1571 Sherman Ave., 847-332-2330, trattoriademi.com
Italian is so much more than pizza and pasta at Trattoria. It’s the bright-colored oil paintings shining in sunlight, the wine-bottle pyramids stacked behind the counter, the waitress swirling around a Mona Lisa smile, the dinner-time murmur reminiscent of the piazza. At Trattoria, Italian is a way of life. This is the place to spend a rainy afternoon sipping a cappuccino, or share some olives and arancine with a date. The ciopinno is a generous treat for seafood lovers. — Jia You
