Quartino Ristorante

I can eat Italian food everyday and if you're like me, this can be your regular place due to their simple presentation + authentic flavor. The vodka alla penne pasta was spicy and great. I loved their caprese salad. Food is very good but the kind price makes you smile too, haha. You'd come out happy because of the quality/price/portion balance. Gelato was just ok though. Outdoor and indoor ambiance is romantic too. Just a perfect way to enjoy your Italian meal in the city of Chicago. Saluti!!

We went to Quartino’s as a birthday dinner. I will admit, our experience didn’t start off great. We had an 8:30 reservation and had to wait about 35 minutes to get sat. We couldn’t sit outside due to a lack of servers I believe. Inside was very hot and loud, but that’s expected for an open kitchen layout on a Saturday night. We got sat and could immediately notice our server, Julian I believe was his name, just got several tables all at once. The manager came over and was nice enough to get us started with drinks and explain the menu while we waited. We ordered a TON of half portions. It was so much food and every dish was better than the next. I highly recommend the slider, gnocchi, clams, and mussels. Julian was absolutely fantastic. He made sure to constantly check up on us and even brought us over a little birthday sorbet (without singing thank god). Definitely will be requesting him out next time back in!

Although I see a lot of good reviews, I can't say I was impressed at all. I left disappointed, without even finishing my food. I started with a grapefruit martini. Not sure how the pink colour was obtained, but there was 0 taste of any grapefruit liquor or juice. The so called cocktail tasted like straight up bad quality vodka. As you can see in the pictures, I barely touched it throughout my meal. As a starter I had the burrata. It was decent, but not extraordinary. The accompanying grilled tomatoes were too sweet, almost sugary (and not in the good sense). I was also not given any balsamic vinegar or olive oil until I asked multiple times (other tables already had small bottles on them, mine didn't). The Alfredo pasta? No words. They arrived slightly cold and the white sauce started to solidify and form clumps. I have no idea what cheese / cream was used, but all I could taste was grease, even with tons of salt and pepper. I couldn't finish the dish, but the amount I ate was enough t