THE LOOP — Chicago’s oldest Italian restaurant is opening a basement eatery with an elevated menu and relaxed vibe that owners hope will attract a younger crowd.
Sotto opens Thursday in the basement of the sprawling Italian Village Restaurant, 71 W. Monroe St., following an extensive makeover. It replaces La Cantina Enoteca, one of the restaurant’s three dining concepts that closed during the pandemic.
Located in the heart of the Loop, Italian Village has been in business since 1927. Started by Italian immigrant Alfredo Capitanini, the restaurant has become a Chicago staple serving Italian classics such as chicken piccata, cannelloni, lasagna and more.
Italian Village is now run by fourth-generation siblings Jonathan and Giovanni Capitanini, who will officially open Sotto Thursday following the launch of Bar Sotto last fall.
Jonathan Capitanini told Block Club Chicago that he and his sister, both in their late 20s, saw an appetite for an after-work bar in the neighborhood. Bar Sotto offers an intimate setting for small bites such as Italian meatballs and cacio e pepe arancini.
“Something with a little bit of an elevated food menu, not just cheese curds and french fries, but something Italian-ish and interesting,” Jonathan Capitanini said. “We had a lot of great responses from pretty much everybody that joined us for a cocktail or a bite [and] there was a lot of demand for a full dinner.”
Giardiniera braised short ribs served with polenta, available at Sotto. Credit: JACK X LI
Sotto opens Dec. 5, 2024 in the basement of Italian Village Eatery. Credit: JACK X LI
Entering the basement, guests will be transported to what looks like a winding cobblestone alley with a set of gates opening up on the left to Bar Sotto. Past Bar Sotto, a yellow glowing sign leads diners to Sotto.
Sotto’s menu features a mix of Italian-inspired dishes from Chef Steve Mendez that blends Mendez’s background and his restaurant experience, with touches of Japanese, French and Scandinavian cuisines.
“He has dishes that I think are a reflection of both himself and his experience, as well as the city of Chicago and America and the diversity that we have here. And that’s what we kind of pushed to do,” Jonathan Capitanini said.
Dishes include housemade pappardelle pasta with black garlic and white wine that’s topped with black pearl mushrooms and pine nuts, mixing Asian and Italian flavors, and smoked sweet potato-filled tortellini, a take on Polish pierogi.
For a more Chicago-centered dish, there’s giardiniera-braised short ribs with a “luxurious polenta,” said Jonathan Capitanini.
Smoked sweet potato tortellini, available at Sotto. Credit: JACK X LI
Inside Sotto, a new restaurant opening in the basement of Italian Village Restaurant. Credit: JACK X LI
For Sotto, the restaurant underwent a basement renovation of more than a year to completely replace La Cantina Enoteca.
Crews updated plumbing and electricity throughout the space. They also preserved some of the historical aspects such as the Italian cypress wood paneling, which was salvaged and repurposed throughout Sotto’s dining room.
“The renovation was, interesting to say the least,” Jonathan Capitanini said with a laugh. “I think we did a really good job both fixing the systems in the building to allow us to operate effectively, but probably more from the design perspective … combining that new and old.”
As the Loop has changed, so has Italian Village. The family-run business, which at one point operated distinct restaurants on each floor inspired by various types of Italian cuisine, has seen itself through the Great Depression, World War II, the financial crisis of 2008 and the pandemic, to name a few.
Whatever’s next, the restaurant is in it for the long haul, owners said.
“The one thing we know for sure is that you don’t bet against the Loop,” Jonathan Capitanini said. “We’re very excited to be done with our renovation finally and see what the demand is right now.”
Sotto will be open 5-10:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday starting Thursday. Click here to book a reservation.
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