Adalina

"Glitzy and glamorous, Adalina is built to impress. The lively Gold Coast eatery has plenty of eye candy: crystal chandeliers, vintage mirrors, and plush velvet seats. Servers dressed in tuxedos echo the stylish setting, while the modern Italian menu from former Band of Bohemia chef Soo Ahn features refined staples such as cacio e pepe arancini, veal chop parm, and a truffled Caesar salad that’s prepared tableside." - Ashok Selvam

"Glitzy and glamorous, Adalina is built to impress. The lively newcomer has plenty of eye candy: crystal chandeliers, vintage mirrors, and plush velvet seats. Servers dressed in tuxedos echo the stylish setting, while the modern Italian menu from former Band of Bohemia chef Soo Ahn features refined staples such as cacio e pepe arancini, veal chop parm, and a truffled Caesar salad that’s prepared tableside. The handmade pastas shine too, as do the desserts by Jean Banchet Award-winning pastry maestro Nicole Guini. Also check out the speakeasy-style bar Rose Lounge downstairs." - Eater Staff

"Decked out with floral designs and jeweled hues, Adalina offers a gorgeous space to enjoy Italian fare such as charred octopus with horseradish goat cheese or handmade mafaldine with lamb bolognese. For a really special meal, try the six-course tasting menu from executive chef Soo Ahn, a recent Top Chef competitor. Keep the night going by heading to the Rose Lounge speakeasy for an after-dinner cocktail." - Lisa Shames, Samantha Nelson

"If your hideous split ends are what have been holding you back from eating someplace with white tablecloths and servers in tuxedo jackets, you’re in luck. You will find all of these things at Adalina, a new upscale Italian restaurant in the Gold Coast. This spot walks the line between fancy and overly formal - both because of the friendly service, and because it’s busy and loud enough that you won’t feel like you’re eating in a library. Plus, the food is really good. The menu has dishes like gnocco fritto with prosciutto, whipped ricotta, and honey (a fantastic starter) - along with housemade pastas, and entrees like a tender bone-in veal parmigiana. Basically, it’s the kind of fancy place where you can show off your lack of split ends and crack a joke with the person making your tableside salad." - adrian kane

"A quick online search of Adalina will show you a sea of white tablecloths and a menu full of pasta and veal chop Parmigiana. You won’t realize how fun Adalina is until you’ve spent a few minutes at this upscale Italian restaurant, sitting on crushed velvet chairs and surrounded by flower paintings that would make Georgia O’Keeffe suspicious. The bar is filled with people hanging out two hours before (and after) their reservation time, and the posh dining room gets louder and louder through the course of your meal. People from different tables will inevitably start to mingle with each other, someone might topple over in their heels, and generally things devolve into a good-natured sh*tshow." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen