Popular Chicago chef Tony Priolo and Italian wine specialist Ciro Longobardo proudly announce the summer 2008 opening of Piccolo Sogno, located at 464 N. Halsted St., at the intersection of Grand, Milwaukee and Halsted.





































Piccolo Sogno, which translates to “little dream” in Italian, is Priolo and Longobardo’s dream Italian restaurant, featuring fresh, seasonal rustic Italian cuisine and an all-Italian wine program. “The restaurant fits our personal goal to get to the heart of Italian wine and food,” says Priolo, former chef/partner at Chicago’s Coco Pazzo and Coco Pazzo Café, about his new venture. “You don’t go to Italy looking for a stiff, formal dining experience; you go for simple food, prepared by hand with local ingredients and served with local wines. That’s why people love eating in Italy, and we want to bring that experience to Chicago.” Priolo’s menu fits those intentions, offering classic regional Italian dishes including house-made pastas, breads, grissini, gelato and pizzas prepared in the restaurant’s wood-burning oven.





































He has partnered with Chicago’s Green Acres Farm for his fruits and vegetables, and sourced many of his specialty ingredients from Italy, such as Sicilian sea salt, Northern Italian organic risotto grains, Mediterranean fish and DOP pizza flour, San Marzano tomatoes, burrata and buffalo mozzarella from Naples. Piccolo Sogno’s menu begins with a classic antipasto selection with cured meats, Tropea-style onions and Mediterranean olives. House-made pastas include Paglia e Fieno (straw and hay ribbon pasta with veal ragù) and Ravioli di Carciofi (artichoke and ricotta stuffed ravioli with fresh peas, fava beans and leeks). Wood-fired pizza offerings include a classic Margherita and Pizza Bianco con Rucula (white pizza with arugula, mozzarella and shaved Parmigianino-Reggiano cheese). Signature main courses include Rome’s most famous dish, Porchetta alla Romano (slow-roasted pork seasoned with fennel and herbs), and Agnello al Rosemarino (wood-grilled lamb t-bones with rosemary and toasted Sardinian grains with garlic and rapini) alongside wood-grilled whole fish specials from the Mediterranean, such as Branzino (sea bass), Orata (sea bream), Dentice (American red snapper). Desserts will include Priolo’s favorites, from Hazelnut and Chocolate Semifreddo to Caramelized Pineapples with Coconut Gelato and Vanilla Caramel. In keeping with their desire to keep the restaurant approachable, main course dishes are priced from $12 to $24.


































  



Ciro Longobardo’s Italian wine knowledge shines at Piccolo Sogno. Formerly of Empson USA, Longobardo offers an all-Italian wine list with 100-150 different wines, organized by grape varietals. “Italians often drink simple local wines with their meal, but Italian wines can be confusing for many people,” says Longobardo about the selection. “We want to make it easy for people to look at the list and find a wine that pairs well with food and fits their mood perfectly.” Longobardo’s list includes Italian sparklers like Prosecco, Franciacorta, Asti, and Spumanti, and he will also offer seasonal cocktails, like the famed Venetian Bellini, Blood Orange Mimosas and Rossini. The wine program offers wines by the glass, carafina or bottle, with glass prices ranging from $4 to $12. Built by Novelli construction and Kim Ohms Design, partnering with Norsman Architects, Piccolo Sogno is filled with Italian accents, such as Venetian plastered walls, terrazzo floors, an Italian marble bar and glass chandeliers from the famous Venetian glass-making island of Murano. The exposed brick walls, partially open kitchen, wood-burning oven and solid wood tables reflects the restaurant’s rustic atmosphere, and the enclosed outdoor patio . lends the feeling of dining in the Italian countryside.

"...true Italian dining experience at Piccolo Sogno ".