Highly Recommended ***** The “Old Town” area of Chicago has always had some great dining experiences. Some of those are harder to find than others. Last night, we found Gussies Handmade Italian on North Avenue. It is not hard to drive by and never notice, but once you find it you will be delighted , thrilled and of great importance impressed by the menu of home made dishes ( they say that “Grandma Gussie had a secret ingredient or two. Her reply was “Love Piccolo Love”!
Located at 227 West North Avenue ( just west of Wells), directly across the street from Second City’s North Avenue entrance, Gussies Italian is stylish inside and while it has limited outside seating ( during this Covid experience, we seek as much as possible), the booths inside are very geared for this situation. The windows open up allowing us to have the outdoor experience while sitting out of the elements. The management has also eliminated the use of booths allowing for complete social distancing for all diners.
Jane and I were accompanied by my radio co-host, Frank Meccia ( who also celebrated his “BIG” birthday earlier this week. Of course, we started off our evening with a cocktail. Frank and I enjoyed the Old Fashioned ( they use Old Forester) which was assembled perfectly with just the right garnish and Jane had the Aperol Spritz (aperol, italicus and prosecco) which she found quite refreshing.
For our Antipastas we selected their special meatballs ( in a basil marinara sauce), the egg yolk ravioli (ricotta, parmigiano, reggiano, pine nuts, brown butter and sage sauce) a great zing and a platter of Bar Harbor Mussels. Jane does not usually eat Mussels but for Frank, did, and guess what, she enjoyed them.
We shared the Chickpea salad (cucumber, red grape tomato, red onion, mozzarella, lemon vinaigerette) and there was more than enough to do so.
For our entrees we selected pastas and Tuscan Vegetables. The menu does include a number of fish plates along with chicken and meats. The Tuscan grilled Ribeye will be on our next visit ( for sure) as we saw one being delivered and it 
appeared to be a masterpiece. Our dinners included a very special item, Gnudi and we enjoyed these with both of the sauces,brown butter and basil marinara, Gnudi in translation is “naked Ravioli”, so these dumplings composed of Pecorino and Ricotta cheeses are dropped in a semolina flour and cooked as if they were ravioli, but without the dough. They are called a “cheese explosion in your mouth” and they were “to die for”!
The other items were the Spaghetti with blistered heirloom tomatoes and the fabulous Papparedelle with Wild Boar Ragu ( slow braised wild boar in a red wine reduction) juicy and flavorful. Our server, Luke ( sorry but the photo did not come out) was very familiar with the menu and made sure that we were able to enjoy our entire evening. By the way, the bread they serve is very special and is filled with cheese, As Jane put it “to die for!!!!”
We enjoyed a cup of coffee and tried two of the dessert items that were very special. The Limoncello Pie and the Grilled Peaches with sweet mascarpone cream- wow! We all fell in love with this new spot on North Avenue and are so glad that David has brought this delightful menu to North Avenue.
They do have a children’s menu that includes spaghetti & meatballs, cheese filled ravioli and of course chicken nuggets),
For those of you that are budget concerned, the prices are not typical “Old Town” but very affordable- comfort food, comfort pricing and comfortable dining. An experience that will be memorable for you and your family!
Gussies Italian is open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m.- 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday til 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. ( perhaps they will add a brunch menu in the future for the week-ends. To make a reservation call 312-929-3091 and you can contact them at info@gussiesitalian.com
again, the address is 227 West North Avenue and the parking garage for Second City is directly across the street. There is metered parking and zone street parking. You can also get there via public transportation. ENJOY!
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