Due to a Saturday night social engagement, we ended up spending Valentine’s weekend in South Bend, Indiana.  Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to us until several days before that restaurant occasions would be absolutely essential.  Fortunately, Parisi’s Restorante Italiano had fairly last minute availability for a 7:00 p.m. dinner.

This was our first time at Parisi’s.  Despite the restaurant’s close proximity to Notre Dame I’d really never heard much feedback about it while I was a student there.  Overall, this little-hyped Italian eatery is actually a relatively pleasant surprise.  It has a cozy houselike feel with sports-related photos lining the walls and diners separated into several different dining spaces.  The food is quite affordable.  Our four-course meal for two, with drinks, cost right around $60.00 and there was even a $30.00 dinner-for-two menu for those willing to choose from specified entrees.  My only major complaint regards service – our server seemed a bit flustered and disorganized, but this could be chalked up to the extremely busy weekend. 

We started off our Italian Extravaganza with an antipasto platter, which we almost always order when available.  It included salami, soppressata, provolone, pepperoncini, olives, cucumber, and peppers atop a scattering of lettuce.  The meats were particularly good.  Our second course consisted of fresh baked bread and butter (delicious) and iceberg salads (boring).  I barely touched my salad in the interest of saving room for the main course.

For our main courses, the hubby had chicken parmesan and I ordered gnocchi with tomato sauce.  As you can see, the presentation wasn’t anything special.  Food quality, however, was solid on both dishes.  The breading on the chicken was perfectly cooked and the gnocchi seemed homemade.  I was a proud member of the clean plate club and found the portion to be ideal for my hearty appetite.  While gnocchi was the obvious choice for me, I did notice an extensive “design your own pasta” section of the menu as well as plenty of pasta, chicken, fish, and veal dishes.

Finally, we couldn’t end our meal without dessert – a heart shaped tart that was described as “strawberry” but tasted more “cherry Poptart.”  This dessert was definitely the weak link of the meal, thanks to the liberal use of a sweet, artificial tasting filling in lieu of fresh fruit.  If you need dessert at Parisi’s, do yourself a favor and stick with the spumoni instead! 

Fortunately, we were stuffed enough that the lackluster dessert didn’t spoil what was overall a pretty tasty and pleasant meal.  Parisi’s is definitely a safe bet for a quick, affordable Italian meal post-game or while passing through South Bend.

Although our family loves to try different restaurants when visiting Chicago, it’s nice to have a reliable “go-to” pizza place to pop into after a long day of shopping or touring.  We went through a Giordano’s phase before being put off somewhat by the constant hordes of tourists.  We also dined regularly for a while at InField’s at the old Marshall Field’s but I think quality has declined since the Macy’s takeover.  Fortunately, I think we may have found a new favorite pizza joint in the form of Pizano’s in the Loop.

Atmosphere-wise, Pizano’s is a cleaner-than-average bar.  Typical Chicago/sports bar memorabilia lines the walls, and the lights are dim.  There are three different places to sit: upstairs restaurant, downstairs restaurant, and upstairs bar.  Upstairs is where the action is at, with downstairs having more of a banquet room feel.  I see little difference between sitting in the restaurant versus the bar as both have table service and a similar atmosphere. 

Every meal at Pizano’s starts off with typical crusty Italian bread and butter.  I imagine they would bring olive oil if asked.  It sometimes comes out warm and is very tasty.

Pizano’s has pastas, sandwiches, and pizza with some miscellaneous items thrown in. I have ordered the homemade gnocchi on both visits, the first time with pesto and pine nuts and the second with marinara sauce.  I prefer the latter type of sauce on gnocchi because the dumplings tend to be so heavy.  These are indeed heavy, but tasty.  My only gripe is that the $14.00 portion is large enough to serve a family of six.  Next time I’m going to try and ask for a half order as I hate to waste food.

There are several different types of pizzas to choose from at Pizano’s, but my family swears by the thin-crust variety.  Even this takes thirty minutes to prepare so order right away if you’re starving.  The sauce is delicious, but I believe the cheese blend really sets these pies apart from their competitors.  Pizza prices range from $11.00 to more than $25.00 depending on size and toppings.  Toppings are pretty standard and include pepperoni, sausage, onion, green pepper, and tomatoes. 

Finally, this is sort of random, but Pizano’s has some of the best fountain soda I’ve ever tried.  It could be because they serve it in huge glasses but I always find myself gulping down gallons when I’m there!  Don’t worry – the beer’s good too.

Although the Loop location is most convenient for us, there are actually three Pizano’s locations.  Head here to find one that’s convenient for you.