Francesca’s Chicago – A Worth-Trying Italian Spot 🇮🇹✨

Picked an Italian restaurant to celebrate a special day 🍾 After learning some cooking tricks from friends, I can whip up simple homemade Western dishes pretty easily now—so dining out has to be truly impressive and hard to replicate at home to be worth the trip! This time, we tried Francesca’s, a favorite among locals. We chose the Chestnut Street location—a short walk from Michigan Avenue, perfect for a lakeside stroll after the meal. Their menu changes seasonally, showing real care in recipe development. Loved the hand gesture design on the back of the menu—so clever! Reservations are recommended—the place was packed on the weekend. We were next to a lively group (maybe an Italian restaurant thing? Noise warning ⚠️), but the food was excellent! Italian food lovers, go for it!! 🤎 Cozze Alla Marinara Mussels in marinara sauce. The sauce was amazing—tomato, garlic, and dried chili blended perfectly. Only downside: one or two mussels weren’t the freshest. 🤍 Pesce Lombarda A Lombardy-style seafood main with cod and shrimp. The cod was lightly breaded and pan-fried, then served in a white wine and lemon sauce—fresh and flavorful. Pine nuts, capers, tomatoes, and tender spinach added texture and cut through the richness. First bite had me swaying with joy 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 🤎 Lasagna Bolognese Classic meat sauce lasagna with loads of mozzarella and Parmesan—flavor was spot on. Only thing: it didn’t seem fresh out of the oven. The mozzarella wasn’t fully melted or stretchy… a slight letdown texture-wise. 🤍 Tiramisu Traditional style with strawberries and chocolate drizzle. Not too sweet (thankfully not American-level sugar rush!). The balance of rum and espresso in the ladyfingers was just right—slightly bitter, absolutely delicious! 🍴 Francesca’s On Chestnut 📍 200 E Chestnut St, Chicago, IL 60611 #ItalianFood #ItalianRestaurant #ChicagoEats #ChicagoFoodie #ItalianInChicago #FoodShare 🍝