Our Story
For more than 17 years, Piccolo Sogno has brought the spirit of Italy to Chicago through handmade pasta, seasonal cooking, thoughtful wines, and warm hospitality. What began as a “little dream” has become a lasting gathering place, shaped by tradition, care, and the simple pleasure of sharing good food.
Piccolo Sogno means “little dream” in Italian, and since opening in 2008, that dream has grown into one of Chicago’s most beloved Italian restaurants.
The restaurant was built around a simple idea: bring the warmth, generosity, and spirit of Italy to the city through honest cooking, thoughtful hospitality, and a setting that feels transportive without feeling formal. Handmade pastas, wood-fired dishes, seasonal ingredients, and a carefully selected Italian wine list all come together with the ease and care of a classic neighborhood gathering place.
More than 17 years later, Piccolo Sogno continues to welcome guests with the same sense of purpose that inspired its beginning. It is a little dream made real, shaped by tradition, sustained by hospitality, and shared at the table every day.
The kitchen at Piccolo Sogno is rooted in classic Italian technique, seasonal ingredients, and the daily craft of handmade pasta, wood-fired cooking, and thoughtful preparation.
At Piccolo Sogno, the kitchen works with the kind of restraint and care that defines traditional Italian cooking. Handmade pastas, seasonal produce, fresh seafood, wood-fired pizzas, and regional dishes are prepared with a focus on simplicity, balance, and proper technique.
Every plate begins with ingredients chosen for their quality and character, then shaped through time-honored methods that let the cooking stay honest. The result is a menu that feels generous, refined, and deeply connected to Italy, without losing the warmth of a neighborhood restaurant.
Piccolo Sogno was founded by Tony Priolo and Ciro Longobardo, whose shared dream was to bring the heart of Italian food, wine, and hospitality to Chicago.
Piccolo Sogno opened on July 16, 2008, by Chef Tony Priolo and wine specialist Ciro Longobardo. Together, they built the restaurant around the essentials of Italian dining: handmade food, seasonal ingredients, thoughtful wines, and warm hospitality.
Priolo’s kitchen and Longobardo’s wine program work in close conversation, creating a restaurant that feels personal, generous, and deeply connected to the traditions that inspired it. More than 17 years later, their original vision continues to shape Piccolo Sogno into one of Chicago’s enduring Italian restaurants.
