Chef Ciccio, Beef-Balls-Beer — Restaurant in Chicago

Delicious. Absolutely delicious. I was there Saturday in the late afternoon. The employees couldn't have been more nice. My longtime favorites are Johnnie's in Elmwood Park, Original Nana's in Streamwood, Al's on Taylor Street, and Chickie's in Hillside. Those are my reference points.

I love Ciccio's use of a baguette rather than the regular French bread used everywhere else. The baguette- in and of itself- separates Ciccio's beef from all others. The baguette was perfectly crispy and crusty on the outside, which in turn allows the bread to retain all that delicious gravy soaked into said bread without the bread falling apart. I love my beefs dipped, and this baby was thoroughly dipped. It was perfectly juicy, yet it didn't fall apart due to the crispness that comes along with a baguette.

The beef was also perfectly tender, flavorful, and loaded up in plentiful amounts. It was on the spicier side, along with the gravy, which was also wonderful. And your roasted potato wedges were very good, too.

This was easily the best meal I've ever had at Navy Pier. I encourage everyone who loves Italian beef to make the necessary trek here to try it for yourself. The next time I'm here, I'm trying their Italian sausage. I'm not sure if it's a sweet sausage like at most places in Chicago or a hot sausage like at Johnnie's in Elmwood Park? I'll find out soon.

Congratulations on your new business venture!...

Both the food and the service were fantastic. We had walked through late Friday night after closing and had stopped to checked out the menu for the next day when they were open. Chef came out of the back room and insisted we take a free Cannoli that was leftover from the day and it was fantastic. He talked to us, joked with us, and took time after closing at the end of his day to explain his food. We went back the next day for lunch and he recognized us. We got the Italian beef and a chicken parm sandwich. The red gravy was so good. The bread was the best I’ve had in Chicago. I went to sleep thinking about that bread. The chicken parm was perfectly crisp and the perfect size for the sandwich. The Italian beef was fresh, tender, and delicious. Even the side potatoes were great! The two chefs are just as entertaining as the food. The whole meal was an experience and my favorite part of Navy Pier. I will definitely be back to...

We’re Italian, born and raised, and we truly enjoyed our experience at Chef Ciccio’s on Navy Pier. I had an Italian Beef sandwich while my wife ordered the Chicken Parm, and both were excellent. It was my very first time trying an Italian Beef (something that simply doesn’t exist back home in Italy), but it was immediately clear that the chef knows his craft. The beef was tender, juicy, and deeply flavorful, while the bread, partly soaked with the meat’s juices, was outstanding. In some ways, it reminded me of the most authentic lampredotto sandwiches you’d find at a Florentine food truck. The Chicken Parm was also very good. Again, I don’t have a direct reference point, since this dish isn’t Italian either, but the chicken was perfectly cooked, still pleasantly moist, and the whole combination worked beautifully. All in all, a great experience... Chef Ciccio...