"There are so many Italian spots in the West Loop that red sauce fatigue can feel like a real hazard. But Il Carciofo popped up with its Roman-style dishes and said, "Hold that thought." Like its Croatian sibling that's also on this list, Rose Mary, this spacious restaurant is filled with West Loopers who can’t resist the pull of a trendy restaurant. Another shared trait: excellent food. The creamy rigatoni alla carbonara is al dente perfection. Their namesake fried artichokes shipped over from Rome make us want to wait at O’Hare with a welcome sign. Reservations are released a month out, so as long as you’re planning on eating about four weeks from now, you should be in the clear. If you want to eat there this week—well, hopefully you’re ok with sneaking out early from work or eating dinner right before bedtime. Most available slots (if there are any) are only from around 5pm or past 9pm." - adrian kane, veda kilaru, nick allen, john ringor