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Eater
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Tour Lincoln Park's New Red-Sauce Italian Restaurant
is the Associate Editor for Eater's Midwest region, and has been covering Chicago's dining scene for over a decade. A fresh splash of red sauce has arrived in Lincoln Park with the debut of Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian. The Italian American restaurant is now open at 1112 W. Armitage Avenue, giving the neighborhood a new option for pastas, pizzas, and more. Corner Restaurant Group's latest project takes over the former space of Tarantino's, a family-run Italian spot that closed this past March after a 30-year-run. The hospitality group operates local restaurants including Urbanbelly, Chef Bill Kim's Ramen Bar inside Time Out Market Chicago, and The Table at Crate, and also oversees Michael Jordan's Steak House locations across the country. Dimmi Dimmi brings Italian dining back to the corner of Armitage and Seminary Avenues. Dimmi Dimmi executive chef Matt Eckfeld, who was previously with New York-based Major Food Group and had stints at Italian hot spots like Carbone, Contessa, and ZZ's Club, has crafted a menu that nods to classic red-sauce joints while adding modern twists. Carpaccio is presented Italian beef-style — thin slices of rare beef are layered with giardiniera, beef jus aioli, and Parmesan, and served with sesame sourdough. Hamachi crudo gets a bit of a kick through almond chili crisp. And raviolo 'saltimbocca' is stuffed with guanciale, topped with prosciutto, and finished in white wine butter sauce. The pizzas are unmistakably Chicago, served tavern-style with classics like pepperoni and sausage alongside creative combos such as vodka sauce with sweet onions or mushrooms with garlic cream. The focaccia is another highlight. Pastry chef Casey Doody serves the bubbling hot bread straight out of the oven in a cast iron skillet, accompanied by optional dips like buffalo ricotta with honey and eggplant caponata. Her Italian desserts include tiramisu and affogato, plus a rich and decadent buttermilk chocolate cake. The carpaccio is prepared in the style of Italian beef. On the beverage front, expect cocktails such as a barrel-aged negroni, hazelnut espresso martini, and selection of spritzes, as well as nonalcoholic concoctions. There are also pours of amaro and grappa for a post-meal digestif. Eckfeld and the team hope Dimmi Dimmi becomes a neighborhood staple, where guests can gather over family-style meals and great food — and that journey has just begun. Check out more photos of the food and drinks below. Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian, 1112 W. Armitage Avenue. Open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Chicken parm's on the menu. The focaccia is served piping hot. Chocolate cake provides a sweet ending. Sip on dirty and hazelnut espresso martinis and more. Eater Chicago All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Time Out
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
You can get ramen lattes at this new three-month coffee residency in Wicker Park
Sip or slurp? Ramen lattes are now trending in Chicago's Wicker Park—seriously. Those oddball brews come courtesy Milwaukee's award-winning experimental coffee concept, Discourse Coffee, which is partnering with Cornerstone Restaurant Group for a three-month java residency at Urbanbelly. Launching on Saturday, June 14 with a grand opening party from 10am to 1pm, the collaboration will show off Discourse's cutting-edge coffee creations for a Midwest mash-up of bold flavors and beverage innovation. Author of The New Art of Coffee Ryan Castelaz and Discourse Coffee partner Sean Liu are masters at coffee origination—now the pair will work alongside Chef Bill Kim at Urbanbelly to bring their creations to life at a dedicated coffee counter on Thursdays and Fridays from 7am to 2pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 4pm. The menu will include Discourse's "Core 4" beverages, each known for their inventive flavor combinations like the "Channel Orange" (made with espresso, milk, smoked-and-oaked orange vanilla syrup, blackstrap bitters, orange powder and black lava salt), the "Moonwater" (a blend of espresso, milk, honey, cinnamon, Tellicherry black pepper and applewood smoked sea salt), the "Motorhead" (which combines espresso, milk, pork fat and apple caramel, root beer bitters, apple powder and smoked salt), and the "Parisian," a refreshing mix of matcha, milk, four-tea syrup lime and blackberry. Beyond the "Core 4," there are two exclusive-to-Urbanbelly beverages on cheeky offer: a "Ramen Latte" and a "Coconut Curry Latte," offering playful nods to Chef Bill Kim's favored signature dishes. 'The moment Ryan and Discourse came across my radar, I was floored. I remember thinking right away, 'We have to work with this insanely talented kid, no question.,'' said Danny McGowan, President and COO of Cornerstone Restaurant Group. 'Partnering with Discourse reflects our passion for championing creativity, fostering collaboration, and continuously finding new ways to innovate.'
Eater
30-05-2025
- Business
- Eater
A New Italian Spot Hopes to Comfort Lincoln Park After The End of Tarantino's 30-Year-Run
Another Lincoln Park stalwart fell by the wayside when Tarantino's closed in March, ending three decades along Armitage Avenue. The neighborhood's restaurant scene has seen changes in recent times, and three decades seems to be a magic number. Pizza Capri closed its own 30-year run earlier this year when it moved to Avondale. Goose Island Beer Co. moved on from its original brewpub, relocating to the Salt Shed earlier in 2024 after a 35-year run on Clybourn. As Tarantino's wished farewell to its clientele, word spread that Cornerstone Restaurant Group planned to open a new project in the space. Cornerstone's Chicago-area restaurants include chef and partner Bill Kim's Urbanbelly, The Table at Crate, and Bill Kim's Ramen Bar inside Time Out Market Chicago. Cornerstone is also known for its partnership with Michael Jordan, running MJ's Mag Mile steakhouse, plus locations across the country and South Korea. In Lincoln Park, the company wants to retain Tarantino's customers and lure new ones with Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian, pegged for a summer opening at 1112 W. Armitage Avenue. Executive chef Matt Eckfield worked with Kim, splitting about 13 years at Belly Shack (the chef's shuttered Puerto Rican and Korean restaurant in Bucktown) and Belly Q (the shuttered Korean barbecue-style spot in West Loop). Eckfield left Chicago for New York's Major Food Group, working as one of the conglomerate's executive chefs, spending nearly 12 years with its famous Italian American brands like Carbone, Contessa, and ZZ's Club. Eckfield is hopeful to make use of produce from Green City Market, the farmers market held weekly in the summer, just east of the restaurant and toward the lake. Eckfield wouldn't spill on menu specifics other than saying customers, including Tarantino's regulars, will recognize the food. Expect a mix of pastas made on premises and seasonal veggies. There will be sandwiches. Eckfield is excited to pump out some focaccia, saying that while most anyone can make the flatbread, few folks can bake focaccia that actually tastes good. 'There's not going to be tweezer work,' the chef says. Former Boka Restaurant Group pastry chef Casey Doody is handling dessert recipes with gelato, cakes, and more. So Lincoln Park is experiencing a renaissance. Dimmi Dimmi, which means 'tell me, tell me,' in Italian, should open in late July or early August. Another notable nearby opening comes near the busy Halsted and Clybourn intersection, where a group of experienced restaurant veterans is working on Brick & Mortar inside the former Golden Ox and Burger Bar space. Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian , 1112 W. Armitage Avenue, planned for a late July or early August opening Sign up for our newsletter.
