Best Authentic Restaurants in River West

First off, I will start off by saying for those of us with NO allergies, we had a lovely dinner. The food was SO DELICIOUS. THE MAIN ISSUE WE HAD WAS WITH 1 IN OUR PARTY WHO DID HAVE A SEVERE FOOD ALLERGY: We came in and were super excited about our meal. We had 1 person who is severely allergic to gluten/ is Celiac, which we mentioned in our reservation. We called ahead to discuss the options on the phone, we messaged the restaurant about it on OpenTable ahead of time, and spoke to our server about it when we sat down, who then spoke to the House Manager about it. We were assured that "it would be treated like a peanut allergy, as though it could kill someone". After ordering from the Gluten-Free menu, my friend had to take 6 Benadryl in the middle of the night because her eyes were swollen shut and now is so sick that she cannot keep anything down. I am not saying the food was bad in any way (for those of us that do not have any restrictions), but the fact that we were assured 4x that there would be no issues almost sent her to the hospital and that really upset our entire party. I have worked in many restaurants and we did our due diligence to make sure she would be accommodated and the restaurant completely failed her, especially on a $600 dinner.

Everything was wonderful! I noted food allergies in my reservation, and the waiter was aware when we arrived. He made careful suggestions for those diners and worked with the kitchen to ensure their food was safe. Overall a fantastic dinner.

As fans of Rose Mary we were eager to try El Carciofi and willing to take a 4:45 reservation. This is as fun and as delicious as Rose Mary and shares the same approach to dining—shareable small plates. Interesting craft cocktails, sufficient wines by the glass, exceptionally well trained wait staff and very flavorful food. Gus menu was all Rome inspired so it was a little less diverse than Rose Mary. The artichokes were spectacular crisply Rome style. Every inch was edible. Two to an order but they bring you a serrated knife if you want to have them. We had one other appetizer (calamari), one pasta and one seafood main. The portions are great for two to share but if three or four order another something or two and expect to get just a couple bites not full servings. They have $8 servings of gelato and sorbet and a couple amazing deserts they offered to checkout coats.a nice touch in Chicago’s winter. It’s easy to spend $100 per person if you gave two drinks each and desert. We found street parking but forgot to feed the meter since the sign wasn’t obvious so double check

Our recent visit to Erie Cafe was nothing short of spectacular. The ambiance was warm and welcoming, setting the perfect tone for an enjoyable evening. We indulged in their Chicken Parmesan and Fettuccine Alfredo, both of which were absolutely delicious. The chicken was perfectly breaded and tender, while the Alfredo was creamy and flavorful. To complement our meal, we sipped on expertly crafted Negronis, which added just the right touch to our experience. The service was impeccable, with attentive staff who made us feel right at home. Erie Cafe is definitely a gem in the city, and we can’t wait to return for another outstanding meal. Highly recommend!

Amazing good, knowledgeable waitstaff, def try the scallion pancakes, kimchi fried rice, soondubu stew, and self-grill a meat in the table inset grill (rec’d heritage pork belly)