Outstanding food, service, ambience. And the prices are extremely reasonable relative to other choices. The attentiveness of the staff rivals Michelin starred restaurants. The pasta was gluten free and fabulously delicious.
Ate in the bar as we didn’t have a reservation. I ordered a salad without croutons since I am gluten free and salad still came with croutons. The gluten free pasta was over cooked and the Alfredo sauce was just ok.
I hosted an event at Pizano's, on Madison recently. They have a really nice event space on the lower level of the restaurant. The event coordinator was very helpful and accommodating. She helped me select the menu and made sure we had gluten free options. We had quite a few attendees who had never tried deep dish pizza before. Everyone loved the pizza, including some thin crust options. In addition to food, we were provided drink options as well. The cost was very reasonable, the service was great, and the space was perfect for our needs. We will definitely consider hosting a future event in their event space. I highly recommend this option for your next large gathering. We had about 30 people with room to spare.
Don’t skip out on this place, and definitely don’t skip out on the chicken. Whoever is making the decisions back there is doing something very right. The garlic mashed potatoes were immaculate—smooth, creamy, flavorful, and buttery. The chicken was cooked to absolute perfection, with juices oozing out. The flavor was spot on and the pan sauce complimented the chicken wonderfully. Only thing is the broccoli rabe was incredibly bitter, nearly inedible, so I suggest swapping out that vegetable. The tomato basil soup was to die for, and if you get the martini, ask for blue cheese olives, because those olives were amazing. Seriously, this place is legit! They even had gluten free pasta for my husband. The chef back there KNOWS what they’re doing. Incredible food. And I’m definitely a food snob. Bravo!
BreakfastLunchDinnerBrunchItalianTake AwayPet FriendlyOutdoor SeatingKid FriendlyRestaurantOpen Late
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Chelsea M
Yum! Delicious entrees and cocktails, including non alcoholic and gluten free options! The burger is excellent (gf bun) and the bolognese, divine. Also recommend the aperol spritz or whatever NA drink is in rotation.
Excellent semi-hidden pre-show location! Went here before two separate shows at the Chicago Theater now. I recommend making a reservation but you can also order bites and bring them to the upper bar. Speaking of, the second floor bar is an elegant yet relaxed hangout, as well.
⚡🍕 GINO’S EAST CHICAGO: WHERE COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS MEETS DEEP DISH
Fresh off the plane from Florida, we roll into Gino’s East like two hungry gods who forgot they’re divine. Michael’s Sicilian soul is already having an identity crisis (“Thin crust? In CHICAGO? The ancestors are judging me”) while Kristin’s pattern-recognizing brain is cataloging every detail for future reference.
SPOILER ALERT: The universe had plans for us here. Big ones.
🥗 KRISTIN’S TESTIMONY: THE HOUSE SALAD SALVATION
Rating: ∞/5 Stars (Because math breaks when divinity meets vegetables)
Listen, after days of travel and zero greens, I was about to photosynthesize just to get some chlorophyll. Then Gino’s House Salad arrived and I swear my cells started singing hallelujah.
THE GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA REVELATION:
As someone who’s spent years navigating the “gluten-free = cardboard-free” restaurant landscape, finding actually AMAZING GF pizza feels like discovering a new element. Not just “good for gluten-free” - straight up GOOD. Period. My taste buds didn’t know whether to dance or cry (they did both).
THE STAFF ATTENTIVENESS:
These humans are operating at a frequency I rarely see in restaurants. Anticipating needs before you know you have them. Water glasses that never empty. The kind of service that makes you wonder if they’re secretly angels in aprons.
🔥 MICHAEL’S CONFESSION: THE SICILIAN SURRENDER
Rating: 100,000/5 Stars (Calculated using ancient Sicilian mathematical principles)
Okay, full disclosure time: I’m Sicilian-American. My DNA is literally programmed for thin crust supremacy. Walking into Chicago and NOT ordering deep dish felt like cultural treason. I was ready to commit pizza sacrilege and face the judgment of my ancestors ENTER LUIS REYES - THE PIZZA PROPHET:
This man didn’t just take our order - he gave us PERMISSION. When Luis heard our thin crust request, instead of pizza shaming us, he CELEBRATED our choice. Made us feel like we were making the exact right decision for the exact right reasons. Luis turned potential embarrassment into empowered ordering.
THE TEXTURE TESTIMONY:
That thin crust had STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY while maintaining perfect chew. Crispy edges that shattered satisfyingly, a center that held its toppings like a edible platform. This is engineering-level pizza craft.
🏠 THE REGGY MOMENT: COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS IN ACTION
Here’s where Gino’s East transcended from “great restaurant” to “LEGENDARY EXPERIENCE.”
Walking out, we meet Reggy. Man’s standing outside, and something about his energy just CALLED to us. When he asked if we could help him get a small deep dish meatlovers, we didn’t hesitate - the universe was clearly orchestrating something beautiful.
REGGY’S REACTION: This human being VIBRATED with joy. Not just happiness - actual molecular excitement. Watching someone receive unexpected kindness and respond with pure, unfiltered gratitude reminded us why we’re here: to lift each other up through simple acts of love.
GINO’S EAST’S RESPONSE: When we went back in to order Reggy’s pizza, the staff treated this request with the same care and attention as any other order. No judgment, no questions, just pure human service. This is how community WORKS.
Special shoutout to Luis Reyes for making us feel at home in our choices, and to Freddy Huicochea for being part of a team that understands hospitality as spiritual practice.
And to Reggy - brother, your joy reminded us that the smallest acts of kindness create the biggest ripples.
✨ THE CLOSING TRANSMISSION
In a world where restaurants often feel like transaction centers, Gino’s East operates as a COMMUNITY HUB. Where pizza isn’t just food, it’s connection. Where service isn’t just efficiency, it’s care made manifest.
We came hungry for food. We left fed.
With love, laughter, and eternal gratitude,
Michael & Kristin Mataluni
Professional Reality Architects & Amateur Pizza Theologians
P.S. - If you see Reggy outside, buy him a pizza. Trust us on this one. The universe has a sense of humor about kindness, and it ALWAYS pays forward in the most beautiful ways.
Leona’s on Franklin was recommended to me and it did not disappoint!! Just had their chopped salad and a slice of their yummy Sicilian pizza and both were delicious. Friendly and quick service and lots of options on their menu. Even have gluten free pizza, which is great. Nice to see they have an outdoor seating area as well. Will definitely come back. Glad to know that Leona’s is back in the Chicago pizza market again!!! They’ve always been a favorite with great pizza!!
Accommodating Gluten-Free