Restaurant Review – Pasta Palazzo

This week took me to a charming Italian restaurant in Lincoln Park- Pasta Palazzo. It’s just steps away from the hip Armitage Avenue shopping district, but if you weren’t looking for it, you might miss it. It’s much smaller than I expected, with high and low-top tables arranged closely, creating a communal dining atmosphere. There’s also a bar, located directly across from the small, open kitchen. We came in on a Thursday evening and it was packed! We had our choice of a high top table or the bar; we chose the bar. This was one of my favorite parts of our dining experience. As we sat, we watched the chefs work, laying hot pan after hot pan onto the stove, whipping up sauces, putting together gorgeous pasta dishes in what seemed like seconds. We decided to start with an order of Bruschetta. The portion was generous, with four sizable pieces of grilled bread topped with tomatoes, red onions, balsamic vinegar, and basil. It was so tasty! The vegetables were fresh and the seasoning was perfect. After poring over the menu, we finally decided to split the ravioli with marinara sauce and a side of meatballs. We were pleasantly surprised when it arrived, they had split the portion onto two plates for us! The ravioli was filled with spinach and ricotta and it was marvelous. The creaminess of the ricotta blended so well with the bright tanginess of the marinara sauce. The meatballs were very tasty as well! A side cost just $2 and we each had five good sized meatballs. I loved everything about our meal here! The food was fresh, delicious, and very reasonably priced. The atmosphere is lovely as well, with the energy from the kitchen, neighborhood diners, and great service. We will definitely be back!

Pasta Palazzo is located at 1966 N Halsted. Their hours are Mondays through Thursdays from 11:30 am to 9:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 am to 10:30 pm, and Sundays from 11:30 am to 8:30 pm. For more information, check out their website.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO