Plume

All right, I have to confess this place does not have the greatest location. However, it does have a really good menu. Everything is so fresh! They prepare everything so well here. The pasta dish that I had was very flavorful and everything was seasoned perfectly. I like their wine selection too. The waiter we had made excellent recommendations. He really knew his stuff. If I gave him a pop quiz he would pass with flying colors. I liked that he knew the history behind the restaurant. He knew the dishes very well and was able to describe everything in detail for us. This place is a smashing hit. I hope they continue to flourish and prosper as a business because they’re all awesome here. This place is definitely one of Rockford’s best restaurants. 👏

Plume delivered an unforgettable dining experience, from the fantastic food to the top-tier service. Our server, Zach, was outstanding—attentive, friendly, and truly made our night special. Plus, the QR code coaster menu made ordering a breeze, and we appreciate their commitment to sustainability and that it allows them to continuously update their menu with local fresh flavors. We kicked things off with the Suppli and a special for the evening, the Duck Pierogi, both of which were amazing. A nice surprise? The complimentary Carne Salada, a delicious little bonus that allowed us to step outside our comfort zone. For our mains, we went with two standout pasta dishes. The Paccheri Pesto – A perfect blend of flavors and Pappardelle Stroganoff – Comfort food at its best, with perfectly tender brisket. And then came the grand finale—the Brown Butter Blueberry Tart, a special for the night. It is hard to stray from the perfect tiramisu, but we're so glad we did. Between the great food, thoughtful touches, and Zach’s stellar service, Plume completely knocked it out of the park. If you haven’t been yet, go—you won’t regret it. We're already looking forward to our next visit.

We drive past the Italian restaurant almost every day, but we didn't even know about this restaurant because they don't have much of a sign. Even their name is difficult to read, but my friend told us about this restaurant. I recommend Lasagna and Roman Pork Hash are so good but hot chicken we didn't like. It seems the combination of food with the chicken didn't go together.

Would recommend a reservation—we were just a walk in on date night. Food was unique and delicious. Waitress was friendly and kind. We sat in the patio and I wish there was less noise from the roundabout but that’s part of the location. Definitely pricier but I think justified for the quality of food. We’d suggest complimentary bread to go along with the Italian dishes, but would definitely return!

My Old Fashioned was excellent, so I knew we were off to a good start. The lasagna and elote were also delicious. The owner was hosting and we were able to speak to her briefly, which is always a good sign. Highly recommend. Update: We visited again last night (12-28-24) and again everything was great - service, cocktails, food all top-notch. Lia and Chase have created something special in Plume. Well done.

We walked in without a reservation and even though they were completely booked, we were welcomed warmly to eat at the bar. So glad we did. The food was fantastic. Bartender was amazing! We will be back!!

My husband and I chose to dine at Plume on their grand opening to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. The food was phenomenal and the service was exceptional! Thank you Lia for our extra special bubbly drinks to celebrate our anniversary. Thank you Olivia for your attentive service. We will definitely be back. Congratulations and best wishes to everyone at Plume!

Plume is a modern Italian gem, offering exceptional handmade pasta that’s fresh, flavorful, and perfectly crafted. The Lasagne Bolognese was rich and comforting, and the Cherry Potter cocktail was amazing…With a warm ambiance and attentive service, this is the ideal spot for authentic Italian cuisine with a contemporary twist. Highly recommended!

I came here with a couple of my friend's to celebrate our birthdays. I saw online that Plume was somewhat newer to the area and wanted to give them a try. It did not disappoint. Our server, Zachary was top notch, attentive, very knowledgeable throughout and did not miss a beat. I made reservations online just in case, in their dining area. Which is upstairs and considered more intimate, or romantic. It was a nice area for a date night or a elcia gathering. The other option for reservations was downstairs in their cellar room. Which I believe is better for a party of 4+. They also have a bar with plenty of seating upstairs! We were given something complimentary of the chef that was good. It had a citrus taste, which some subtle hint of salt from the parmesan chip. The eggplant appetizer was ok, but tasted sour for my liking. I believe I got the Cavatappi? Which the noodles resemblance kind of threw me off, but it was good overall. Drinks were also very tasty. I had their own version of their espresso martini. I would go here just for drinks and a quick shareable meal. It was a much needed night for the 3 of us that have been friend's for over 2 decades. I will be planning to return with hubby.

Second time here and even better than the first time! Great food and the seasonal peaches that were used were lovely. Awesome food and vibes!

Rockford Restaurant Week (RRW) 2025 menu review! $35 for three courses, not a bad deal; they also had some cocktail specials. I enjoyed the NA cherry potter drink but their celery gin drink is still the knockout. The first course was a duck and leek manicotti with a super gooey béchamel. It was comforting and familiar flavors-- I just wished there was more texture. The crunchy cheese was great on the very ends! The second course was good, not great. Very basic meat sauce with al dente pasta. It had good flavor but both of us said it seemed very plain. The dessert was the standout. Soft pancakes that had been crisped up and caramelized, served either plum and cheesecake sauces. It needed a little acid but otherwise was an absolutely fantastic dish. We regretted eating so much of the main because we wanted to eat every bite of this dish. Strong contender of best dessert for RRW. Overall very nice meal. I hope this place gets the word out because they're putting out some dishes at the top of the Rockford Food Chain! Still one of our new favorites, just wasn't impressed with the bolognese.

Home Run. We made a reservation for my wife's birthday at Plume, which is in mid-north Rockford. Parking is available west of the restaurant in a separate lot - don't park at the dentist's office immediately south - the sign says illegal parkers will get an appointment! Yikes! On arrival, we were seated promptly near the northwest corner of the restaurant, and were provided with a paper menu, or we could scan the QR code on the coaster. My wife scanned the QR code and I went for the paper. The drink menu was interesting. My wife ordered Beet Goes On drink, wh6 ich was crafted with beets, and I ordered their 815, which was a bourbon drink. Both were well-made and tasty. You order everything (but dessert) at once, so be ready. For our appetizer, we went with their Tigelle, which was slices of two different meats, parmesan cheese, a nice herb butter, and 6 steaming rounds of bread. Forgive the photo which shows most of this gone - I forgot the camera needs to eat first. There was enough to fill the 6 pieces of bread. For the entrees, my wife ordered their Pumpernickel Cavatelli, which was tender briskit, mushrooms and a sauce which was slightly spicy and very tasty. After some reflection, I ordered their Eickman's Beef Tenderloin, which was served on a bed of sliced potatoes with caramelized onions. It was ordered and served medium rare, and was seasoned perfectly. For dessert, we ordered their Tiramisu, which was a nice slice and we shared it, and my wife ordered their Cherry Potter drink, which included balsamic vinegar. It was tart and tasty. I looked over the wine list - it is unique in that you likely won't find many of the bottles locally. The interior of the place is nicely appointed, with subtle lighting and nice wall details. See the pictures. The only concern was my legs were cold. There was a cold breeze coming in and I couldn't figure out where it was from, but it was cold. We mentioned it to our waiter, and he said he'd mention it to the owner, so maybe it will be cleared up soon? Suggestions: This place is not particularly large (I didn't look at their basement, just judging by the main floor) so I'd recommend reservations. Reservations are via TOCK. The service was excellent, the prices are on par with the quality, and the ambiance is really nice. They are playing recent rock tunes in the background by the way. I would strongly suggest you check this out.

Service was great. Food was also impressive. Nice environment. Food is pricey, but worth it. We will go back.

Decided on Plume for dinner last night for our first mommy/daddy date night away from baby. Food did not disappoint. We had the fire roasted sweet potato, lasagne bolognese, and the alpine chicken. The alpine chicken was our favorite dish. The crust on the chicken had a great crunch to it. Our server was also great and recommended great options!

Plume is amazing! What a great find in Rockford. The seasonal salad and arancini are a must-order!

Food was good, nice atmosphere, and great staff! Portions for main courses were good. Could use more options for appetizers and main courses but overall enjoyed everything I tried.

Wow! What a great meal we had on Halloween. Having just returned from four Cities Italy and being underwhelmed by the food there, we were delighted to find that Plume located less than a mile from our Rockford Home offers delicious Italian food. We savored every bite! Including the Tiramisu. Zach was an excellent server and truly made the dining experience even more enjoyable. We will return many more times!

Plume has been recommended to me by many Rockfordians. We had a reservation, and were seated promptly. While sitting in the cellar wasn't our preference, it was what we signed up for, and allowed us to be on the same floor as the kitchen. We started with a generous pour of Sauvignon Blanc and a cocktail (bonus points for the name: Cherry Potter). We ordered two appetizers: cured duck salad and grilled mushrooms--both delicious. Knowing that Plume is known for their pasta, we ordered carbonara and a fall vegetable tagliatelle. The hot chicken sounded too yummy to pass up, and it exceeded expectations. The rosemary in the polenta was outstanding. The carbonara noodles were slightly undercooked. Yes, I know what Al dente is. Because everything had been so tasty, we tried their tiramisu, which was 10/10. The food came out quickly, and our server was friendly and attentive. I'm looking forward to my next meal at Plume.

Well to start off the server had a "shadow" that he called his shadow. Ouch. The place was starkly decorated and freezing. Beef tenderloin had a slight sour taste and was not med rare to rare . Totally medium . The Farro had grit in the charred carrots/ chicken. Very disappointing . Maybe the pasta would have been better?

A lovely quaint restaurant. Service was on point. The food was deliciously different for the area. A refreshingly light menu to leave you satisfied and relaxed.

We have dined at Plume multiple times and have never had a bad meal. We dined there last Friday (3/28) and started with the Crab Panzanella, Beet Salad and the Paccheri Pesto. For main courses we ordered the Hot Chicken, the Tenderloin and the Onion Fried Whitefish, all of which were outstanding. Our server Zach was very friendly and was extremely helpful with helping us pick out our courses. Can't wait to go back for another great meal!

Our experience: The service is supreme. Every single person we encountered was beyond anything we have experienced in a long time. We arrived there on a Friday at 5 and had a reservation. We were seated in the cellar, and it really is an old cellar. I had on high heels and we are in our 70's and those wooden stairs going down were a challenge. We are pretty robust and go to the gym daily but I ain't going to lie, it was a bit much for us. The next group that was seated near us also felt the stairs were too steep and they were least 20 years younger than us. We were seated at a small long table. Due to the length of the table we could not have a conversation. The space was not conducive for any conversation. The table is situated in the walkway by the stairs and it was a busy space, not what I envisioned for my husbands birthday dinner. Why we were put there so early in the evening when the restaurant was not busy was a surprise. If I were the owner I'd get rid of that 2 patron table. It ruined the experience for us. The food was delicious, and if you love northern Italian then you will love the menu. My man had an old fashioned and it was strong and yummy. Tall bottles of water on every table were great. We ordered a small plate called suppli and it was very good. Highly recommend. I wanted to lick the monkey dish the aioli sat in. My man had the lasagna, I had the mushroom carbonara. It was almost perfect except for the pasta. I love al dente but the pasta was not cooked long enough. It was hard and chalky tasting. The carbonara stand alone was outstanding. Will we back? It's out of the way for us and probably not. I will say this; this restaurant has the ability to be excellent. They are so close. Give it a chance.

We were excited to try this place as it appeared to a have a unique Italian menu and we wanted to see what they had done with the old Der Rathskellar restaurant. The restaurant and bar area have been beautifully remodeled and furnished. The outdoor patio has a large seating area with a bar, and partially covered (3 season) area. We sat in the outdoor area on a pleasant evening. The location is near "the" roundabout and unfortunately the traffic noise detracted from the ambiance. The indoor seating area would have been quieter. Our table shared two of the small plate offerings as an appetizer. The Apple Panzanella -was like a salad with apples and yellow raisins and flavorful croutons. The Tigelle - was a charcuterie with Parmigaino Reggiano cheese -a very tasty option. We had Lasagne Bolognese, Pumpernickel Cavaletti and Tagliatelle Alla as our main entrees. The Pumpernickel Cavaletti dish had some cabbage, some tasty and tender smoked brisket and some dense pasta and on an orange colored sauce. There was no flavor of pumpernickel. The Tagliatelle Alla dish was also tasty, but a bit too salty. The servers were personable and attentive. The 4 meals, 2 small plate appetizers, with a round of drinks, averaged about $55 per person. Somewhat pricey but not unexpected. I'm glad we tried the place and wish them well.

The restaurant ambiance itself was very calming. It's a smaller indoor area but you don't feel cramped! We weren't on the patio but from what I spotted it was a very nice setup too. The food was amazing, it was definitely a different experience than any other restaurant I've visited in Rockford. The wait staff were very kind and attentive as well without being too over bearing with checking in. Overall a great experience!

Food and staff were outstanding. It was a beautiful night to sit on the patio. I ordered the steak which was delicious. The potatoes that came with it were outstanding. They reminded me of being in Germany, crispy fried with garlic and onion. We will definitely be back.

Visited Plume for the first time this week and will definitely go back. The food and specialty drinks were very good. I had the Lasagna Bolognese which was quite savory. Tried a couple of their offerings from the cocktail menu. The 815 and the Boozy Bonfire were both excellent. Looking forward to the next visit to try some of the other menu and drink options.

My husband and I loved the food and drinks at Plume. We started with the Crab Panzanella and it was very good. We both ordered the Hot Chicken and absolutely loved it. I do not eat chicken skin because I find it gross but this was so crispy and delicious that I ate all of it. I first had this chef's chicken when he was at Social Urban so I was excited to see it again. During dinner, we drank the 815 and the Cherry Potter - both were excellent. We were too full for dessert but we each tried a different Amaro, which is an after dinner drink. The bartender (I think the co-owner along with the chef) came out and talked to us to find out what we like in a drink. Based on this, she successfully picked out what she thought we would like. The entire experience was great and we will definitely return.

Every course was more delicious than the last. Really really good food. Extremely attentive, knowledgeable, and socially positive service. Cocktails were great and the ambiance on Friday evening was perfect inside the dining room. Will definitely go again to try the other dishes. Food was truly impeccable.

Plume is Rockford's new Italian fine dining (totally remodeled from the previous Der Rathskeller) in the revitalized North End. Perfect for a special dinner or an outdoor evening Spritzer on the patio. Delicious food, generous portions, helpful servers - we couldn't help drawing comparisons to The Bear. Too expensive for everyday, but perfect for an anniversary dinner or date night. Afterwards, take a walk across the street to burn off the carbs and check out the new shops and galleries from the Norwegian to the GOAT.

Went close to when it first opened. Too noisy, tables too close together, can't understand the menu, waiter was no help because he couldn't understand it either. Prices are crazy expensive. Lasagna was good but not the best I ever had.

Delicious fresh food with great ambience - nice addition to the Rockford area! Will definitely be back!

Just had a most delightful and delicious meal. The lasagne is unique in that it is served in a spiral with a Lucious bolognese. The carbonara was so deeply flavorful with beef cheek bacon. We ordered the tigelle as an appetizer and it fed 4 of us with more than we needed. Little breads with prosciutto, cheese and flavored butter and jam. Our friends had the mushrooms which might have been the best dish of the entire meal. Never had such savory and tender 'shrooms but will be back for this dish. Great service and cocktails. Ended the meal at the bar since the patio is pretty noisy but ended up with the best coffee flavored cocktail the bartender created for me and a slice of tiramisu that sated 4 of us and was hands down the best tiramisu of our lives. Do not hesitate to book a table here. Recommend inside seating if available due to the traffic noise on Auburn but if the patio is the only seat in the house, TAKE it! The best flavors you will find anywhere.