The West Loop pasta house that earned its spot on our list from a Netflix episode — and earned it all over again at lunch.
After a morning aboard the First Lady Architecture Cruise and a leisurely stroll along the Chicago Riverwalk, we weren’t looking for just any lunch- we wanted somewhere that would encourage us to slow down and savor the afternoon. Monteverde proved to be exactly that place.
A Streaming Cameo, Earned Honestly
We found Monteverde after watching Phil Rosenthal spend time in Monteverde’s pasta kitchen on Somebody Feed Phil, and we knew this was one Chicago restaurant we didn’t want to miss.
Monteverde’s appearance on the show wasn’t a fluke booking. By the time the crew arrived in the West Loop, Grueneberg’s pasta-focused Italian restaurant had already built a decade-long reputation as one of Chicago’s most coveted reservations, backed by a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes and a steady stream of national accolades since opening in 2015. Rosenthal himself has said the meal there ranked among the best Italian food he’s had anywhere — high praise from someone who eats his way around the entire globe for a living. The crew apparently agreed: it was their final stop of the Chicago episode, and they stayed on afterward for a celebratory dinner once filming wrapped.
The Pastificio Is the Main Event
Walk in and your eye goes straight to the pastificio — the in-house pasta workshop set up behind the bar like a stage. Watching the team roll, cut, and shape dough in real time before it ever reaches the table sets the tone for the whole meal: this is a restaurant built entirely around the craft of fresh pasta, and it shows in every dish that follows.
We ordered our way through several plates, and the now-famous cacio whey pepe lived up to its reputation completely — a riff on the classic Roman cheese-and-pepper pasta, made here with corkscrew-shaped fusilloni, pecorino, and lemon ricotta whey. It’s the kind of dish that explains, on its own, why this restaurant has stayed full from open to close for a decade.
An Italian Restaurant With a Personal Story
What makes Monteverde feel different from a typical West Loop Italian spot is how personal it is to Grueneberg. The restaurant draws as much from her own travels through Italy and her family heritage as it does from classic technique, and that point of view comes through in small, thoughtful touches throughout the menu rather than anything overly precious. The wood-clad dining room, framed by wine barrels and hanging pasta, feels warm and unfussy — exactly the kind of room you want to sit in for a long, unhurried lunch.
Worth the Reservation
Monteverde remains one of the harder tables to get in Chicago, and after this lunch, we understand exactly why people plan around it. If you’re a fan of the show, the pull is obvious. If you’ve never seen it, the food makes its own case in the first bite. Either way, it earned its place on our Chicago list twice over.
Lisa’s Take
Would I Recommend It? ★★★★★ Without hesitation.
Best For: Couples, food lovers, fans of Somebody Feed Phil, and anyone who appreciates handmade pasta and thoughtful Italian cooking.
Reservations: Essential. Book as far ahead as you can, especially for dinner.
Don’t Miss: A seat where you can watch the pasta makers at work. The open pastificio is part of the experience.
Worth the Time?
Absolutely.
Some restaurants become memorable because of a single extraordinary dish. Monteverde is memorable because the entire experience feels intentional—from watching fresh pasta being made just a few feet away to lingering over lunch in a dining room that encourages you to slow down. We came because of Somebody Feed Phil. We’d happily return simply because it was one of the best meals of our Chicago trip.
Lisa’s Travel Companion
Planning a food-focused trip to Chicago?
Here are a few things we always travel with:
- Reservation organizer (or travel planning app)
- Portable phone charger
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Lightweight crossbody bag
- A notebook for favorite restaurants and wines
“The best restaurant memories aren’t just about what was on the plate—they’re about the conversations, the atmosphere, and the feeling that, for a little while, there was nowhere else you’d rather be.”
For the rest of where we stayed, ate, and explored on this trip, look for the complete Chicago guide coming soon to The Insider’s Guide. In the meantime, stay tuned for the next post in my Chicago blog series!
