OLIO E PIÙ
Italian restaurant · West Village ·
Thin-crust pizza, Italian wines, sidewalk seating, brunch
Thin-crust pizza, Italian wines, sidewalk seating, brunch
"A Bryant Park sibling of the Greenwich Village Italian standby with a familiar lineup of classic dishes and handmade pastas; the original opened in 2010 and the brand now stretches to Chicago and Washington, D.C." - Tierney Plumb
"New York City Italian restaurant Olio e Più has expanded to Chicago, serving a seasonal menu in River North that emphasizes meat and seafood. Weekend brunch brings poached eggs with prosciutto and roasted potatoes, platters of salami and cheese with housemade focaccia, and pancakes with cherry chantilly. Add on 90 minutes of mimosas for $25. Make a reservation through OpenTable." - Samantha Nelson, Eater Staff
"Chicago is no stranger to transplants like NYC’s Olio E Più, a spacious Italian spot populated with antique chandeliers, vintage posters, and a mixed bag of tourists and couples who look like they just wrapped a J. Crew photo shoot. But with its disappointing takes on classics, Olio E Più ends up being just another buzzy River North spot that you can skip. The easy-on-the-eyes carbonara turns out to be a pile of watery pasta even the salty guanciale can’t rescue from blandness. Branzino covered in tomatoes like bruschetta arrives mushy, and the lamb meatballs are similarly flavorless. And though the smooth panna cotta topped with refreshing passionfruit is solid, it isn’t enough of a consolation prize. If you’re in the area and need your red sauce fix, check out RPM Italian just across the street. photo credit: Rachel Bires" - John Ringor
"The original location, opened in 2010 in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, established the brand's concept and included a wood-burning oven for pizzas, though pies accounted for only about five to six percent of sales." - Naomi Waxman
"If you love a good old Italian trattoria (who doesn’t), add Olio E Più to your list. For a quintessentially West Village night, grab a few seats at the bar that overlooks the open kitchen and order a few rich, filling, cold-weather dishes to round out your espresso martinis. The menu features items like fusilli del cacciatore made with wild boar, Berkshire pork, mushrooms, herbs, red wine, and Parmigiano or their thin crust Neapolitan-style pizza with eggplant, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. Don’t forget dessert: Anything from their chocolate gelato to tiramisu and Nutella-stuffed calzone will pair perfectly with the chocolate and coffee notes of your espresso martini." - Lee Musho