Tocco: User Reviews

As we arrived at Tocco at 8:28 PM for our 8:30 reservation, we were told that things would take 20 minutes since they were "waiting" for a few tables. Not a good start. But before we could even take a sip of our first round, we were seated and on our way to the tastiest Italian dinner we've had in a while.

The chef/owner of Tocco is not new on the scene. His Folia restaurant in the market district was one of the most affordable and tasty Italian meals in the city, occupying that rare nook of the Italian spectrum between La Scarola and Spiaggia. And with Tocco, he does it again.

For some reason, Italian restaurants have, over the years, become caricatures of themselves. Giant portions, overdoses of garlic, oceans of tomato sauce, and pasta pasta pasta. Fine-dining Italian was a contradiction in terms for those unfamiliar with the potential of a Spiaggia but even mid-priced restaurants like Topo Gigio kept the caricature alive and pretended to be fancy just by increasing prices. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

How refreshing it then is to taste some very mainstream Italian dishes and be overwhelmed by their uniqueness. Pizza, ravioli and pasta may not sound like the makings of a memorable meal but Tocco did a truly amazing job with them. The Pomodorini pizza was as good as any Folia did and at budget-busting $16, the most expensive item of the night. It was pretty big though. Enough to stuff 2 normal people, just not us. And speaking of stuffed, the ravioli had a mix of ground seafood including crab, shrimp and probably whatever else was past its prime on refrigerator shelves. But you know what? It was great. When you order a seafood ravioli, you had better expect it to taste mildly fishy and here it only added to the flavor. Despite all this delicacy, the loudest applause must be bestowed upon the Pappard Bisamzio pasta. Steaming hot, it was prepared in a tomato/cream sauce that must have been the best ratio of tomato to cream I've ever tasted. Here was one dish that we could have eaten 5 times over but as before mentioned, Maggiano's was never in the building.

In closing I would like to thank the Tocco management for not gouging their customers on drinks. A Martini these days can cost anywhere from 12 which is somewhat inappropriate, to 18 dollars which is the pinnacle of greed. Points then to a restaurant that still charges $10. It will not be forgotten. Unless, of course, I have a dozen of them.

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....coffee. My wife and I ordered decaf coffee (not espresso, latte, etc.) Coffee. We each had a refill. Got the bill. Not only was COFFEE $4, but we were charged for the refills???!!!! In this economy (or any economy), what the heck is that about?

Other than that, Tocco is fantastic!!

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I am so umimpressed I don't know where to begin. The dry crusts of bread they served looked like somthing that was taken from a 3 day old bag of bread. No olive oil or butter was provided. When we asked, our server informed us that the olive oil is on the menu and can be purchased with olives and cheese. I guess if you dont want olives and cheese, you don't get olive oil. When we asked for butter, a silver tub was returned with enough butter for maybe 3 slices of bread. It was just slapped in the tin like the person who had to put it in there was quite annoyed. They had the big garage door like window open when we dined there, but it was a cool rainy evening so we were all freezing. Pizza was just ok and definitely not hot. I would have to say I won't go back. Too many excellent places in Chicago to give this one a second chance.

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I went here mainly to try a new pizza place (thin crust). Tried the Proscuitto & Mushroom and the White Pizzas. Everyone at the table enjoyed both pizzas. Very good flavor. The only complaint is the crust was flimsy. If they could just get a crisper crust, the pizza would be fabulous! As for the service, our server was very freindly and attentive. I was dissappointed to see the restaurant was not filled on a Saturday night; that is not a good sign. I sure hope they stay around and fix the crust. I would definitely return then.

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This past Sunday evening I returned to this facility and experienced the worst dining experience ever. Our server was very nice and she was the only positive thing that transpired. Our pizza-first course was served cold, after waiting 30 minutes for our entree was told they did not have it any longer, re-ordered and it took over an hour to be served. I asked to see the owner who was on site and he failed to show up. When our food did finally arrive it was a joke-thank god the wine was ok, You would think that the restaraunt would of offered some apology or something-but nothing.

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The decor is very chic, it feels like a W Hotel lobby. The pizza is quite good, and the salads are extra special. Service is good too.
Will definitely be back.

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We went here with no reservations, but the girl told us it would be a half hour wait. We ended up waiting an hour, and even then, ended up just sitting at the bar. People were done eating, but were not getting up. This is due to the awesome atmosphere of the place. There was outdoor seating as well, but it was a bit chilly.
Let me just say, that in normal circumstances I would've been annoyed with the wait. However, it was well worth the wait! I would've waited another hour for the meal that I ended up having! Having lived in Italy, I have to say that the pizza and gnocchi that we had, were on par with Italy. We ordered the prosciutto & arugula, prosciutto & funghi, and margherita pizzas. The prosciutto & arugula was my favorite. I have never tasted prosciutto so fresh in my life. By far the best meal I have had in Chicago....HANDS DOWN!!
I usually don't write reviews, but I just HAD to say something about this restaurant and let everyone know what a gem it is. I also have to mention the spectacular service. The owner came up to us and apologized 3 times while we were waiting and was very very nice. He was talking to and greeting patrons all night (I know cause I watched him!) This is a man who knows how to run a business! I will without a doubt be back with my other friends. I want everyone to experience this restaurant!!!
Great crowd (hip & trendy), great atmosphere, great service, and fantastic food!!

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Metromix's review of Tocco was right on. The food was simple, but simply delicious. We tried a white and margarita pizza, both delicious. We also tried the polenta with mushrooms, which was amazing. The house salad was really good, too. We shared pastas, which were obviously homemade and really tasty. Definitely will be back here again.

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Not sure where to begin -- the $10 glass of wine that held only a few sips, the appetizer-sized entrée or the lukewarm pizza. I was more concerned about the nickel-and-diming, lack of disclosure about pricing and arrogance of the owner. When the check arrived we learned we had been charged $2 for olive oil (nominal, but unexpected) and $4 for coffee (apparently espresso, but we ordered coffee). In neither case did servers warn about the charges and no notice was on the menus. When asked by the owner, we shared our surprise. He seemed defensive – he said the olive oil was “the best” and said something similar about the coffee, then asked us to name a favorite Italian restaurant. His response -- “then go there” – was ungracious, defensive and arrogant, all at the same time. Given this economic environment and the number of good restaurants that actually welcome customers, I will take the owner’s advice and opt for the many other choices out there

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we had a 50th birthday party for about 18 people at the restaurant on a tuesday evening, so we took up a very large part of the restaurant. the restaurant was not very busy and we where having a good time celebrating our friends birthday. I guess someone thought we where to loud and a man stood up and scolded us like we where a bunch of 10 year olds. I found out that it was the owner of the restaurant who yelled at us, instead of appreciating a very large group filling his empty restaurant, he reprimanded us for singing happy birthday! now I know we are not the best singers but really give me a break. I cannot believe that a owner of a restaurant especially in this economy would not bend over backwards to make our dining experience special! I will never go back to his restaurants, so he can dine in his own restaurant by himself in peace and quite. the meal was ok, a lot better italian restaurants in this city. i will go where people appreciate our business.

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