Pasta Palazzo has held its spot on Halsted Street in Lincoln Park for 25 years, close enough to Steppenwolf Theatre and the Armitage Avenue shopping strip to catch both pre-show crowds and neighborhood regulars. The restaurant describes itself in the spirit of a British "local" — the kind of place people return to often rather than visit once.
The menu runs long and leans Italian-American: spaghetti marinara, farfalle alfredo, penne bolognese, and conchiglie gorgonzola sit alongside a handmade pasta section of gnocchi, tortellini, and ravioli that can be paired with any sauce on the menu. Regulars point to the gnocchi and the kitchen's creative pasta combinations, including a jalapeño-stuffed gnocchi with roasted red pepper puree and a frutti di mare with calamari, scallops, and shrimp. A "healthy" line built on tomato-white wine sauce, salads, sandwiches, and starters like baked goat cheese and grilled portabella round out the rest.
Service and portions come up often in what regulars say about the place, and the room reads as a modern Italian spot built for returning rather than a one-time meal.
The menu runs long and leans Italian-American: spaghetti marinara, farfalle alfredo, penne bolognese, and conchiglie gorgonzola sit alongside a handmade pasta section of gnocchi, tortellini, and ravioli that can be paired with any sauce on the menu. Regulars point to the gnocchi and the kitchen's creative pasta combinations, including a jalapeño-stuffed gnocchi with roasted red pepper puree and a frutti di mare with calamari, scallops, and shrimp. A "healthy" line built on tomato-white wine sauce, salads, sandwiches, and starters like baked goat cheese and grilled portabella round out the rest.
Service and portions come up often in what regulars say about the place, and the room reads as a modern Italian spot built for returning rather than a one-time meal.