Enoteca Roma

"If you’ve never eaten at Enoteca Roma, that needs to change immediately. It’s a small, quiet spot in Wicker Park that serves fantastic Italian pastas and bruschetta. Start out with a bruschetta flight (you can choose five different types for $15) and a polenta board for the table (our favorite is topped with a venison bolognese). Then round things out with a pasta, like the penne arrabiata or one of the handmade specials. If you can move after eating all of that, head next door to the Empty Bottle for a show." - adrian kane

"From the outside, Enoteca Roma in Wicker Park looks like a little Italian spot that can fit about 25 people. But don’t be discouraged—this place is the restaurant equivalent of Mary Poppins’ carpetbag, thanks to a huge back patio. It’s secluded and very cute, with string lights and lots of green stuff to help you forget you’re in the city. Start out with a polenta board for an appetizer (our favorite is topped with venison bolognese), then follow up with pasta, like the penne arrabbiata or one of the handmade specials. Hang out here until they ask you to leave." - adrian kane, john ringor

"Enoteca Roma is a small spot in Wicker Park that you might not know serves fantastic Italian pastas and bruschetta. Start with a bruschetta flight (you can choose five different types for $12) and a polenta board for the table (our favorite is topped with a venison bolognese). Then, round things out with the penne arrabbiata or one of the handmade specials. And in the summer, this place becomes the equivalent of Mary Poppins’ bag, when the space becomes deceptively large thanks to a huge secluded back patio." - adrian kane, veda kilaru, john ringor

"The tables inside this cute little restaurant are so close together that if your date involves a whisper argument, everyone will hear. Luckily for you and anyone who doesn’t want to hear a discussion of what happened last night, the back patio is huge. It’s also very private and includes enough string lights to charm the confrontation right out of you. Order a bruschetta flight (you can choose five different types for $12) and a polenta board to share (our favorite is topped with a venison bolognese). Then round things out with a pasta, like the penne arrabiata or one of the handmade specials." - adrian kane

"Enoteca Roma is a small, quiet spot in Wicker Park, and it’s the kind of neighborhood Italian restaurant you imagine New Yorkers taking for granted every day. Sit at the bar with the penne arrabiata or the campanelle topped with venison bolognese, along with a big glass of red. A lot of the pastas come in half orders, which is great if you don’t want leftovers. Just don’t ask for a half order of Chianti." - adrian kane, veda kilaru