il Carciofo
Roman restaurant · West Town
1045 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60607
Highlights
Roman-style pizzas, pastas from a pasta lab, and artichokes
Roman-style pizzas, pastas from a pasta lab, and artichokes
"Chicago is filled with Italian spots serving mattress-sized scallopini or deconstructed lasagna, but Il Carciofo in Fulton Market is one of the few to embrace the simplicity of Roman cuisine. You’re here for the perfectly al dente housemade tagliatelle, rigatoni, and dishes with only a few ingredients. In each bowl with meaty ragu or guanciale, you're able to thoroughly savor the quality of the tomatoes and cheese fresh off a red-eye from Italy. 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." - john ringor, nick allen, adrian kane
"The West Loop has so many Italian restaurants that red sauce fatigue can feel like a real hazard. But the Roman-style dishes at Il Carciofo popped up and said, "Hold that thought." Like its Croatian sibling, Rose Mary, this spacious Fulton Market spot is filled with West Loopers who can’t resist the pull of a trendy restaurant. Another shared trait: damn good food. The creamy rigatoni alla carbonara with guanciale is al dente perfection. Their namesake fried artichokes imported 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, john ringor, nick allen
"If you want some great Italian food from a buzzy new restaurant, head to this Fulton Market spot from the Rose Mary team. The warmly lit space is filled with couples who have the same idea as you, but the service is very relaxed, and it’s not too loud to chat. Inevitable conversation topics: the namesake fried artichoke with a dusting of salty pecorino and the must-order pastas. But if you briefly stop listening to zone out into your creamy rigatoni alla carbonara, that's perfectly normal. 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, john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen
"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
"How Far In Advance Should You Book? You can get a primetime spot two days in advance, especially on a weeknight. Il Carciofo had plenty of excitement around it when it opened last December: it’s from a Top Chef winner, and it’s an Italian restaurant in a neighborhood where people generally can't get enough of Italian food. But trying their excellent Roman-style carbonara and mortadella sandwich is no longer a feat of reservation acrobatics. Same-day tables are fairly common, and the large dining room is especially friendly for walk-ins." - nick allen
