Chicago is home to some of the best restaurants in the world. New places are constantly opening & others are quickly closing their doors. In a city of foodies it’s extremely difficult for a restaurant to make a name for itself. Yet the team behind Ideology Entertainment group has managed to fill an entire block of unique & incredible restaurants. Located in town homes within Chicago’s beloved Gold Coast lies Chicago Q, Table 52, Biggs, & their latest endeavor: La Storia.
It’s safe to say we expect to have La Storia around for a while. Aside from the food, which we’ll cover in depth later on, the atmosphere & staff were above & beyond. The two story townhouse is lined with custom murals of Chicagoans alongside original banisters, fireplaces, & more from the homes that were there before. Set to open a back patio & sidewalk cafe during the spring & summertime, you can expect La Storia to become one of Gold Coast’s go-tos.
The food is almost indescribable. It’s one of those meals that you don’t even need great conversation over because the food speaks for itself. As the general manager told me, “With Italian food one ingredient can ruin it all. The point is to keep it simple & flavorful.” Something that sounds easy enough but many Italian restaurants cannot seem to achieve. La Storia beautifully creates artful dishes that taste as good as they look. My absolute favorite (alright, can I pick two?) favorites were the Ravioli Sepia & Pollo Milanese.
The Ravioli Sepia (lobster, brown butter, meyer lemon, dill, botargo) is one of those dishes in which the scent completely consumes you. It was light in texture but full in flavor & the lobster was cooked to perfection (see above). As for the Pollo Milanese (crispy chicken, chicken liver mousse, capers, citrus, watercress) the made to order dish was astounding. Aside from the presentation, the choice of ingredients was spot on. The thinly breaded chicken (see below) served with the light mousse instead of a sauce accompanied by a citrus greens salad was beyond fulfilling.
Other meal highlights included the fluffy melt-in-your-mouth truffle gnocchi & classic bolognese pappardelle. La Storia also has an extraordinary wine list & the knowledge of pairing the correct wine with each dish, fulling encompassing the true Italian meal experience — something I don’t say too often after living in Italy for 6 months.
The overall ambiance of La Storia is one-of-a-kind. Candlelight tables welcome the romantic evening-goers while the serving portions are perfect for larger parties to share from & get a taste of everything. Make sure to check out La Storia at 1154 N. Dearborn, Chicago, IL.
