Che Figata — Restaurant in Naperville

So, my wife takes me here for Fathers Day 2024. When we entered, no one was at the podium. We waited 10 minutes for someone to show up to seat us. We decided to sit outside it was a beautiful day. The waiter we had was only on the job for one week, but he was actually the best part of our experience.

My wife ordered Moscato. I had a red wine to get things started. My wife ordered a salad for an appetizer we ordered muscles to share. The muscles are served with bread. Oddly, the bread is completely burnt on both sides, and we couldn't eat it. The muscles and the sauce that they came in were delicious. Oddly enough, this is an Italian restaurant that decides to not serve bread with its dinners a Stark contrast to Little Italy Maggiano's right up the street.

The waiter said that people have to ask for bread, which is ridiculous, not his fault, but a stupid management decision, in my opinion. The bread was delicious and fluffy. We enjoyed it. So what I'm about to say is going against all the popular reviews. My wife and I decided to order the lamb rack. Hungry and anxious to eat the lamb, it turned out  to be spoiled it tasted Rancid it was utterly disgusting 🫣 my wife lamb chops had something bubbly on top of it.  Honestly, I believe the lamb chops had soak in the marinade way too long. 6 to 24 hours is recommended. Otherwise, the marinade starts to break down the fibers in the meat, making it inedible. We told the waiter and he immediately took it back. The manager and waiter were apologetic and didn't charge us. We decided to go with something simple. We ordered 🙌 everybody's go to a sausage and pepperoni pizza. You would think you can't possibly (F) that up right. Wrong after eating my 2nd slice, I discovered something terribly wrong in my mouth. I found something hard. To my surprise, it was a damn peace of bone, yes, a bone in my pizza.  The manager came out to ask us how the pizza was, and I showed him the hard peace of bone. He picked up the bone out of the plate , examined it, and took it back to the back.

We weren't charged for any of the mess up. All I can say is that they ruined my Father's Day celebrations with my wife. Avoid this understaffed establishment is my best advice to anyone out there. Missing the mark seems to be...

1. I almost never write online reviews - but felt compelled. 2) I have zero affiliation with this restaurant. 3) We went there last night.

After living in Naperville for nearly 30 years and experiencing all the best restaurants in the area, we moved to Indiana last July. However, we came back to Naperville to celebrate our wedding anniversary and were staying at Hotel Arista. My wife discovered that the former 'Sugar Toad' restaurant had been converted to Che Figata and had opened just a few weeks ago. After reading the menu on their website, and a bunch of online reviews (which were mostly good but a few bad), we decided to give it a shot. I can only surmise that the bad reviews that we read were due to the fact that they had just opened and were working out the kinks because this was one of the top 3 best dining experiences we have EVER had! Instead of ordering entrees, we chose to order a variety of their small plate items and shared them so that we could experience a wide range of their offerings and WOW, we were totally blown away! We chose their "kitchen view" seating which for Foodies/Food Network Addicts like us, could be compared to sitting in the middle of Iron Chef's Kitchen Stadium (more intimate booth and table seating is also available). You literally have (very comfortable) front row seating at a semi-circle granite countertop bar that surrounds the open kitchen by 180 degrees, placing you right in the middle of all the action. What a fantastic/fun concept! Chef Mark and various members of his kitchen staff spoke freely with us about what they were preparing while also giving us generous samples of menu items we had not ordered. This review is getting long, so I will simply say this: GO THERE, ENJOY, YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY. And, YOU'RE WELCOME. I would categorize this establishment as 5-star Italian dining in a casual, lively atmosphere. The service was great and the cuisine was the star of the show. Everything was sooooo flavorful....All of it. Big absolutely delicious portions. The smell of the wood fired oven and cooked meat tickle the senses. Great all-Italian wine list. This place is Foodie...

I don’t even know where to start. Chef Liam was incredible, his team was incredible, Vito was incredible, and Lee was incredible. I feel bad for forgetting some of the other staff members’ names because every single person we encountered was outstanding. Last but not the least... the food was PHENOMENAL! The team here is just so accommodating and just makes you feel so comfortable. We were in our flight clothes (we call them our comfies) they did not judge, they treated us like family.

We are from New Jersey and are used to great Italian restaurants, but I can honestly say this is one of the best dining experiences we have ever had. We are not from the area, have never been to the area, and do not know anyone here. We flew in for my fiancée’s Nurse Practitioner exam in St. Charles, saw that Hotel Arista had great reviews, and discovered Che Figata attached. Let me tell you, this place is the real deal.

My fiancée and I are planning a destination wedding, and we were treated better by the staff at Che Figata and Hotel Arista than we were when visiting our actual wedding location. From the moment we sat down, the staff made us feel like family. Sitting at the bar with my fiancée, I was fascinated watching Chef Liam and his team prepare dishes with such passion and precision.

SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT! Vito recommended the tiramisu, and it was the best I have ever had in my life. I’m writing this review in a food coma, thankful that places like this still exist. As a young couple with old souls, Che Figata made us feel like we were having Sunday dinner at my Nonna’s table.

Lee was nothing short of amazing, Vito was nothing short of amazing, and Chef Liam and his team belong on national television. This is exactly how it should be done. We already canceled our reservations for tomorrow night elsewhere just so we could come back to Che Figata.

Thank you to everyone for an unforgettable experience, from the food to the drinks to the...