Piccolo sogno

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Little Dream, Made Real

Piccolo Sogno means "little dream" in Italian, and since Chef Tony Priolo and wine specialist Ciro Longobardo opened its doors on July 16, 2008, that dream has grown into one of Chicago's most enduring Italian restaurants. More than seventeen years on, the River West address continues to draw guests with the same clarity of purpose that shaped it from the start: honest cooking, thoughtful hospitality, and a setting that feels removed from the city without being formal about it.

The recognition from Gambero Rosso — Italy's most authoritative food and wine guide — reflects what regulars have known for years: this is Italian cooking done with real conviction.

The Kitchen

Chef Priolo's approach is rooted in restraint. The menu draws on classic Italian technique, seasonal ingredients sourced in part from Chicago's Green City Market, and imported staples chosen for their provenance — Sicilian sea salt, DOP pizza flour, San Marzano tomatoes, Italian DOP cheeses. Pasta is made in-house daily, shaped by steady hands before each service. The result is a menu that spans handmade pasta, wood-fired pizzas, fresh seafood, and regional Italian secondi — generous in spirit, precise in execution.

Signature pasta dishes include the Ravioli "Piccolo Sogno" — four-cheese ravioli finished with pine nuts, butter, and a Marsala glaze — and the Pappardelle con Cinghiale, wide flat pasta with a spiced wild boar ragù. The wood-fired oven shapes more than just pizza: its heat and subtle smoke carry through to roasted vegetables, mushrooms, and proteins across the menu. Pizzas are hand-tossed to order from dough prepared fresh each day, baked at high heat for a crust with lift, texture, and a lightly blistered edge.

The Wine and the Room

Ciro Longobardo's all-Italian wine list is built, in his own words, "to tell the story of Italy through the glass" — moving from familiar appellations to smaller producers chosen for their sense of place and tradition. The list works in close conversation with the kitchen, which is exactly how it was designed.

The dining room is softly lit and unhurried. The garden patio offers a rare sense of quiet for a restaurant at the heart of a busy neighborhood. Both spaces carry the warmth of a classic gathering place — refined without distance, Italian without affectation.

Piccolo Sogno's house-made pastas and sauces are also available at Mariano's, bringing a piece of the restaurant's kitchen into homes across the city.