Mia Francesca

I had never had an Italian restaurant with gluten free options- so of course I had to try it. Let's break it down: GLUTEN: I ordered the Pasta Butera which had gluten free rigatoni with sausage, peas, and a cheesy buttery sauce. I asked ahead of time if they use the same water that all the other pasta is cooked in- they assured me that the gluten free pasta is cooked separately. On the bottom of the menu, it specifically states that most dishes can be made gluten free. I didn't get a chance to ask questions regarding how they handle gluten free items other than that the pasta is cooked separately from the standard pasta. SERVICE: The service was a little short but nice and professional enough. It was clear that they were focused on getting their job done. Our food did come out quickly. TASTE: The gluten free pasta was..... Undercooked. I was disappointingly spitting out a few pasta that was just not cooked enough. My company got regular pasta (Dana's Bolognese) and it was also undercooked. I was disappointed. The sausage felt heavy in the dish. Cheesey sauce, butter, and sausage made the dish a little more greasy than I expected. I'm not Italian and I'm not an expert but, it just felt too heavy overall. PRICE: For two people, a total of $80 was spent. The Pasta Butera was $24 and Dana's Bolognese was $27. The portion of food was good. Aperol (Drink) was $10. Total cost was $69 dollars, the remainder was the tip. ATMOSPHERE: This is a nicer restaurants for family celebrations and it shows. Very warm, dim soft lighting that complements the warm interior design of the restaurant well. You can see the kitchen staff at work with an open wall which is elegant to see. The chairs are very slim and deceivingly sturdy. FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall, I want to give this restaurant another try the next time I am in Chicago. I'm interested to see if the restaurant was just having an off-night. I think this could have been such a good meal had it not been for the pasta being undercooked, especially for almost $30 a plate.

Loved the food! OMG, the Beef Carpaccio was amazing! We also had Beets with Walnut cream and sugared walnuts. Also yummy. We split the spaghetti bolognese and they prepared it gluten free for us! It was excellent! You would never know it was gluten free. I’ll be back this week for sure! LIncolnwood needed this restaurant addition! Great place to meet city or further north suburban friends. Our waiter Renee was an excellent server and the owner Scott came by and catered to our gluten free needs! Five Stars from both of us!