A Dinner at Monteverde in Chicago

Last week was my birthday, and I decided the best gift to myself was not only going to be delicious, but it was going to be pasta. That’s how I decided on a dinner at Monteverde in Chicago. Located in the West Loop and owned by run by a former Top Chef finalist and former alumni of Michelin starred Spiaggia, Chef Sarah Grueneberg, this excellent modern Italian restaurant prides itself on all the handmade, housemade pastas.

If famous opinions matter, Eater named Monteverde one of >America’s 38 essential restaurants in 2017. Monteverde was among Bon Appetit’s 50 best new restaurants in 2016 as well as making other best lists from Food & Wine, GQ, Chicago magazine, and more. If you want to form your own opinion, well here’s a look at my experience that justifies my opinion, and then you should visit and decide for yourself.

You can make a reservation via Resy but they also have seats for walk-ins so you can roll the dice as well – that’s what I did. Or come in for lunch, the always sneaky and clever way to enjoy fancy food without dinner service craziness. I was seated immediately around 6 pm on a Tuesday at a communal table.

Even on a Tuesday rainy evening, the restaurant was full of bustling hip energy in the bar area where diners and drinkers have a view of the pasta making process. Over at the tables where I was, service was very thoughtful and prompt. I don’t think I ever saw my water glass get more then half way empty before it was filled up again.

Despite the reputation for pasta, do not miss out on trying out some snacks and small plates. I tried out the Artichoke and Sunchoke Crostino and was incredibly impressed by the flavors and textures of this simple open faced toast with housemade ricotta, shallot, fontina fonduta, and Savini truffle. I can see why some critics question why Michelin keeps snubbing this restaurant based on this dish alone.

I also tried the ‘Nudja Aracini, Sicilian rice balls, manchego, caper aioli. The aracini had a nice little hint of spiciness to it that was cooled down by the surprising addition of that caper aioli. The outside was crispy without being too thick while the inside was hot melty goodness that is fine on its own or with a smear of that aioli.

Based on the waiter’s recommendation, I also made room for a second pasta, this time the Gnocchetti con Pesto with housemade ricotta, basil, Tuscan pine nut, Sardinian pecorino. It was as fantastic as he had enthusiastically described to myself and to another party I overheard down the table. Not a lick was left from the bowl from either of us after we were done.

It was a hard call for the second pasta dish – I also wanted the Egg Yolk Raviolo, the Work Fried Arrabiata, and others. I knew I only had room for one, and I decided to do the full circle, as the remains of the housemade ricotta (whey) I had just eaten are also utilized in the pasta dish Cacio Whey Pepe, starring Mancini bucatini, pecorino Medoro, ricotta whey, four peppercorn blend. Also I totally thought this dish would be a great hotel refrigerator leftover for breakfast the next day (it WAS!!). This is more toothsome then the melt in your mouth gnocchetti, but I appreciated that I was actually getting al dente pasta.

For dessert, although the butterscotch budino with brûléed top and buttered pecan toffee was temptingly calling my name, I finished up with a scoop of ice cream – I went with toasted sesame ice cream, served up with a coconut-chocolate forgotten cookie – and an aperitif that caught my eye. The Montamora is a Monteverde & CH Distillery custom amaro collaboration distilled with tomato, basil, artichoke, pumpkin, chinchona, gentian sweetened with saba & balsamela.

It was a complex sipper perfect between nibbles of the really soft, pull apart cookie. The nuttiness of the ice cream was a great complement to the drink as well. If you are looking for a small light dessert after too much pasta, this would be my recommendatino.

I’m still thinking about those desserts I didn’t get, those pastas I didn’t get… did any of these catch your eye? If you were going to pick a food to celebrate your birthday, would you pick pasta like I did, or what would you choose?