Mia Francesca

32-Year-Old Mia Francesca Spruces Up With a Remodel in Lakeview | Eater Chicago

"Thirty-two years after its debut, I watched a red-sauce Italian stalwart reintroduce itself to Lakeview when the flagship Mia Francesca reopened with a major remodel and new menu items; for the first time in 20 years its proprietor, Scott Harris, donned his chef whites and said he wants to make it one of the city's best Italian restaurants again. Founded in 1992 and long known for enormous portions of saucy pasta, affordable tumblers of wine, and an unpretentious (if very noisy) atmosphere that used to be perpetually heaving, the Lakeview dining room had shown wear and fallen behind a broader, more competitive Italian scene. Harris is returning to simple, rustic dishes drawn from Rome, Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio while adding contemporary tweaks—about 40 percent of the opening menu is new (including funghi del bosco, seared sea scallops with anchovy and walnut vinaigrette, and seared hearts of palm Provençal), with the remaining 60 percent devoted to Mia Francesca classics such as pollo arrosto alla Romana, rigatoni alla melanzane, and linguine al’ arlecchino; he’s also added gluten-free pasta and a greater emphasis on vegetables. The remodeled interior balances a trattoria identity with contemporary touches: a refurbished antique bar originally built in 1927 where bartenders will keep moderately priced wines a priority, faux plaster wall treatments, antique mirrors evoking aperitivo bars, minimal wall art, and an original 1992 Mia Francesca menu on display. Harris hopes his kitchen presence and staff training rotations will restore the upbeat, bustling energy that once defined the restaurant; it is located at 3311 N. Clark Street and accepts reservations via OpenTable." - Naomi Waxman