Zuppa di Pesce a la Via Roma

Killer Italian Food-No Passport Required…

If you are dying for home-made Italian food, Italy is only a 12 hour flight from Chicago. But if you’re interested in an authentic, mouth-watering Italian meal you won’t need your passport, for  Via Roma Restaurant  is a short 45 minutes west of downtown Chicago.  

I will do a mea culpa about not mentioning this wonderful little spot sooner, as I eaten here dozens of times and the food is ambrosia. What pushed me into writing was their zuppa di pesce over freshly made linguini, or a few months earlier, the grilled octopus.  This place is a must stop when in Chicago.

“Mangia bene, mangia sano, mangia solo Italiano!”…

Alessandro Forti, wife, Lisa, and family

Alessandro Forti and wife, Lisa, Via Roma has been a staple in this suburb for many years, and I’ve eaten dozens of lunches in both the original and now a couple of meals at their new location.

Their pasta and pizza is expectedly wonderful, and Via Roma’s risotto is oh so tasty.  But the seafood is some of the best I’ve ever had.  

Things have changed for the restaurant.  Shut down during covid, it gave the owners time to relocate to a larger space, bigger inside and with more seating outside.  Now a few miles away from their original location, the incredible food here just seems to get better and better.

Every restaurant wants more diners but Via Roma is probably something to pass on only to friends and family, and if a couple of words about this place result in crowds, I’m going to be kicking myself for years. Open for lunch and dinner and it’s BYO with no corkage fee.

Chicago’s Best did a great video of the old location just before covid.