The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Spoon University.
Mia Francesca, located less than half a mile from Wrigley Field in Chicago serves fabulous Italian dishes— perfect for a night out with friends and family. On the Friday night I visited, every table was full, the service was delightful and the food was scrumptious. Here’s everything I tried!
After starting with delicious complimentary bread, I ordered the roasted beets. The beets were plated with crushed walnuts on top along with fresh herbs, crème fraiche, chives, and a buttery sauce. The vibrant beets were well cooked, while the walnuts added a great crunchy texture along with the bright herbs. I thought these were just a bit sweet, but otherwise, a great appetizer.
Next up was the rigatoni alla vodka. This pasta featured vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella, crumbled sausage and parmesan. The creamy sauce together with the mildly spicy sausage and rich mozzarella made this a wonderfully comforting dish. The rigatoni was cooked perfectly and absorbed the decadent sauce.
The second pasta dish I tried was the agnolotti quattro formaggi— tied with the vodka pasta for my best dish of the night.
The dish includes house-made four-cheese stuffed pillows in a brown butter sauce with pecorino cheese and wild mushrooms. The pasta was cooked excellently and the cheese filling was rich without overpowering the other ingredients. However, the star of this dish was the brown butter sauce that filled the bowl. Herby, salty and light, a spoonful of sauce with the mushroom and the cheesy pasta made for an exquisite bite.
The last entree was the salmone alla fresca with asparagus, avocado, red onions and tomatoes. The pan seared salmon was cooked well; it was flaky and flavorful. The asparagus had a nice char that complimented the other flavors of the dish. The remaining ingredients were served as a salsa on top of the salmon, providing a lovely acidic element for the buttery salmon. To me, while this dish tasted great, it didn’t scream Italian. If you are choosing between a pasta or a fish, stick with the pasta.
Finally, for dessert, I chose the chocolate torte— made up of layers of chocolate cake and chocolate fudge in addition to vanilla bean gelato, cherries, and sea salt crumble. This dish was incredibly rich and full of flavor. The combination of the sweet, velvety chocolate with the sour cherries, delicate gelato and sea salt made this a flawless dessert.
If you are looking for fresh, delicious Italian food, friendly service, and great ambiance, give Mia Francesca a try! I, for one, will definitely be returning.