Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian Is Worth the Wait | Eater Chicago

"A laid-back neighborhood spot that works for just about any occasion, this packed Lincoln Park Italian newcomer from Cornerstone Restaurant Group has quickly become one of the toughest tables in town since debuting in August. On a Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., I found the dining room full: families (kids on iPads), groups of friends, and couples tucked into two-person booths along an exposed brick wall, with staff marking birthdays with a celebratory dessert; music stayed low, but the lighting was dim enough that one patron used a phone flashlight to read the menu. The bar, where I sat, is first come, first served with little space to wait—I awkwardly hovered by the host stand and the area grew congested as parties stacked up. Executive chef Matt Eckfeld’s menu showcases red-sauce classics and tavern-style pizza: baked clams casino arrive nine to an order, nestled in their shells under a spicy breadcrumb-and-bacon crust that benefits from a squeeze of lemon, and a Chicago spin shows up in Italian beef–style carpaccio dressed with giardiniera, shaved Parmesan, and beef jus aioli. The pizzas are paper-thin tavern-style; every piece of my sausage pie had a hunk of pork on it, and there’s also a vodka-sauce pie with sweet onions, ’nduja, and Calabrian chile—I nearly finished an entire pizza myself and those with big appetites should be able to do the same. Drinks lean Italian, from a Calabrian dirty martini with an ’nduja–gorgonzola–stuffed olive and an amaro sour to a particularly fine negroni made with Gran Bassano Rosso; wines are mostly Italian, and amaro and grappa await for a digestif. It has the spirit of a neighborhood restaurant but, judging by the crowds and buzz, it’s attracting a much wider audience; tavern-style pizza lovers will be pleased, though you’ll need to plan weeks ahead for a reservation, and even bar walk-ins should expect a wait." - Jeffy Mai