Tuscany Restaurant

What happens when a previously excellent restaurant does something strange twice?
Owned by the Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants with three locations, Tuscany has always been a friendly, moderately priced, upscale Italian restaurant that pays particular attention to service and product. They’ve always been very accommodating.
Anyone who bothers to read anything I write knows that I was raised with a grandmother that taught me that garlic is a bulb from the onion family. She taught me that it should be used sparingly — as in, heat the olive oil in an iron pan and rub the raw garlic across the oil — then toss out the garlic. She also said that tomato paste was an American invention (Ref: Chef Boyardee) and that if you wanted your sauce thick, you cook it all day. You don’t add paste as a thickener. Restaurants that add paste are cheating their customers. You also notice that most of those customers end up eating Zantac and Tums as dessert due to the fact that the sauce was undercooked and has about a thousand times more acid than non-​paste sauces that are cooked properly.
I note these things as a public service and to their credit, Tuscany understands fresh ingredients. That said, If you’ve read other reviews here and the writer raves about the toasted garlic, smashed and served in olive oil, I would suggest that they have (to say the least) an uneducated palate. If you want to eat raw or toasted garlic before your meal, you might as well lick a brine block as you’ll actually taste nothing that’s served after the fact.
Does Tuscany serve garlic as an appetizer? Yes! If you don’t like it then don’t eat it… easy. Do they pay attention to detail and help the customer enjoy the experience? Most of the time — yes.
The problem is that on our last two visits we’ve been served portions that are extraordinarily small.
We start with the brick oven pizza. It’s always good and there’s no need to special order anything about it. Obviously we need modify the pasta (sans garlic) and do so.
The last time we ordered the Penne E Capesante ($ 22) and this time the Ravioli Della Casa ($ 18). On both occasions the pasta was cooked perfectly and the flavor was great. The serving size was amazing small. In the case of the ravioli, four squares for $ 18. Why? When they place the food in front of you, you stare at it as if it were a joke. Four pieces of pasta on this big, white plate!
Then I realized — it’s the menu! There’s been a shift in the way they’re doing business. Somehow, someone has decided that Northern Italian cuisine has to be «small plates» and multiple courses. This is why you only get a few bites in each course and why, not coincidentally, the overall bill is higher than usual.
This is not the way it used to be at Tuscany nor is it the way true Italians serve in Northern Italy. I know because I have family who own a restaurant in Florence. I’ve eaten there and you’re lucky to walk out with any measure of an «American» calorie count. As the comedian John Pinette said, «they kept bringing us food to try. After we’d eaten several dishes they said «okay — now you order!» That’s an accurate account of the generous nature of food as a presentation of life. Italian food is not tapas and never has been.
For many years we’ve enjoyed Tuscany. Now it’s degraded due to economic revisions. «Oh, they won’t notice!» Believe me, we noticed. Now off our list of excellent food at a good value.

The friendly atmosphere and excellent service on top of the great food is what gives this five stars. They give you bread to start, and the server crushes an entire bunch of freshly roasted garlic and mixes it with olive oil on the table. I had never seen this done before and it made all the difference in flavor — amazing! The fettuccine primavera was also delicious. Much of their pasta is homemade and you could definitely tell by the amazing velvety texture. But the tiramisu is to die for and was perfectly smooth. Highly recommended for the overall experience!

Carpaccio, the cinchiale is just amazing! The best Italian place for me so far! The 3 cheeses risotto? Divine! I have not ordered anything in this place that I didn’t love. The staff is knowledgeable of the menu and their wine. Love this place

Came here for my friends birthday dinner.
The services was great!
The food was also amazing, one of the best Italian foods I had in Chicago. Everything was well seasoned and presented well.
My husband isn’t The biggest Italian food fan and he really enjoyed his food here.
The prices were reasonable and portions size was filling.
They also had great wine selection.
Will come back again!

I came in with a group of girlfriends, a group of 15 to be exact to try Tuscany. The restaurant owner was such a gentleman! He greeted us, he personally informed us of their menu and we got seated. Tuscany is family style restaurant, which is perfect because then we can try a large variety of items for practically the same price as ordering a main course alone.
Here’s a list of what we got, and what I thought of them:
Calamari Fritti — house cocktail suace, lemon garlic aioli: 4.5÷5 (I just love batches with a lot of tentacles!)
Crostone con salome — grilled ciabatta, house cured salmon, stracchino chieese, wild cress poached egg, picked onion: ⁵⁄₅
Coccoli e speck: speck prosciutta, stracchino cheese, fig mamalade, fried dought ⁴⁄₅
Salad «mela e cicoria» — escarole frisee, watercress, apple, smoked bacon vinaigrette 3.5÷5
Pasta: Raviolacci Di Brasato — braised short rib ravioli, parcini mushroom suave, mascarphone cheese — ⁵⁄₅
Pasta: Taglioni Carbonara — homemade thin cut pasta ribbons, house pancetta, egg yolk, pamigiano — ³⁄₅
Canoli — ⁵⁄₅
One thing I absolutely loved about Tuscany was the fact that they made their pasta noodles in house. You can taste the freshness!

Had dinner here the other night and it was absolutely fantastic! Delicious food, fantastic Prosecco and excellent service. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Based off a friend’s recommendation, we had dinner here last night, and it is definitely a place we will be back to. First off is the garlic spread and bread. Truly delicious — and definitely, if you like a little spice — get the jalapeño olive oil. We shared a bottle or two among the table and that, too, was good.
I started with the Caesar salad and it was large enough for my husband and I to share. Good — but not the standout of the night. That was the entrees. I had the Fettuccine Primavera and my husband had the Agnoloti Burro e Salvia. The mixture of vegetables in my dish was really nice as everything was cut up bite size and then I added the jalapeño spread for an additional kick. I didn’t try my husband’s, but he loved his dish, too.
For dessert, we shared the cannoli — which we thought was really good.
Everyone at our table really enjoyed their meal, and I would definitely be back. It does get loud at the restaurant, so it’s not really a ‘romantic’ place to go. Our service was really good and even though we stayed longer than we should have at our table, the restaurant was very nice and never really kicked us out.

Came back again and I still agree with my first rating. This restaurant is a nice Italian restaurant in the middle of Little Italy and definitely one of my favorites. It is a good place for a date night, as it is a quieter, more intimate atmosphere.
This time, I went with my boyfriend for an early dinner, which consisted of red wine and a few different appetizers. We got the Grilled Calamari appetizer and the Prosciutto & Mozzarella appetizer. Both were really tasty, but I thought the grilled calamari (which was a special) had too many chick peas in it. However, the prosciutto and mozzarella was delicious. It was so simple, but the meat was perfect and the buffalo mozzarella was the perfect texture.
I can definitely see myself coming back again for dinner!

One Of My Favorite Places To Dine In Chicago.
-$$$
–Excellent Appetizers
–Full Selection Of Wines
–Large Portions At Dinner
–Romantic Ambience
–Valet
–Knowledgeable Wait Staff Of Wine List & Food
–Clean Environment
Once A Year I Go Here And Have Never Had A Bad Experience.

This is an excellent place to come have a wonderful Italian meal with family and friends, or even a date. Eight of us came here after the Opera on a Sunday night around 6 PM for dinner and had a great experience.
We were seated almost immediately by a very friendly hostess and after we got situated were brought fresh bread Parmesan cheese, olive oil, jalepeno olive oil (surprisingly tasty) and roasted garlic which the server then mashed with cheese and olive oil right at the table — so so good with their bread!
We all ordered different things, but one thing that was a stand out was how the server let us know we could get what we want how we want. No matter what dish, you could change the sauce. Everyone enjoyed it all!

For a UIC student there is a 20% discount which is nice. I ordered a salad with chickpeas and it was good. The restaurant was very loud and my salad did take some time. Our server was very nice and the décor fit. Nothing to ride home about but I am willing to come back.

Walked in with a friend on a warm evening. Promptly greeted by the host and seated. We were provided with the menu promptly, however the waiter left us alone for about 10 mins and took a while to return even after indicating we needed help with ordering. The food arrived about 10 mins after ordering… Me and my friend felt the lentils were undercooked though the roast garlic with bread (as simple as it is) tasted delicious. The seafood was alright… Just as expected.
Overall,
Décor — ⁴⁄₅ (formal décor with ambient calm lighting), seating can be cramped to some extent with consequent noise from other tables (heard the entire Chinatown walk convo from the next table)
Service — ³⁄₅ promptly seated. However, it ticked me off that the waiter took over 10 mins to take orders.
Price — ²⁄₅ — 50usd for 1 appetizer and 1 entrée (with 20%tips) — I would expect better portions and better food prep with presentation.
Food — 2.5÷5 — certain dishes met the mark of being memorable while other failed miserably (undercooked lentil being the first of the few).
Overall — 2.5÷5 — would drop by if I need to impress a date with a fancy looking pricey place and menu, with average food.

I had a lovely time having dinner at the Tuscany Restaurant, and it was not just because I was with some good friends. The restaurant is on the eastern end of Little Italy and is a traditional upscale Italian bistro with classic red sauce dishes. On our hot Chicago night, the windows were closed, but I could imagine them open on some enchanted evening. We had reservations and were seated promptly by the attentive, but reserved staff.
As a word of caution, the portions are very large here. We started with a grilled octopus salad which was my first time eating that particular sea creature. I could tell it was prepared well, but I just did not enjoy it. My second course of gnocchi was truly amazing. The handmade gnocchi with ragu was enormous, but I devoured it with gusto and would love it over and over. Unfortunately, this made my main course of veal parmigiana a labor of love. The veal chop was massive, taking up the entire dinner plate and of course was served with a bowl of gemelli pasta. Dessert was enticing, but the presence of well stuffed doggie bags on our table signaled that we were spent.
Overall, this is a great place to take friends or your date. It is a classic Italian restaurant nice enough to impress, but still enjoy on a random Tuesday. I wish we had a nice place like this back home in Sacramento, but I will still dream of that gnocchi at night until I return.

Per usual, a solid lunch experience, and a good option if in the neighborhood. They tend to get busy during lunch, there is valet available with the adjacent lot and street parking if you can find it.
We sat outside on the patio under an umbrella which was comfortable. As other Unilocalers mentioned, it could be somewhat tight quarters inside, so we made a good choice.
They’re focaccia bread is amazing, baked with a little tomato and cheese, and this is a great start. For apps we shared the meat and cheese with fig spread, calamari which came with two dipping options and caprese salad. We chose chicken with artichoke cream sauce, gnocchi, spicy linguini and a sole dish. Overall, stick with the pasta and chicken, skip the fish. The tiramisu was excellent.

Wow, what a difference since we were here last time. A cold welcome from manager Alex and even colder, truly rude welcome from hostess. Reservation was made for party of four and we were on time. Since one couple was behind to park their car, we were told that if all four of us are not in we cannot be seated. That it will be, I quote, «waste of place»! The other couple was late a total of 4 minutes. When you have that many tables open, this was really unnecessary and unpleasant, having in mind we have been coming here for years.
Our server Alfredo was great as always.

Had a good meal at Tuscany after an afternoon spent wandering around Little Italy. The warm atmosphere of the restaurant and our waiter with a heavy Italian accent made us feel like we’d been transported to Italy.
Unfortunately we were not starved due to several pre dinner cocktails and noshing on their delicious bread with olive oil and garlic so we skipped appetizers and went straight for ordering pasta dishes. My boyfriend went with the pasta special of the evening, a linguini with seafood in a spicy marinara. He was pleased with the dish and I loved what I sampled.
I went with the Agnoloti Burro e Salvia. I’d had a similar dish at Tuscany’s sister restaurant, 437 Rush and absolutely loved it. It was good at Tuscany but not quite as good as Rush’s variation which surprised me seeing as Tuscany is more Italian focused. However, the dish was good and I enjoyed it.
All in all we had an enjoyable experience at Tuscany and if you’re on Taylor Street it’s a good option.

Here’s the summary.
A whole crushed roasted bulb of garlic, doused in olive oil and smattered with cheese, prepared at your table. Dip your bread in it, unless you just want to lick it.
Two delicious pasta meals with a modestly-​priced bottle of Italian chardonnay, perfectly paired by the waiter. A difficult pairing too — a spaghettini de mare in a red sauce, and an agnoloti burro e salvia in a brown butter sauce.
For dessert: a cannoli sprinkled with toasted pistachios, with black coffee and a glass of sambuca black, served neat, perfectly con la mosca.
The service was prompt and friendly, the bill less than $ 100.
One of the best Italian food experiences I’ve had in the United States.

I came here with my husband and he order for me spaghetti aglio e olio. I was totally disgusted because the garlic was totally burned the pasta was raw not al dente so my dish was a total flop bitter and crispy. If you ask al dente the chef should say I do not know how to make it or all the pasta is cooked because trying the chew something that is hard is difficult to swallow. I never went back here. My husband dish was horrible too

Need to explore this area more! Surprised by the quality of food. But then I found out it’s a Phil Stefani restaurant, so I guess it’s not that surprising after all. Anyhow, the parpadelle and chicken with gnocchi special were delicious! Can’t wait to come back in the summer and enjoy their outdoor space.

Fast. Go to the grocery store. Skip over to the Italian aisle. Supermarket sweep that bitch and just load up the cart. Check out, go home, cook dinner and ask anyone to be borderline rude to you with an endearing Italian accent and BAM — you have Tuscany.
If you must go, come for the cannoli, stay for the overpriced mediocre Italian food. Overpriced is an understatement. Calamari appetizer is $ 13+ for a decent portion.
I went with my fiancée and I got the Paglia Fieno (pasta with prosciutto and mushrooms in a cream sauce) and he got the Chicken Montecarlo (chicken with prosciutto over a bed of spinach). The pasta was cooked well but the prosciutto looked more like deli ham and the mushrooms added decent texture. It was fine, but not worth the $ 17. His dish was a disappointment. I ate it and couldn’t figure out what it tasted like, mostly because it tasted like nothing. I can save you time and money ($ 20) and just give you air to eat. I’d say prosciutto one more time but not paid by the word, folks.
I’ve consistently been disappointed with Phil Stefani restaurants (437 Rush). Better local Italian spots in Little Italy. Sorry Phil, nothing personal.