Home > Restaurants > Italian > Cafe Bionda

Joe Farina, who spent a decade as the corporate chef of Rosebud Restaurants in addition to a brief stint at Ballo, is behind this South Loop Italian eatery. Farina ditched Palaggi's South Beach inspired decor; now look for two mahogany bars, warm earthy hues and an open kitchen with a tin ceiling. Bionda focuses on reasonably priced old-school Italian dishes in manageable portions; pasta selections are between $12-$17 and entrees top-out at $25. On the menu: rigatoni Genovese with Italian sausage, tomatoes and basil; veal Milanese; center-cut pork chops with banana peppers, chili flakes and white wine; eggplant Parmesan; and more.

Farina is doing a duo of blondes these days (bionda means blonde in Italian); he opened a second outpost of Cafe Bionda in Wicker Park July 13.

See more:

Near South Side restaurants, Chicago restaurants, Italian restaurants