Review: Formento's

The West Loop already has a few viable Italian spots (Viaggio, Macello's,Vivo) but you will not see me complaining about another one opening up. The Formento's space was under construction for months, seemingly no where close to opening, until POOF! Pasta!

Formento's has a refreshingly causal (relative to the area) and traditional vibe. Chef Tony Quartaro aimed to bring some of his childhood memories of Sunday Dinner to life and I appreciate the classic approach. White tablecloths and favorites like calamari, homemade pasta and chicken parmigiana fit the bill. Adjoined to Formento's is Nonna's where you can grab cold cuts or a meatball sub.

We went during the opening weekend and the service was amazing. The staff was extremely knowledgeable (the sommelier made sure to check in multiple times), friendly and accommodating. We all enjoyed our meals - I did have a friend tell me their dinner was over-salted (which is one of my pet peeves) so I'm hoping her meal was a fluke (and not the other way around). With the easy-going atmosphere and moderately priced menu, I'm sure I will be back soon to test it out again.

Excellent calamari with the perfect amount of breading and crispiness.

No one says no to Nonna's meatballs. They were very good, but no better than Viaggio or Siena Tavern (lots of competition in this city).

The homemade Orecchiette and sausage pasta hit the spot and still didn't feel too heavy (aka I ate dessert still). We found the other pasta dish we ordered, Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce (usually a fav) no saucy enough.

Yep, that's a whole fish alright. It was very fresh and light.

I was expecting big things from the brussel sprouts and dates, but didn't find them to be exceptional. They weren't bad at all, I think I just had high expectations.

THIS ICE CREAM. Homemade salted caramel ice cream. Heavenly. The other desserts they offer are HUGE.

See you again soon, Formento's! (shout out to my mom in the pic)