Gruppo Di Amici
- Nearest Transit:
Jarvis (Red)
Howard (Purple, Red, Yellow, Evanston Express)
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
35 reviews
Neighborhood: Lakeview
"Superb!! I was highly impressed with our visit to Fiorentino's. The inside is cozy, but elegant, with hardwood floors and white linen…" read more »
40 Reviews for Gruppo Di Amici
I go here occasionally 'cause I live nearby. Nothing out of this world, though the pizza has gotten better (the pizza sauce is quite good, actually). Service is spotty but generally friendly. Good place to sit at the bar and have a bite & beverage while watching a couple innings on the (silent) flatscreen. Stay away from the spaghetti & meatballs - at least the time I had it the sauce was burnt-tasting & heavy & the meatballs greasy & lacking any sort of grace at all. My Irish mom makes better spaghetti & meatballs. And don't believe the stuff about how this is as good as any of those hifalutin Italian places - I can name a half dozen that are better, but if you want GOOD Italian this far north, go up to Va Pensiero in Evanston; it's excellent, with occasional forays into sublime.
I've been here a few times now and I love the Italian food, the atmosphere and the service. My most recent visit was for my birthday and we had one person arrive late. Not only did they make his margherita pizza just before we hoped he was going to arrive, but they kept it next to the oven so it wouldn't get cold until he actually arrived. The menu is a bit short but extremely tasty and the wines are excellent.
If you live in north Rogers Park, then you have to be familiar with GDA (Gruppo Di Amici). I have to say that having this restaurant just a few steps from my home is wonderful. Their staff is fun to chat with and their pizzas are wonderful. Even if you are in the area for dessert, their Amici Chocolate Cake is well worth the 20 minutes it takes to prepare.
Now I will say that if you go and eat at GDA, bring someone with you. Their food can get a bit pricey so it's best to just split the pizza and an appetizer with someone. On another good note, they do have daily food and drink specials, so you can't go wrong there.
I find that Grupo is definitely a great place to go if you want a quiet dinner with friends or a date on a weeknight. There's perfect meaning in the name.
Have been to gruppo several times. Pizzas are okay, but I recommend spliting them and having some salads or appetizers. The warm spinach and goat cheese salad is so good that I dreamt about it for about a week. The mussels are awesome (very garlicky). Great wine selection and the servers very knowledgable. Don't go in expecting a quick dinner - you are supposed to sit down, relax, and enjoy your meal, and they time everything perfectly to achieve that. Have also had some of the specials - everything was awesome. Parking is iffy, the neighborhood is in a perpetual state of "improving", but glad to see a new business with something to offer.
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I almost never go out for Italian (personal bias I guess--it doesn't feel 'exotic' enough), but I really like this place. The execution on everything, from the pizzas to the cocktails to the gelato (a little steep at $5, but delicious) was top-notch. Also, we went with a toddler, and they were fine (go early if you're going to do this ffs)
The wonderful capricciosa pizza is probably enough for two to share--only minor quibble is the inclusion of a hard boiled egg doesn't really add anything. A cracked egg on top would work better. My wife's homemade pasta was fantastic--the noodles themselves were perfectly al dente in the way only fresh pasta can be, and the simple sauce was excellently balanced between tangy tomato, cream, and just a hint of aged cheese.
Cozy little place, and being so close to the red line, maybe even worth a trip up to the People's Republic of Rogers Park!
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Great place. I'm really not a big fan of lamb. But, we came here one night when they had a lamb shank special served on mashed potatoes, and it was one of the most tastiest things I've ever eaten. My mouth is watering as I think about it. The pizzas are delicious, although not the style I love the most. Very nice beer selection including some locally produced beers- try Cane and Abel.
The reason to come here though is their Sunday brunch. Eggs Florentine is sooooo good. Crostini topped with sauteed spinach, prosciutto, a perfectly poached egg and finally beurre blanc. Their bloody marys are one of the best I've ever had and to top it off, they give you a beer back with it. I LOVE that. I'm easily impressed I suppose.
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Gruppo gets good marks for service and atmosphere, but the food was spotty. Our server was quite knowledgeable about the menu, answering questions and making wine recommendations with ease. The music was, curiously, early/mid-90's crap-pop, although my friend and I enjoyed stopping every once in a while to realize that the current song was Boyz II Men or Bryan Adams.
The stuffed mushroom appetizer was cold and bland. It also came out of the kitchen way too quickly after we placed our order. We enjoyed the warm bread, however. I ordered the soup special (chicken garbanzo) and it too was cool and nearly flavorless, not to mention having unseemly spots of oil floating on the top. It followed quickly after the appetizer. I wondered how long they had been sitting half-prepared back in the kitchen.
The entrees, though, were delicious. My friend had the seafood special, a crabcake and shrimp dish with red peppers; I had the meatballs and spaghetti. Both were excellent, hot, and obviously cooked to order. We skipped dessert.
I will certainly return to Gruppo, but my usual standards are lowered due to the limited options in the neighborhood. Since it's so close to home, I will return to try the desserts and pizzas (praised in other reviews), and for the daily drink specials (e.g. 1/2-price glasses of wine on Tuesdays). The prices are reasonable when the food is the quality of the entrees.
I'm a fan of Gruppo Di Amici. The pizza is good, the ambience is nice, and the half-price glasses of wine (or bottles, depending on the day) are amazing. Tonight, I tried the spaghetti and meatballs and really enjoyed my dinner! The red sauce is a little sweet and the meatballs were very flavorful.
The service tended to be a little slow, but I think that's partly a function of the "mood" of the place. This is the kind of restaurant where lingering is encouraged.
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This place is a disgrace on every level.
Service is HORRIBLE, slow and careless.
The only thing worse than the service is the pizza.
I can't believe people actually eat here on a regular basis.
One of the main reasons I wanted to write this review was because of the "mixed note" re: whether or not this place was Good For Kids (at this writing, 7 for and 9 against...).
Put me firmly in the "for" column, but I went for brunch last weekend. They were fanTAStic to my twin daughters (almost 4yo), and we had a great time with great food and excellent, smiling service!
My brother (fellow Yelper, Greg) and his wife live in the neighborhood and they have been raving about this place for every meal of the day. We met them up at Gruppo along with our other brother Tim, AND my parents...so 6 adults and 2 kids. Jacky (Microsofter that she is) was in Redmond at the time (no doubt trying to pass along my Vista complaints to Bill, personally...she tells me she doesn't have that kind of pull, but I can keep dreaming, right?).
We had raspberry bellinis, some very fancy "goblet" style Belgian beers, the girls had bowls of fruit, bacon, eggs and more...we had everything from breakfast paninis to eggs florentine (true Italian style), and I had the piece de resistance...undoubtedly, the BEST pasta carbonara I've EVER had...seriously.
To paraphrase "Molto" Mario Batali, pasta carbonara should be a hangover helper the 'next morning,' or a good midnight snack. guanciale (preferably), or pancetta with al dente bucatini, and last-minute 'raw' egg, parmigiano and tons of black pepper and tender onions...like arborio rice in a risotto, the "creaminess" should be a natural result of those ingredients, NOT actually adding in cream (!? bleagh...this means you, Giada DeLaurentis). The REAL secret? The tempering of the egg(s) before adding them in the carbonara so that you don't get white scramble in the dish...a kitchen mishap most-often seen. Gruppo Di Amici? Perfetto e ottimo. I kiss the chef on both cheeks and gesture wildly with my hands.
So, great service -- beautiful restaurant, perfect brunch food, even with an 8 top including two rambunctious kids.
We'll be back for dinner sometime soon!
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This little corner of Jarvis is such a great surprise in Rogers Park! I was craving wood fired pizza and was rewarded with the delicious smell and flavors that I wanted. Thursday is half price bottled wine day - how can you say no to that? We had a great bottle on recommendation; we'd like to come back for the other specials through the week as well (I remember $5 martinis listed). The place is spare but elegant, the feature is the oven, which you can see while you salivate over the smells. The pizza was fabulous. I got goat cheese and mushroom and the flavors were strong as they should be. This crust is very thin - I'd prefer slightly thicker and chewier - but I really can't complain. Excellent service; nice clientele; fun-looking neighboring businesses. I will check them out soon - a bar and a cafe. I'd like to see these places influence the rest of the area.
I am so glad I got to try Gruppo Di Amici. Even though I work about 5 minutes away, I don't think I ever would have known it existed based on where it is located (near the L stop on Jarvis).
Went on a Thursday at 7 and already the place was filling up (a great sign!) After bartending for us, Jimmy then assumed the role of our waiter. He was very attentive and helpful, describing in detail the specials of the night and making recommendations.
There are two ways to find out if an Italian restaurant is worth their salt, and that is by their margharita pizza and caprese salad. If they are done properly you know the rest of the menu is going to be good.
Well, I didn't sample the salad, but I saw it and I can say it looked awesome, I am SO getting that next time I come. The pizza had buffalo mozzarella, huge fresh leaves of basil, and a charred wood-fired crust. The sauce could have been chunkier but who am I to fault them for a pureed sauce. Other things I noticed that looked divine were the mussels (omg!), mushrooms and a plate of gnocchi which was a special.
EarthToDori S. is right though - this place gets LOUD. It was hard to hear at times, and this is with the person seated right next to me! Definitely not a quiet, low-key kind of a place. But you can tell these folks care about you having a great experience when you come.
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I had dinner tonight with a fabulous group of yelpers and one member of the party was kind enough to ask if anyone would like a bite of her HUGE, tasty looking piece of lasagna. It then occurred to me that rude, greedy me should probably offer around a bite of my snapper (the special of the evening...I've learned to ALWAYS go with the special), but I had already eaten it all. Yes, it was THAT good! And I wasn't even starving because I had already devoured a few delicious appetizers: stuffed mushrooms and mussels. If you're a mussel person you must order these.
I try not to hand out 5 stars very often, but after tonight's meal Gruppo Di Amici deserves it! I have to admit that I don't get out to Rogers Park too often (if ever), but introduce me to more restaurants like this and I'll keep coming back!
And it wasn't just the delicious food and quaint, comfortable atmosphere that makes this a 5 star restaurant- the service is incredible! We started the night with drinks at the bar (should probably mention that Thursdays are half priced bottle night!) where our bartender kept our drinks flowing. And then the same fabulous bartender turned into our waiter, where he certainly led me in the right direction when deciding between the cornish hen and the snapper. He did a great job of moving the meal along at a pace where we didn't feel rushed nor famished...impressive when serving such a large group of people! And he certainly knew his stuff when it comes to the food and wine at Gruppo- I wish I could remember his name to give him props!
And the sweet owners even stopped by our table to welcome us to Gruppo...even after one of them had heard us ripping on her hometown while at the bar (I apologize...I'm sure El Paso really is a nice town! ;)).
My one regret is that I didn't leave room for dessert because they have flour less chocolate cake. But now I have an excuse to go back!!
Thank you Sarah B for introducing me to a wonderful new restaurant, as well as a new neighborhood!
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YUM. This place does pizza right.
I wasn't so impressed with the lasagna that one of my friends ordered (heavy and doughy-probably from fresh handmade noodles). I'm into pizza crusts more than pasta, so someone else may love that consistency.
The oil for the bread is possibly my favorite thing. For me to say that... well you should assume that it's some damn good oil!
Leftover pizza still smells like campfire. The pizza is so good, it makes me blush just thinking about it.
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This place is fine. We came for the wood-fired pizzas, and were a little underwhelmed. No plans to return, but it wasn't a bad meal. It's a nice little place and the service was good.
I really want to love this restaurant but I can't. Every time I go something is off - inattentive service, food not tasting that great (especially for the cost) getting the order wrong, not bringing the appetizer but charging us for it. How about the time we sat at the bar and it took ten minutes to get a drink. Later the bartender asked if we wanted a second drink but forgot to take the order because he was too busy flipping through the channels looking for something to watch on tv. AWKWARD. I will probably go again but really because there are very few options in this neighborhood.
So here I am in the bathroom and I am thinking I must be in the men's room 'cuz there is also a urinal in the room. Upon coming out I see the sign indicating a unisex bathroom. In fact there are two of these unisex bathrooms. Which makes great sense considering women take an average of 5 minutes when in the bathroom. And when I'm in a hurry to go, I don't go into the single bathroom/ men's room, I hold it. Thus there should always be a bathroom available, unless you are out of luck and they are both occupied! :0
So what's this review about? Bathrooms or food?
It's about the great food and drink that I enjoyed with other people who also enjoy good food. I ate the melanzane alla parmigiana and had not one of the pumpkin ales but two. Yummy!
The appetizers going around were tasty, I tried the stuffed mushrooms and a fellow diner's caprese salad. Excellent on the salad (fresh bufalo mozzarella). My first mushroom was not as hot (temperature -wise) as I would like it (but good flavor). I passed on the mussels( they smelled heavenly), only because I didn't have my benadryl with me. Not a true allergy to seafood and shellfish, just a sensitivity.
Our service was very kind and knowledgeable. It's a place I would come back and try out the pizzas and dessert.
Only a couple quirks throughout the dinner, I was starving by the time I got there and although bread is served, I did not want to carb load on the bread and oil. I wanted my entree, but orders for the entrees were not placed until after the appetizers were served. My friend didn't get her drink nor was my other friends diet coke refilled after request. (Drink easily deducted from bill). Not bad, considering we were a group of 10.
Overall, fun times will be remembered and next time I will remember to bring my benadryl!
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I think you have to look at everything in context. In a different city, or maybe a different neighborhood, maybe this restaurant would be a 3. But in Rogers Park, it is certainly at least a 4. Maybe a 4.5, really, given that this is really a place I frequent.
It is convenient to my home, so I come here often. I wouldn't do that if I didn't like the food. In fact, I always enjoy the food. The pizzas are very tasty, with a flavorful, crispy crust. And the service is incredibly friendly.
I'm very glad to have this place in the neighborhood.
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I thought this place was just okay. It was my husband's dinner, so we got a bottle of wine. We asked the server for a recommendation and it did compliment my husband's meal, but not so much mine. I ordered a pizza, the prosciutto, and was so disappointed. I would go back and order a pasta, but not a pizza.
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I ordered the spinach lasagna. It was quite good. A heavy dish, flavorful and easily could serve two hearty appetites w/a salad. The stuffed mushrooms were delicious. The pizza was 'eh', really only mediocre. Tuesdays are 1/2 price vino night -- a good thing for certain.
Why only 3 stars?
They MUST do something about the sound level -- the place was nearly full and my b/f decribed to noise level as "several decibels above a rockin' bowling alley." Not a good place to take a date and plan on carrying on a conversation w/out nearly shouting.
Also, there is such a thing as annoyingly good service. We were checked on about a dozen times in the 1 & 1/2 hours we were seated. How many times does one need to be asked if everything is alright?
I will go back and give the za one more try - maybe a weekday lunch time to avoid the noise.
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Very tasty Italian food, though I didn't try the pizza so I feel I've missed out. But I will be back! Nice atmosphere, great service, cute outdoor patio and tempting wine list.
I'm a big fan of Gruppo. The staff is always very friendly and the food is good. Last time I was there we ordered a bottle of wine and, get this, they have a whole system for taking your opened bottle to go with you. They cork it up and heat seal it in a plastic bag so you can drive home without open-container concerns. Brilliant.
That being said, it is rare that we leave wine on the table so we liekly won't need this again, but...
I agree that the tables are a tad close but eavesdropping on someone elses conversation makes for an interesting dinner sometimes.
If you live in Rogers Park, you gotta go to Gruppo. This is a place you'll want to keep in the neighborhood. If you don't live innn RP, this place is worth the trip.
When my friend Sarah B. moved up to darkest East Rogers Park, I will admit to being a little worried about where we would go for eats up there. Would I always have to insist that she come visit me for dinners out? That didn't seem like a good way to preserve the friendship.
Now, I blame her for the last couple pounds I've put on, because she took me to this place and I am hooked. On my first visit, I had the special which was a penne in a spicy marinara sauce, on my second visit I had the penne and meatballs, and I'm planning on going back in a few days to try the pizza. I live in Logan Square, people. I am traveling far for this food.
On a nice night, sitting streetside is lovely, as there is just enough foot and car traffic for some good people watching. The wine list is shallow, but both bottles I've had here have been excellent.
And they need to put some kind of warning on that flourless chocolate cake, because it is fantastic.
ETA: 10/19/07
I wish I could give them an extra star for the fan-freaking-tastic crab ravioli I had there last night! So good! Last meal on earth good!
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My Partner and I live right around the corner on Fargo, so we have been to Gruppo many times. We have only lived here for about a year, and are happy to see great things happening in this neighborhood. Gruppo is a hidden little gem, with a very classy interior that hides the fact that there are "crack condos" all around. To sit outside doesn't help by looking at the slums across the street. But it will get better I hope. To be inside, you feel like you are somewhere totally different! The food is always top notch, from the pizzas, to the lasagnas, to the wine selections. The desserts have never disappointed us either. We are very acquainted with the staff, and they remind us if we haven't stopped in lately. We have brought several friends in to show them this wonderful haven, and no one has been let down.
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The pizza was great! Service was slooooow so make sure to have time to spare. But great value!
Neither by boyfriend nor I was particularly impressed by this place. For the prices they charge, the food is not a good value.
The first time we were there, just after they opened, I ordered a calzone, and it arrived at the table ice cold at the center. Not room temperature. Ice cold. They re-heated it for me, but it came back burnt on the outside and lukewarm in the center. My b/f had a chicken dish, which he seemed to enjoy.
We then decided sometime later to give them another chance and see if our bad experience was just a fluke. Once again, I ordered the calzone, but I was again disappointed when it didn't arrive as ordered. In addition, the sauce (which at our first visit was fine) had changed, and I swear it had to have been Ragu sauce from a can (it had a weird metallic taste). My b/f was also not satisfied with his meal, and felt they skimped on ingredients (he is a chef) So I'm sorry to say, we won't be going back to Gruppo. It's a shame, since this neighborhood needs nice places, and we had hoped for better.
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This place has fantastic fresh Neapolitan pizzas and good mussels. The Sunday breakfast is good as well--I had the Eggs florentine which was quite good. The wine selections were perfect, though one server was very rude when I asked again what wine I was drinking--His reply was "you'll never find it anywhere" and he walked away. That being said, if the service is kept simple and I never get that guy again, I will be satisfied.
I'm all about the authentic Italian places. My wife is half Sicilian, so her cooking and her grandma's cooking make me a happy man. We live in Rogers Park, just a stop south of Jarvis Square. We went to Gruppo di Amici right after they opened last year, and have been back many times. Great wine list, with the wonderful 1/2 price day on Mondays. Their entrees are amazing - great pasta, meat and fish dishes. All fresh and beautifully prepared. Then there's the pizza. Wood fired and crispy and so authentic. I've been to Rome once as a poor college grad, backpacking my way through Europe, eating the 5000 lira ($2 at the time) pizzas as my only meal of the day, and I've been to Rome on my honeymoon, eating my 14 euro ($20 now!) pizzas. This place has the true Roman style pizza down pat! Crispy charred crust, bubbling cheese and great ingredients. The owners are there all the time, and the bartender/bar manager knows his wines and his beers. Great place. Great people. Definitely a can't miss.
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I would've given this place 3 stars if it wasn't for my husband's meal. The restaurant has a really nice ambiance and also has outdoor seating. It's right next to the Jarvis red line stop, so it's not as cozy outside as it is inside. The prices are pretty high for what I expected (in the area). The menu isn't very extensive, but they always have daily specials.
I ordered macaroni and cheese and expected something fancy. When they brought out the dish, it looked like they just took macaroni put some shredded cheese and put the dish in the microwave.
My husband ordered stuffed pork - he said it was the best meal he's ever had. The owner was really nice, always asking us how we liked the place. The pizza is made out in the open, so you can see your pizza being made.
Overall, it's a nice restaurant. I might go back just to give it the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing or they had a bad day. It's a good place to bring your date or your parents.
5 great reasons for 5 great stars:
1. Gruppo Di Amici pulled it off!
Who would have thought that any restaurant in Rogers Park, next to Jarvis El-station would be busy any time you go in there!!! This is not only very courageous to open any restaurant in this location, but on top Gruppo Di Amici exceeds any expectations in this neighborhood.
2. Hospitality par excellence
Gruppo Di Amici is like you expect an Italian restaurant to be: personal, great service and kitchen with love. They have always new daily specials which keep or exceed their promise for food as for the wine menu. AND if you like Pizza: this is the real and orginial Italian thin and crusty Pizza.
Because of their great hospitality and interesting specials in kitchen and beverage menu, the number of our visits exceeded already way the usual limit we have with other good restaurants.
Check out specials, like half price per bottle of wine on Wednesday.
3. For any setting
If you have out-of-town friends, they will love it! They have nice big round tables for a perfect group dinner experience. (which is the motto of this ristorante)
If you want to spend a nice evening with your spouse, it is a pretty romantic place with their nice littel candles, lighting and the storefront windows allowing the kind of warm streetlight mixing into the restaurant atmosphere!
If you want just to enjoy the excellent bar and wine selection, you'll find comfortable seats at a nice bar!
4. Outside
In the summer, enjoy sitting outside and observe this interesting intersection and neighborhood, which has another great outside sitting place - the Charmer's Cafe.
5. A true neighborhood restaurant
I love that I can walk there from my house! This is not usual if you live in Rogers Park.
Plus, I can very much identify with the crowd! This is also not so usual in Rogers Park. (But for a certain degree that's why you live in Rogers Park) Gruppo Di Amici lures out all the interesting people, you don't meet and get to see in the daily life because they go out other places.
Conclusion:
A true enrichment for Rogers Park and a restaurant which can easily compete with many Italian restaurants in the city!
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****Update 9/26/07*****
They now have brunch on Sundays! I haven't been, but the menu sounds delicious--frittatas, $5 bloody marys, etc.
And try the mussels--they are delicious, and definitely enough for a meal.
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Gruppo di Amici is a better than many Italian restaurants located in more so-called "desirable" neighborhoods. The food is delicious and homey, the service attentive and relaxed, the interior is clean and airy, and the patio, cozy.
I recently had the special--a shrimp and cherry tomato risotto with zucchini--I would attempt to make this at home, but then I wouldn't be able to enjoy it at Gruppo! Also good are the Italian comfort foods, such as the meat lasagna, which I believe is twice-baked--once in the pan, and then by the very generous square--with extra cheese melted on top.
Also try the salads--the greens are fresh (do they have a garden in the back?) and come lightly doused with a subtle olive oil and a touch of vinegar. I haven't had the mussels yet, but they looked so good at my neighbors table I will definitely be trying them next.
Most nights there are drink specials--Thursday is 1/2 price bottles of wine. I had a juicy Sicilian by Cusumano. I had thought to take the remainder home but alas, we finished it there.
And, of course, I had desert. And, of course, it was chocolate. A flour-less cake with gooey chocolate filling and a scoop of ice cream--divine.
I'm told they are thinking about having brunch on the weekends--I gave them my vote of approval on that idea; we'll see how far that vote goes :)
The one downside, which didn't hinder the star rating b/c, hey this is Chicago--the EL is in spitting distance and can make outdoor eating a bit noisy. But at least the car traffic on Jarvis is slow.
I went here tonight for dinner and was pretty impressed with the experience (I know, what a lame-o for coming straight to the computer to review, but I am waiting for my boyfriend to get off the phone so that we can take a walk). I digress.
I was surprised to see this place right next to the Jarvis El stop, but I was pleasantly surprised when I actually stepped inside. I went here a few Fridays ago and didn't feel like waiting for a table, but tonight we went a bit earlier and got right in. Apparently they take reservations, so it might be worth calling ahead. There was some outdoor seating, but unfortunately it was a bit too cool for that tonight.
The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful and the food was delicious. My boyfriend and I started with the Capricciosa salad (definitely large enough to share) and then shared one of their pasta specials and brick oven pizzas. We are stuffed, but the food was very good.
The restaurant already attracts the neighborhood locals - the parties on either side of us knew almost the entire wait staff.
There are a couple of reasons that I am not giving Gruppo 5 stars:
- The 2-top tables are a bit close together - I could hear the women next to me loudly describing their day, their men and the rest of their lives. I could here the couple on the other side of me talking about their salaries. It made it difficult to have a private conversation, though it wasn't a total deal breaker - I could still get in and out of my chair without having to ask them to move their table :).
- The food was a tad pricey. We did have alcohol and I thought it was reasonably priced - as was the salad (shared) and pizza. I just felt that the pasta special at $22 was a bit expensive - again, not a total deal breaker, but worth asking next time. It was very good though.
Anyway, overall a good experience. We'd definitely go back but probably won't make this a weekly stop.
We drove across the city last night to eat here because of the reviews we read on here. We will be going back (just not too too often). The service was slow for a not packed dining room. Maybe just because it is so new they haven't gotten the hang of the timing yet? They were all pretty friendly though.
They started us off with drinks and bread. I had a perfect Manhattan and it was perfect. The bread was so good - really crusty on the outside and soft in the middle. It was baked perfectly also. They also provided a delicious olive oil to go with the bread.
I had the margharita pizza and was less impressed. The sauce was a bit metallic tasting but not completely horrible. The crust was thin, chewy wonderful (the only thing I would have wanted to see more of is bubbles). The cheese situation was a bit of a problem for me. If you advertise fresh mozz on the menu, leave it at that. I know it is expensive, but I would rather have less fresh mozz. than a blend just so the whole pizza is covered. On top of that, the other cheese that was used was really gross. It didn't really melt or get stringy at all so it reminded me of that cheap pizza hut cheese.
A fellow diner had the bianca pizza and she was nice enough to share with the rest of the table because it was fantastic. I will be back here just because of this pizza.
I would advise to stay away from the pasta dishes. A diner at our table tried the spinach lasagna. And a diner at a table near ours had something else smothered in cheese. I heard both of them complaining that it was too heavy. I tried a bite of the lasagna and would not order it here.
This place is part of the "revitalization" of Jarvis Square (East Rogers Park). It's right off the Jarvis El, in a cluster of new restaurants and shops that will hopefully survive long enough to turn this place around from its previous run-down condition.
Before you get started on the pizza, they have a great beer list (including Veltins, a German pilsener that's difficult to come by). Atmosphere is both hip and inviting; there's a reasonably-sized bar with good service, and a lot of two-top tables. And while the pizza is probably a little unusual for many (I happen to love no-cheese pizza), the crust and ingredients are first-rate. I had the salsiccia; my wife tried a veggie pizza -- her with cheese -- and they were both great. We also had an octopus-salad appetizer that was fresh and tasty as well.
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I was excited to try Gruppo Di Amici mainly because of all the great reviews on Yelp. I will walk you step by step from when we entered the door. We had a reservation for 4 people, but two of us showed up about 10 min early. At this point in the evening the dining room was predominantly empty, but they refused to seat us before our whole party got there. That wouldn't have bothered me so much if other people without reservations walked in and were seated right away. The atmosphere was very nice and romantic. Their wine and beer list was rather small, but they had a good selection for what they had. Our party finally arrived and we were seated. I think they may have been short staffed, because the bartender was our waiter. He was nice, but talked so fast that we had to have him repeat a number of times. He told us about the specials for the night, and the seafood pasta special sounded quite good. Without thinking we ordered that, because the most expensive item on the menu was around 14 dollars. It was 25 dollars! We wouldn't have been so upset if there wasn't a huge price difference between the rest of the dishes and ours. We also wouldn't have been so upset if the dish was any good. Mine was bland, and my date's was too salty. On top of that our waiter disappeared for a good 20 minutes. We weren't going to order dessert, but changed our mind mid-sentence and he had already walked away. It was obvious that they were busy, but he didn't even wait for us to finish talking.
Overall, it had a nice atmosphere and good drinks, but the service was so-so and the food was not very good (especially for the price). We rated our evening with two stars because you can forgive a lot when the food is good. This was not the case.
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love love love this place.
It is authentic Italian. I am such a critic of Italian goodness and this place gets my seal of approval. My server was EXCELLENT. He was helpful, friendly, and really funny.
It's really tiny but it's got a nice feel. I am always trying to find new people to bring to this place.
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What a great little hidden gem this is, off the beaten path on the northside. Truly perfect for a Gruppo di Amici (Group of Friends); after dinner, head next door to the little Irish pub for beer and darts. A perfect night out.
Mmmm.. Delicious! I am so pleased this place opened in my hood. The pizza is fantastic and the salads huge and delicious.
Jimmy is such a sweet and attentive bartender that keeps all these wines changing which is nice. I love the neighborhoody feel it has while still being a nice place with a great little patio. My favorite waiter Ray always has good tips for me and keeps me laughing my ass off.
Unlike the other reviewer, I do not think the prices are unreasonable, the food is well worth it and the ingredients are fresh and of high quality. Also, they are great neighbors; my husband went to get me a lemon from the market which was closed and Gruppos owner gifted him one! We will eat here again and again!
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Perhaps my impression was tempered by all the great things I had heard about Gruppo on this site and others, but it didn't live up to its advance billing. The restaurant itself is a nice space with a warm feeling, but not a ton of seating. The servers and staff were very friendly and helpful. They start you out with a warm loaf of bread that is delightfully crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle, but they only offer olive oil to pair it with. I still had like four pieces.
The reason we came, the pizza, was a bit of a disappointment. They were good, no question about it, but I think we expected the experience to be euphoric. They have about 8 options for pizza. Two of my companions had the margherita, which they enjoyed. My lady friend went with the prosciutto and mushroom - very mushroomy and they just laid two big pieces of prosciutto over the top. I was disappointed with the sausage pizza. You have to pay to get cheese on it, and I was hoping for great Italian sausage. The meat was decent, and pairing it with red peppers showed a lack of imagination. You can get a sausage and pepper pizza anywhere in this city.
The wine list was solid but in flux and they had a good selection of beer as well. The rest of the menu looked intriguing, and I'd be willing to give other options a try. If I lived on the far North side I would be willing to come back but I'm not sure it would be worth the long drive to ret