of this world.
We started out with the Gorgonzola Crostini. It was a yummy blend of Garlic Bread with Gorgonzola melted on top. It was mouth watering. For my entree, I ordered the meat Lasagna. It was at least a pound of Cheesy and meaty goodness that would make even Pavarotti's belly burst. As most of you who read my reviews know, I'm a pretty big eater. I ended up taking half of my entree home. That is quite rare for this rotund reviewer. Carolynne ordered some wacky concoction called Gnochhi. The Potato's in red sauce were very tasty as well.
Fornello Trattoria was quite reasonably priced. Including two entrees, a appetizer and a bottle of wine, we got out of there for under $70.00.
I was very happy with my experience at Fornello Trattoria. The food was great, the service was fabulous, and the company was wonderful (as usual).
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My boyfriend and I got caught in the rain one night while we were searching for food (we just moved and don't know the area very well). We saw this tiny little Italian place with this BIG banner claiming Rachel Ray had eaten there. We don't even like Rachel Ray but figured why not so we went in and tried it. The service was great although the servers are a bit chatty. The gnocchi was delicious as was the chicken dish my boyfriend had. Went back about a week ago with a bigger group and the food was even better! Again, chatty service, but very accommodating of our large group at a later time. The lobster ravioli are out of this world and the olive oil on the table is delicious! That's a small detail to some but if you care enough to put high quality stuff on the table that says a lot about your restaurant. We also had the calamari, the bowtie pasta with the balsamic cream sauce and the frutti di mare, all of which were top notch. We are all originally from NYC and agreed that this food is better than a lot of the Italian we've had there - pretty impressive!
Setting is intimate: dark with candles and tiny tables.
Big groups are welcome and I think they might deliver as well.
Looks like there might be outdoor seating but I have yet to see it so call ahead if that is what you are looking for.
Prices are moderate and you definitely get your money's worth - the portions are huge!
I went recently with a few friends. The place wasn't terribly busy. For starters, you need to request the bread here. They don't bring it automatically (not a problem, just a note). We waited for quite some time for the food. They brought out food, but only half the people's dinners. We didn't say anything at first, figuring the rest was just behind us. Wrong. Another 10 minutes later, they brought the rest, but not before we figured out that they had "overlooked" one person's order. My food was meh. It didn't have much taste, except for pepper, lots of black pepper.
They gave us desserts for the food mixup, which was very nice (and the reason there isn't 1 star). All the desserts came out, except mine, which came a few minutes later. (For the record, their tiramisu rocks!) They also brought the coffee I'd ordered. The server asked if I wanted cream. I said yes. Then he disappeared and never came back. I asked another server for cream (at this point, I just found the poor service funny). He left and came back several minutes later with cream, by which point I found that my coffee was cold. Meh
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Service was pretty good. Though we found out with the second basket of bread that the first one was… Read more »
This place is right in my 'hood, and it's a great place to get truly homemade Italian food. Italian food aficianados might quibble over the authenticity of the dishes, but everything I've had has been wonderful - I had some butternut squash-filled pasta that came in about a half-inch of melted butter with a garnish of flash-fried sage: OMG.
I haven't tried the pizza, but the brick oven is legit.
The one missing star would begin to twinkle in my review if they'd spruce it up in there a tad - the ambience is somewhat lacking due to the cheap furniture and nursery-school-esque wall murals.
Hey. Rachael Ray loves this place!
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Don't order here. Placed my order at 7:30. Guy on phone (who was a real dick may I add...If the boss is reading this I called on a Thursday night. ) said "within" the hour. I called back at 8:30 (which is 30 minutes PAST the hour). They said it was in the warmer (whatever that means) and will be there at in "5 to 10 minutes". At 9:15 I canceled my order. Dude on phone was a dick again (surprise). Delivery driver showed up with the food at 9:30...two hours past my original order. I told him thanks but no thanks and sent him on his way. Clearly, they have some serious operational issues and are in a need of some revamped hiring practices. blah.
Oh, and Rachel Ray recommends this joint. That sucks guys. No wonder you have half-demented employees working here.
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The food here is pretty basic, southern Italian. It's good - but not great. It could be great - if they would just remember essential basics, like salt and pepper.
The pizza is REALLY great though! I enjoy their Chicago-style immensly.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE their patio though. There's just something for me about sitting right out in front of noisy, buzzing Irving Park road! I love it! The service is good, also - very nice and prompt.
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Really good Italian food.
Everything I've had from Fornello was delicious...nice home style cooking, big portions.
You must must try the grilled calamari with balsamic vinegar... best in the city!
Their pizza is also very good and tasty...had that only for delivery.
Even their desserts won't let you down: bread pudding and refreshing sorbets are the best.
Go there...you won't regret it!!!
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It's Italian my Grandma would be proud of!
Their lobster ravioli was very fresh and scrumptious. I complimented it with a tall glass of Pinot Grigio which really added to the whole meal experience.
I would certainly go back again to try other things on their menu and I love how the whole front of the restaurant is open so you can catch a summer breeze and feel like you're in Italy, sort-of.
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If you dine-in at this place, it's a wonderful experience. I live just down the street and walk past every day if I take the train, so alot of times it calls me and I have to get take-out. Take-out isn't such a wonderful experience.
Dining In: Great service! Attentive, friendly, knowledgeable staff. They have fitting suggestions if you're lost in the menu, or if you're not sure what kind of wine to get, they're pretty good at that too. I always get the cavalachi de arogosto (spelling?). It's a very large ravioli filled with crab meat and in a spicy red sauce with zuchini. TO DIE FOR!!! yumm, I need to get some tomorrow I think.
They also have a great squash ravioli. It tastes like pumpkin in a cream sauce. It is so yummy, and you always walk out with a full belly.
Take-out: The menu is a little bit different from their dine-in menu, but they'll give you anything you order if you know what to call it. I order the cavalachi de arogosto for take-out too eventhough its' not on the menu. I mean I don't really understand why it isn't... But the guy who answers always seems angry. Even before I order "off" the menu.
So if you can just deal with an angry order-taker for a minute on the phone, try the take-out. If you have someone to dine with, expect a fantastic experience in-house. They even have a brick pizza oven!!
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Hubby and I met at Sheridan for dinner before going to the cubs game. Our original choice, Quick Tac, was closed on Tuesdays. We walked to Irving Park Rd., and decided on Fornello for some yummy Italian. Neither one of us has ever been there, so it was a first for both of us.
We were seated immediately and given two different menus. There are two different menus, the paper (carry out/delivery) menu that has many more options and a double sided, laminated menu that looks very fancy.
Husband ordered a italian steak and sausage sandwich and I ordered cheese ravioli.
His sandwich was huge!! It came with fries and a little dish of cole slaw. He said that it was the best Italian steak/sausage sandwich he's had. I ordered cheese ravioli and was very pleasantly surprised. Usually, you only get a few ravioli, I got a good amount. The home-made sauce was a little sour, but it complimented the ravioli well.
-1 star because I would've liked more cheese in the ravioli.
They have a great wine selection and a bottle of miller lite w/ a frosted glass is less than $2. They have nice outdoor seating, as well as indoor seating.
People thought this was:
The best Veal Parm sammich you could ever ask for.
Their pizza is a bit greasy but what do you expect really.
Everything I've gotten from here is delish and they've got outdoor seating for a few but their hours suck.
People thought this was:
Ok, there's two different sides to this place - there's the actual restaurant and then there's another door to the right of the main one that you can get pizza by the slice from.
I've only eaten at the restaurant once and it was pretty good. But the pizza by the slice I've had at least 30 times and it's SO GOOD. They load it with the toppings of your choice, and by load I mean make a mountain with them. I always get green peppers and mushrooms and it's pretty much the best pizza I've ever had. Don't get plain cheese.
People thought this was:
This place isn't as classy as they try to be- I was very surprised when I saw a sign on their door announcing that Rachel Ray's Tasty Travels would be filming there. The food is good, and seems authentic (-no Fettucini Alfredo here-) but the place is kind of tacky and a little expensive for the experience. I was there a little late and I got the feeling that they wanted me to leave soon, so I did.
I have ordered for pick up a few times now, and I feel better about this place. The food is always tasty, hot and quick. I definitely recommend it for pick-up, just not a romantic date night.
People thought this was:
This place is a great neighborhood joint. Authentic enough for my tastes, nice roaring fireplace in the entry. Quirkily decorated...excellent!
The Asparagus salad is simply divine. I recommend splitting it up as an appetizer. Bruschetta is pretty standard, but fresh and well made.
Our waiter was impeccable. He stated, "This isn't Bennigans, take your time to order, or tell me what you want, and we can make it." That's service, folks. With an Italian accent.
I had the special risotto which was lovely...and my comrades all had seafood entrees that they enjoyed throughly. Dessert was so/so...
Overall great experience, perfect neighborhood spot for an Italian meal...
People thought this was:
I have wondered about this place for years, and had a silly notion because of the similar names that it might be as fine a place as the il Fornaio restaurants in San Francisco and Carmel.
Nope. Sat down in the dining room with the retarded paint job that attempts to make it look like you are in an old neighborhood. The fat schleppy waitress took forever to ask if we wanted a cocktail. And when she finally brought it, it looked like less than an ounce of vodka, though I am not saying they cheated me; it was just a really skimpy drink. Next, horror of dining horrors, they seated a young couple next to us with a kid in a stroller who was starting to wake up. That plus the noise coming from Irving Park were enough for me. We paid the $16.00 bucks for the mizerly drinks and were out of there!
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Brunch Today!
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Take 25% OFF from our Regualar…
Evanston, IL
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Churches
Neighborhood: Wrigleyville
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Pubs
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