Formento's — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

We had a 7:45pm reservation for 3 and were running late so I called the restaurant to apologize and let them know. I told them we would arrive at 8:04pm. The hostess said it was okay so we proceeded to the restaurant. We arrived and after being told it would take a couple minutes to be seated we ended up being seated at 9:05pm.

After we were seated, the GM came over and thanked us for being patient and sent us a free appetizer. He didn’t have to do that. We appreciated the accountability and his gesture.

Food: Unfortunately, most of the food we chose had issues. We had the whipped ricotta appetizer. The pepper in the dish overpowered the other ingredients in the dish and made it unappealing. For our main courses we had the Risotto, Strozapretti, and Mezzaluna. The risotto was undercooked. The strozapretti (lamb ragu) was one noted. The lamb was tender but the flavor lacked depth. The sauce didn’t have any flavor. The best dish of the night was the mezzaluna and the focaccia bread served with olive oil for the table.

Service: Service was clunky. Our waitress was friendly but didn’t check in on us very often. We waited about 15 minutes after we placed our drink orders for her to come back and take our dinner orders. Our food did come out relatively quick (12 minutes). We didn’t feel taken care of in terms of our needs being anticipated. The rest of the wait staff was fine. Our table was kept clean and bused after each course.

Decor: The decor didn’t seem cohesive. I didn’t understand the art pieces/decor chosen. Also the two different colors of the booths (a classic pizzeria red and a darker gray) on the main floor upper threw me off. It broke up the space and detracted from the flow of the room. The glassware for the ice water was a short rocks glass and there was no water carafe at the table. Instead, waiters walked around with heavily iced water in pitchers. Because there was so much ice in the water, you would drink it quickly. It was annoying having to wait for a waiter to come by to constantly refill your glass.

Overall the food, decor, and service were aspirational but the vision didn’t translate. There was a lack of attention to detail. The pieces might be there but the atmosphere didn’t seem to have the magic that a well run restaurant has. I think this is best evidenced by the fact that the environment forced us to focus on the shortcomings of establishment rather than enjoy each other’s company and conversation. By the end of the night we didn’t even want to look at the dessert menu. We were ready to leave and continue our night.

We spent $130 for 3 entrees and one round of drinks. In a city like Chicago, there are better options. We...

Formento's used to be a top Italian spot in Chicago. It has gone downhill lately. The only reason I give it 3 stars is out of respect for its legacy. Our most recent dining experience would be closer to a 1.5-2 star experience.

The food was pricey and everything we ate was clearly reheated. We started with the grilled octopus and meatballs. The octopus was terrible. It was one of the worst dishes I've ever eaten. It was clearly old and reheated. It was dry, rubbery, bland, and not warm at all. The meatballs were good, as they always are.

Pork chop and branzino were the mains. The branzino was decent. Pork chop was unremarkable. It was definitely over-cured and had a texture closer to ham. It was served in what was supposed to be a sauce, but it was more like the consistency of a bowl of soup.

Sides were mushrooms and crispy potatoes. The mushrooms were okay, definitely not fresh though. Potatoes were forgettable. They were soggy and lacked crisp, especially since the are called "crispy potatoes." Again, clearly not fresh.

The service was odd. The server was nice, but really awkward. She pushed the special card very hard. In hindsight, I'm glad we didn't go with any of the specials. If I had paid $40 for a reheated potato, I would have been very upset.

The tab came to $250 for 2 people, before tip. For that price, I would have expected a lot more. Formento's used to be a solid 4.7 star experience, but as of the last two times we've eaten there, it has failed to deliver. Hopefully they clean house in the kitchen and return to where they were before covid.

At the end of the day, too many other great Italian spots in short walking distance at a better price point. The ambiance is nice, but the kitchen has taken a dive and seems to continue a...

I have eaten at this restaurant about 5 times, every time I go back it slowly creeps up my list of favorite Italian restaurants. Their food is delicious, the carbonara is probably my favorite carbonara from any Italian restaurant I’ve tried so far in Chicago. When the meat melts in your mouth it is just so divine. Their potatoes side dish is always amazing. Crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The flavor reminds me of potatoes I find at restaurants that serve tapas, and I love it. The ricotta and honey appetizer was delicious. I’ve had their chocolate cake and an apple dessert before, both yummy but I preferred other places, and it just depends how stuffed I felt at the time. However both were good. Every time I’ve eaten here with my partner and friends, everyone loves the food. But to go beyond that, the customer service has been phenomenal. One time I went with my friend who is notorious about having low battery on her phone. A waiter was very kind and helped charge her phone. The most recent time I was here, our waitress was very nice and personable. She even walked me to the restrooms, when I asked where they were. Sometimes you will find restaurant staff at other places who will just point and say “go down that hallway and take a right through the door” or something like that. She went out of her way to walk me there, and that was very appreciated. Something to note, they do have valet, but I think it is a one man show, so in the West Loop it can get a bit hectic around the restaurant as cars wait to valet. Very nice man, just something to note. Sometimes you can find street parking but if you were interested in valet and do not see someone outside, it could be because he is helping another person with...