Italian Food near Northwestern University in Chicago 🇮🇹

📍 Address: Skokie, IL 60077 🍝 Restaurant: Maggiano’s Little Italy This location has mixed reviews and isn’t the best value, but here’s my take: 🧀 Creamy Mushroom Mac & Cheese – Delicious! Classic garlic cream sauce with tender chicken and mushrooms — rich and flavorful. The pasta was al dente (a bit firm), which I personally liked 😋. 🦞 Mussels & Lobster Pasta – Not a fan. The noodles tasted like plain Asian-style wheat noodles, and the sauce didn’t cling well to the pasta. The seafood and noodles felt disconnected (plus the seafood quality was just okay) — wouldn’t recommend. 🦑 Fried Calamari – A bit greasy, served with basic marinara sauce. Just average, even leaning toward not great. 🍰 Tiramisu – Surprisingly good! Not overly sweet (lighter than Whole Foods’ version), with a noticeable coffee bitterness in the cake layers — nicely balanced and satisfying. This Maggiano’s is next to the Old Orchard shopping center — a decent spot for a filling meal. Stick to the non-seafood pastas for a satisfying lunch! #Chicago #ChicagoLife #ChicagoEats #ItalianFood #NWUEats #FoodReview #ComfortFood