RPM Italian – Chicago, IL: Considered as a dining hotspot, this trendy and upscale restaurant partly owned by celebrity couple Bill and Giuliana Rancic promises a menu that is truly Italian but modern in style.

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RPM Italian’s spacious interior, with its white brick walls, mood-setting lights and cozy booths around the perimeter certainly makes for a beautiful and romantic atmosphere.


Conveniently, the restaurant has two sections – the lounge/bar and restaurant, so you can sneak off in a corner table away from the crowd but still hear the lounge music playing overhead while enjoying a drink from their good selection of wine by the glass.

When I went to RPM Italian, the place was so packed that my friends and I couldn’t carry on a conversation without having to talk as loud as we possibly could just to be heard. Fortunately, the service was very good; our waiter was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu so we were quite forgiving of the entire hubbub around us.

The concept of dining at RPM Italian seemed to be that of sharing since the servings were not that big, but were still sufficient enough to be enjoyed among the group.


We ordered the Tuscan Kale and Heirloom Spinach Salad and Parmesan Risotto with cauliflower, pistachio and brown butter to start. Both were just average; not a great start to our dinner.


Next up was the Calamari and Pasta with Tomato Sauce (not shown); both were quite good but their Meatballs and Ravioli (not shown) were simply fantastic.


Everyone should also try their delicious Eggplant Parmesan but I would really recommend their excellent Short Rib Pappardelle with Bolognese, pecorino and rosemary.(not shown).



For dessert we ordered the Tartufo, which had a hazelnut gelato on the inside surrounded by a rich chocolate shell and an order of their Black Mission Figs with crushed amaretti cookies and mascarpone cream. While the tartufo was tasty, the figs were out of this world delicious! A must try even if you aren't a big fan of figs.

In conclusion to our RPM review, we are giving RPM Italian a Bombastic rating. If you don’t mind a little strained conversation due to a full house, make reservations now (be sure to do this in advance). Personally, if I lived in Chicago I'd be going back again and again!

What I liked: Good service the good selection of wine by the glass and many of the different dishes.

What I didn’t like: A bit too loud for decent conversation

Rating: Bombastic

Address and Telephone Number:
RPM Name – Chicago, IL
Address: 52 West Illinois, Chicago, IL 60654
Telephone: (312) 222-1888

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