Rosebud: "Little Italy-great Italian food" Top 5 Page for this destination Rosebud Tip by Dabs

Last visit-November 2011-still very good

This is the original Rosebud in Chicago, located in Little Italy, the Italian neighborhood of Chicago that was settled mostly by southern Italians. Rosebud serves up huge portions of Italian classics, served promptly, even on busy weekend nights. The decor is warm, with dimmed lighting but crowds on weekends can be noisy. Be sure to get a reservation if you are going on the weekends or before a Bulls or Hawks game at the United Center as it's one of the closer dining options to the United Center.

A couple of minor complaints from our last visit, the restaurant was half empty, but they seated us near an extremely loud table of people which fortunately left shortly after we arrived. And the busboy knocked my $10 cocktail spilling a good portion of it. When he said he "was taking care of it" I thought he meant taking something off the bill or bringing me another but apparently he thought swishing it around on the table was adequate. Neither one of those should happen with experienced wait staff.

If you are driving, bring quarters, most of the parking is metered. On Taylor St. itself, there are boxes that you get a ticket you need to display in your window. There is a valet option as well. If you are without a car, take a taxi. Although there is substantial rehab being done in the area around Little Italy, there's still a section that you don't want to walk through at night.

Other places I've heard are good in Little Italy:

RoSal's 1154 W. Taylor
Francesca's 1400 W. Taylor

Someday I may even go try them!

Favorite Dish: Warm bread with olive oil and parmesean cheese served before dinner doesn't seem as fresh as it used to be but that's OK, you don't want to eat too much or you won't have room for dinner.

We always order the same two things, Calamari Fritti is cooked just right, not rubbery, light breading, not greasy. Portion size is smaller than it used to be but still large enough. It's listed as an appetizer but we get it as an entree. Chicken Parmigiana is moist with the right balance of cheese and sauce. Portion size is huge, enough to feed two, comes with a side of pasta.

One other thing we tried and really liked was the veal bracciola which was listed as an appetizer and an entree.

Address: 1500 West Taylor Street
Comparison: about average
Directions: Little Italy, about a block from Ashland Avenue

Other locations in Chicago: Rosebud on Rush, 720N. Rush (N. Michigan Avenue shopping area) or Rosebud Theater District, 70 W. Madison (loop), Other locations in the suburbs: Naperville and Highland Park
Phone: (312) 942-1117
Price: US$21-30
Rating: 4
Theme: Italian
Website: http://www.rosebudrestaurants.com

• Updated Nov 15, 2011
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