Alpana
Restaurant · Gold Coast
831 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610
Highlights
Italian-inspired cuisine with diverse pastas and tapas.
Italian-inspired cuisine with diverse pastas and tapas.
"Alpana is a Gold Coast Italian restaurant for fans of really long wine lists. The dishes are a little less than its 25 pages of wine ideas, but good in the scheme of cut-and-paste restaurants with plant wallpaper and plants hanging from the ceiling (of which Alpana very much is). Get the pasta with sundried tomatoes, broccolini, and chili flakes that has a lot of flavor while being a little oily. But you’re here most of all for a casual night at the bar, or to see if that bottle from Sonoma does have notes of “lead pencil.”" - adrian kane, veda kilaru, nick allen
"Alpana is strictly for fans of big wine lists. Which helps explain why The Bear zeroed in on this otherwise forgettable Gold Coast spot for its sole restaurant cameo in season four, when Sweeps learns to start thinking like a sommelier. And while Alpana is a good place for trying wines from its 25-page wine list, its food menu is less exciting, with standard wine bar dishes like burrata and pasta." - adrian kane, nick allen
"Alpana is a Gold Coast Italian restaurant for wine geeks. The wine list here is about 25 pages long and includes quotes from Norah Jones, Bette Davis, and Best In Show. The dishes are less exciting, but good in the scheme of cut-and-paste restaurants with plant wallpaper and plants hanging from the ceiling (of which Alpana very much is). The burrata is served with beets and oranges tossed in a sweet dill vinaigrette, adding herbaceous acidity to the cheese. And the pasta with sundried tomatoes, broccolini, and chili flakes has a lot of flavor while being a little oily. But you’re here most of all for a casual night at the bar, or to see if that bottle from Sonoma does have notes of “lead pencil.” Food Rundown Burrata Like a lot of the food here, the burrata is both solid and far from innovative. But if you’re working through a bottle from the “When In Rhone” section and need some fresh fruit and cheese, this is a solid choice. Filet Mignon Occasionally, the steak is overcooked. And the bland cognac peppercorn sauce is underwhelming—it has a mustardy flavor but little else. Short Ribs The short ribs are perfectly tender and have a tiny sweetness from the red wine reduction. Mixing the ribs with the mascarpone polenta makes for one of the richest bites here. Pasta Romero All of the ingredients add up to an oily but flavorful dish that’s good for sharing. The big pieces of fennel sausage cost extra, but give a welcome peppery kick to the dish." - Nick Allen
"Alpana Singh, the youngest person to achieve master sommelier status, educates the Bear sommelier, Gary Woods (Corey Hendrix), on the finer points of wine, including how red wine can pair with fish. Woods visits Singh at her Gold Coast restaurant. The scene from Season 4, Episode 2, was filmed in February 2025. Singh echoes what Froggy Meadow’s Jerry Boone said in Season 3: “What grows together goes together.”" - Ashok Selvam
"This new restaurant is a reflection of its owner, sommelier and former Check, Please! host Alpana Singh, down to the name. Singh stocked the wine cellar and designed the menu herself so that the flavors would pop when paired with wine. The beautiful, lush dining room also reflects her sensibility: an Eden that Eve never left and where only one man, Keanu Reeves, is worthy of a photo on the wall." - Ashok Selvam
