An authentic, Italian family style pizzeria in the heart of Lincoln Park that accomplishes the goal of light and tasty thin crust pizza. To be honest, we went for a quick early bite to get a taste of the place. The meal consisted of two pizzas and a caprese salad. The first thing that caught my attention with the food was the bread (served with the caprese). I don't know a lot of words to describe bread, but it was soft, salty/tasty, and lightly toasted. It was just yum and served as a good omen for the rest of the food (considering bread is a key ingredient). The caprese was uneventful, and if anything a little overpriced at 7.99 (I'm thinking 5.99). The two pizza's we ordered were the Parmigiano (12.99) and the special of the day Pizza Conadina (14.99). Without doubt the Parmigiano was the better dish, it consisted of Tomatoes, mozzarella, eggplant, shaved parmesan, basil and olive oil. It was as good as it sounds, crisp on the outside but soft dough, great tasting tomato sauce and fresh eggplant, cheese and oil. How do we know the pizza sauce was so good? The second pizza (the special) didn't have any and it was obvious. The conadina had Italian salami, mini tomatoes, white cheese (not sure what) and arugula. It wasn't bad, but just lacked the same flavor as the other pizza, and the italian "salami" was more like overgrown pepperoni and a little undercooked in my opinion (I'm no expert on italian meats). And at $2 more than the parmigiano, I felt a little silly to say the least.
Aside from the food, the decor was welcoming and the service attentive (maybe a little too much, but it was a slow). The space is surprising large, with a few sections divided throughout. One wall was made out of foosball players (pretty funny), while there were two large TVs by the bar area. Light fixtures were made out of old wine glasses while large plant arrangements hung from the ceiling. However, the best part of the place I noticed is the large mirror hanging above the pizza preparation area that allows the customers watch their food from start to finish.
In all the experience, while short and sweet, is something I would recommend and hope to return to try more items. Many families filed in as we were leaving and I suspect the place will do well (a second location is already in the works). This is a good bet for those looking for something other than "Chicago Style" and prefer thin crust "Italian" style.
Prasino is exactly what Division street was lacking in Wicker Park. It's a perfect fit with a "green" (prasino is green in greek) focused menu and philosophy as well as highlighting vegan, vegetarian and even gluten free options. I'm still surprised how large the space is, especially the patio (kind of a rough time to open a restaurant in Chicago with such a large outdoor space). The interior decor also fit the neighborhood (the more yuppie upscale hipster side) with a clean design, dark lighting, large communal table and even a glass enclosed fire pit. The menu is a mix of many options: sushi rolls, small plates, burgers/sandwiches, flat bread, salads and entrees. That kind of variety will go a long way to establish Prasino as an every night neighborhood restaurant. I've been told there's also a solid breakfast and lunch menu. I'm not sure how many people will eat there all hours of the day but since this is Prasino #3 maybe they know something I do not.
The occasion of our first visit is why I think Prasino will be successful. It was a rainy evening, we didn't want to cook dinner and needed something close by that wasn't bbq or pizza or sausages. As I mentioned, a "real" full size restaurant was needed on that block of Division for the locals and this certainly fits the bill. Who knows, maybe it'll be a destination too. We didn't need a large meal and loved the menu variety. Erica ordered a flat bread and I tried a black been burger. We sampled some asparagus to start.
The vegetable whole wheat flat bread ( with corn, tomato, onion, pesto, mozzarella, balsamic) sounds too healthy to be any good, but it's great. The pesto and tomatoes were very nice and I'd recommend that dish to anyone. I also liked our five grilled asparagus. It's a simple side dish but the charred lemon vinaigrette is a really nice touch to a good fall food. Unfortunately my least favorite was my bean burger. The description sounded great (mashed avocado, pico de gallo, arugula, multigrain bun) but the execution was lacking. My burger wasn't a burger but a bean casserole. Everything fell apart and it was impossible to eat with hands. Oh well, at least it too was relatively healthy.
The menu is sufficiently large enough and the location is close enough that I know we will return a few times. The green and sustainable concept makes return trips justifiable and less guilty. On the other hand one main concern is value. Many items are not cheap with entrees at $20-30; even ordering a few small plates can add up quickly. Our experience was short and quick with enough good points to merit a return. The flavors might not make any headlines but the concept and location should keep it busy with a crowd that wants to be seen.