Fornetto Mei

My wife and I are about the most laid back, non-​complainers out there, and based upon a number of good reviews, I really wanted to like this restaurant, but it fell short of expectations. Thinking it would be busy on a Saturday night, my wife and I made reservations and arrived a few minutes early. We maneuvered our way through the hotel and into the bar for a pre dinner drink, that never happened. There were two people together at the bar chatting up the bartender, with no one else in the entire bar area. The bartender looked at us, didn’t acknowledge us at all, and went back to his conversation. So we stood there for a few minutes, totally ignored. The host/​hostess stand appeared to have no one appointed to it. After a number of minutes of us just standing there making small talk, I asked the waiter walking by if there was somebody who could sit us down, so he did it himself. This is when things started to get really strange. The same waiter who sat us, advised that he would take our orders. Understand, the restaurant appeared only half full/​empty, and it took an unusually long time to get our drink orders filled (simple stuff, glass of wine and a gin and soda), the waiter then appeared really irritated when my wife simply asked that there be no mushrooms in her risotto. The orders came out, my risotto was ok, I’ve had better, but her risotto arrived and, in my opinion, it was just straight up bad, no other way to describe it. Im not a chef, but I can venture to guess that we weren’t the first customers that asked for no mushrooms. So she ate very little of it, and the waiter arrived back at the table and copped some attitude «what…you don’t like it». Not in a questioning her as if to help her out, but in a snarky insulting fashion. At that point, it was time to go. We ran down the street and ate another dinner. In fairness, the place looks cozy and romantic, fireplace etc, which is worth a couple of stars, but the bizarre evening we spent there will likely prevent me from ever returning.

We ended up here because it was raining and it was in our hotel. I was pleasantly surprised. The wine list was limited, but decent. Pours were very generous. We started with the cheese plate, with four very good cheeses, and good toasted crostini. The spaghetti bolognse was very good, although pasta slightly overdone for my taste. Pizza very good, and cooked in a real pizza oven. Overall, very good. Would have given 5 stars if had been a little less expensive or just a bit more polish (more extensive wine list, pasta more al dente)

Fornetto Mei is nestled into The Whitehall Hotel, a hidden gem on a tree-​lined street of Chicago’s Gold Coast. After passing the threshold and strolling through the lounge/​bar area a sense of time travel encapsulates the mind and transcends the experience to another era. One of mahogany memories and speakeasy splendor. The romantic dining hall boasts a «beautiful little pizza oven,» and is exceptionally quaint.
We made same day, late night reservations via OpenTable and were promptly seated with smile. However, it seemed as though walk-​in service would not be frowned upon.
The menu showcased seasonal ingredients, and the wine list was simply perfect to select from for the food offered. We sipped Coppola Pinot Noir which was reasonably priced and familiar. Though the wine service lacked enthusiasm and knowledge. The meal began with veal meatballs and mushroom bruschetta; both delicious and perfect portion sizes. Chef Steve’s short ribs and polenta was a dish that I wanted to savor for many moments. In fact, I may or may not have licked the plate clean. The tasty and tender meat melted into the creamy polenta. Truly soul food and a dish worth spotlighting. If you saved room for a dessert, indulge in the tiramisu for a pleasant finish.
A lovely Chicago Restaurant Week prix fixe experience that left me craving a return to taste the remainder of this season’s menu.
Fornetto Mei is definitely worth considering as your next spot for a romantic date, a small celebration or an intimate conversation with a friend.

We decided to kick off restaurant week at Fornetto Mei which we probably would have never checked out because it’s pretty difficult to find. It’s inside a hotel so we didn’t see the name until we walked inside the hotel. Aside from that the ambience inside is really nice and the music they were playing yesterday was just what we were looking for. A little Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. The pre fixed menu had some really interesting choices and we decided to go for the veal meatballs and the mushroom bruschetta for our appetizers. We scarfed them down so fast I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of them. The meatballs were amazing and the bruschetta was good also but it had a little too much raw onion on it which overpowered the flavors a little more than I would have liked.
For our main course we went with the bolognese and the polenta with braised beef. The bolognese was not all that. It lacked seasoning and was just bland. I consider myself a little bit of a salty person but it just had no flavor to me. The braised beef on the other hand was really amazing. The polenta was nice and smooth and the gravy on top of it just brought it all together.
Let me also say that the service was phenomenal. Our server was very attentive and checked up on us enough times where it wasn’t annoying but where we felt like we were actually being taken care of.
Lastly we had the lava cake and the tiramisu. It had to be one of thee best tiramisus I have had in a long time. The lava cake was also good but that tiramisu!!! Yum!

Timing — friendly for a Friday night:
A friend and I ate here for Restaurant Week. We made same-​day reservations through Open Table for a Friday night at 8:00 pm, although it seemed they had available tables even without the reservations.
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Location — tucked away and intimate:
The restaurant is in the back of the Whitehall Hotel — the signage wasn’t so clear, but the staff were helpful and it felt like a bit of an adventure finding it. The setting is simple but quiet and good for a nice conversation.
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Cuisine — tasty and simple:
We started with the beef carpaccio with micro greens, capers, and sea salt. The sea salt was a lovely crunch, the carpaccio was soft and delicious. I would definitely get it again. It isn’t served with bread, so we had to ask for it, but ate it on its own and would probably have it that way again, it was so good. For the main course, we both had beef short rib with creamed polenta. The flavor was lovely and I ate it easily. I could tell my friend was a bit put off my too many soft textures, so it could be accompanied with something crunchy for people with similar sensibilities. For dessert, I had the lava cake, which had a nice flavor and came with a good raspberry sauce. It could have been more melty in the center. She had the tiramisu, which also had a good taste, but after all the rich and soft textures, it was probably a bit too much for her.
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Drink Selection — choose wisely:
We had a bottle of the lowest cost chardonnay, which wasn’t a great choice, and the wine service left a bit to be desired.
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All in All — great spot:
All in all, this was a great value for a solid meal that I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat. Definitely a good spot during Restaurant Week.

I have wanted to try this place for years. It has the cutest little greenhouse type seating area overlooking Delaware. I finally stopped in on a Friday night, and the place was not busy. Sadly, I think I know why now. I got to sit in the greenhouse area. This place has so much potential, but fell a little short. My plate of pasta was $ 24. Even in this neighborhood, that is a lot, and it should have been amazing. It wasn’t bad, but should have been priced at $ 14 or $ 15. It just didn’t wow for what it cost. No bread was offered, nor was any fresh cracked black pepper or parmesan cheese offered at the time the entrée arrived. Those little touches should be offered. The table behind me ordered mussels and beef carpaccio; when they asked for bread, the waiter said he was sure he could find some, meaning they don’t really offer it. No bread on offer at an Italian restaurant is just weird! The server was very friendly though, recommended a great glass of wine and the pour was very generous. I’m not sure I’ll be back as the prices were way out of line with what was actually offered. It just feels like this restaurant has been neglected by someone. It could easily be revived, but someone needs to step up and take action on it.

This place was wonderful. I went there the night before I was running the Chicago marathon. I misread the menu and couldn’t eat what I had ordered. The staff was very polite and understanding. They asked me what I needed to eat, and the chef special-​made the perfect meal for me! I had a great race, and both dishes were delicious! (I took the original home and ate for leftovers.)

I went here yesterday night with a friend. We had a Gilt City deal for a pizza and a glass of wine each (regular price would have bin 65 $ excluding tip). My friend had The Netto, an interesting combination of sausage, grapes and goat cheese, while I had a gourmet Pepperoni with taleggio instead of mozzarella cheese. It was good, though the crust is very thin and crunchy and has none of the soft, airy goodness I like in traditional Italian pizza. But, hey, I am Italian so maybe I am being over sensitive about this.
Service was very attentive, to point of occasional awkwardness: like asking 3 times if we liked the pizza. We did, but I wonder if they expected my opinion to be very different between the first, the second and the third slice… also minor glitch with the wine. The server forgot to point out that the deal was only for the house wine, so we chose a glass from their regular menu and, when he came and revealed the mishap, we were half way through our wine and had to reassure him we would pay for it nonetheless — awkward. In the end, he graciously included the wine in our deal, but I still feel it was a bit unprofessional to ask.
All in all, I had a good time and can recommend this place for a low key pizza night around the Mag mile. The ambiance is quiet and intimate, so it would be good for a romantic dinner, too.

Staying in the hotel and grabbed a quick dinner. Wanted something light so I got a Cesar Salad. It was ok. The salad comes on top of a large cheese cracker, like a taco salad comes in a large tortilla. It was kinda weird. The dressing was decent, bit nothing to rave home about. The chicken looked like it was in pre-​cut strips, it didn’t look fresh, and it was mixed with sliced anchovies.
Overall not my favorite.

This restaurant was awkward due to the fact there are several hallways leading to it and there is no host/​hostess, server, sign, etc., around to direct patrons to the lounge/​restaurant. My daughter and I were told by the bartender to just sit wherever we liked. We were then kicked out of the lounge (because she’s a minor) but we had no idea the difference between the lounge and dining area. We ended up sitting at the pizza grill. We order pizza and it was delicious, some of the best we’ve ever had. But the lack of host/​hostess/​greeter turned me off.

Attentive service and amazing food. If they still have it, order eggplant cannelloni which is gluten free and amazing. Hands down a great experience and food. Worth a stop in for a light meal or evening meal.

Party of 7 for naval graduation — came for an early dinner and celebration. First off, it is very dark inside of this place so I would not recommend it for a family event. I could see it for a romantic evening. We ordered a wide variety of food and were pleased overall with the quality. I had an amazing split pea soup which was right on the spot with what I was looking for to warm me up after the freezing weather we had on 3÷6÷15. I thought that the menu did not deliver exactly a «Chinese/​Italian» experience as it is clearly heavy on the Italian. The pizza oven is an open space so you can see the cook prepare the pizza and put it in the open fire oven. It was not busy, so the cook even talked with my kids and showed them how to make pizza. So nice and so cute of them. Went with ‘from Italy’ Italians and they enjoyed the food — but said portions were small. They like to eat ALOT of food — so put that in context because I thought the sizes were just right. Pizza is thin crust, coal fired and piping hot… taking away one star because I thought the house wine by the glass was a bit expensive… but it is Chicago and not South Florida so I should put THAT in context in my mind :) Nice end with a surprise piece of cake and candles for my son’s birthday!

Went for restaurant week. The 3 of us all got different items to share and all were delicious. I definitely recommend the Gold Coast salad and the seafood risotto though.

Went here on Saturday for restaurant week. I will say the food was great. I had the Gold Coast salad, the seafood risotto and the molten lava cake. The seafood risotto was delicious. The lava cake could have been more lava-​like. It was more like a moist chocolate cake. The manager working that night was very helpful. The reason I’m only giving 3 stars is I thought our server was terrible. He was awkward and seemed to be uninterested in his job.
The price point of this place is nice. Not very expensive so I thought going for restaurant week wasn’t that much of a deal. Id go back but I’d hope to have a different server for sure.

Fornetto Mei is a hidden gem located adjacent to the Whitehall Hotel on Delaware. I decided to come here after a Humanities Fest lecture, when I found out that that I could show my ticket and get a 15% discount on the bill (food only). The bar was quiet and the décor is dark and soothing, a good antidote to the bustle of Michigan Avenue. I went with a glass of Pinot Noir to take the edge off and give me time to study the menu. I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of portions. I decided to order the short rib gnocchi. The dish came with pearl onions, which I pushed out of the way, but the meat and pasta were both good and the portion was right — neither stingy nor gut busting. A couple of times people came through the door inquiring about the football game. The TV is stationed in the corner and is not the centerpiece of the bar, but is there for those who need their fix of sports. I probably won’t be back to this spot regularly, but it’s good to know that it exists as an option for a cocktail or a bite when I am on this stretch of the Gold Coast.

POS place. Bad food, big price. Looks nice. Awful service. Chef Boyardee food. So dark it may not look that good either. Got the short rib gnocchi. Stringy meat with soft canned like gnocchi and a chef boyardee sauce. Wish I would have cracked a can and eaten hours ago. $ 19 for the 1 hr+ to get it. Seen a waiter 3x from 7 – 930. Been waiting to pay and leave for 30min.
Seems like they easily prey on poor out of towers that just want something close to the hotel. Go! Somewhere! Else! And be happier.

So when you’ve got a group on a Friday night and can’t get reservations anywhere, you try new things, like we did with here!
What we got: Pizza! They were thin crust, cooked in a wood-​stove, and large. The Pizza D’Asti was tasty, but with prosciutto and sausage, how could it not be? I managed to finish the whole thing, but I was the only one that could (hooray for my big appetite).
The other end of the table all got the Bolognese, and they got a whole lot of it. The proportions were very generous, and they said they’d give it anywhere from 3 – 4 stars.
It was a good meal, not great. We were all satisfied but probably won’t crave this place specifically in the future.

We decided on Fornetto Mei for a last minute dinner on a Saturday evening after our previous plans were smashed to smithereens. Neither one of us was impressed, but we were already too low to be disappointed.
The décor was dark and dated (I’d say late 80s, early 90s) with the shining gem being the bar area and the fire stove. I would have liked to sit at the bar… The bar tenders seemed sharp, it was empty, and it looked nice. Unfortunately, we were ushered to the dining room where I sat on a chair that threatened to break if I leaned back. To say that it wobbled would be an understatement. It was definitely a hazard.
Our server was friendly (even touching me kindly on the back when taking my order), but too spread thin to be attentive. It wasn’t his fault. I think he might have been the only server. We mused that he might have been selected as the server because his English was the best out of the other staff. We had an amusing situation when M asked a staff member for another glass of wine and he simply brought her another glass (sans wine). Eh — he tried.
The food was unimpressive. The beef carpaccio was tasteless (completely overwhelmed by the arugula and bread) and had a slimy texture. The margherita pizza was bland… Something just wasn’t right about it and we couldn’t quite place what. My gnocci with oxtail was the shining star of the evening, but it didn’t have enough oxtail.
After two glasses of wine, one glass of port, a martini, and the food mentioned earlier, our total bill came to just under $ 100. We were surprised by the bill considering the quality of the food and experience. We decided that it was our alcohol that jacked the price.
Although there was nothing really offensive about Fornetto Mei, I’m certain that we will not return. There are just so many other (better) options in the area that provide a surperior experience for the price.

We went to Fornetto Mei for breakfast on one of those Spring mornings when you really don’t want to get out of bed with a chill and rain in the air. But once we were seated next to the fireplace, all of that faded.
Surprisingly, while the Whitehall hotel that this sits in was packed with people checking out on a Sunday morning, this restaurant was quite empty. I walked through a couple of bar areas (they looked like nice places to cozy up with a loved one with the soft couches nestled in little nooks) and finally found my way to the dining area.
The menu is not large– more functional but with the favorites that everyone is looking for: omelettes, Eggs Benedict, crepes and more basics like eggs and bacon and oatmeal.
Our server was quick with the coffee and our food came up pretty fast and was pretty good as well. My omelet was well put together and they substituted fresh berries for the potatoes that usually come with it for no charge.
The mis steps were more in the service areas. Coffee refills were slow to come (and I’m a girl who needs her coffee), butter came out with the toast instead of jam. And my biggest gripe? A larger group left and they started moving the furniture around adding a table to our two top to make it a four top (and also the corresponding chairs) which just felt like that should have not happened until we left our table. I felt like I was in the middle of «change over» in the restaurant while what I wanted was a leisurely experience.
Prices were reasonable for the area with breakfast running about $ 50 for the two of us. If you drive– try the parking garage across the street or you may wait a long time for the valet especially on a Sunday morning.
All in all, while I wouldn’t go out of my way to have breakfast here, if you find yourself in the area, check it out. It’s a solid choice.

Very simple menu. The place is supposed to be an asian/​italian fusion. However, only the appetizers contain the asian. But, this is not to say that the Italian was not good. Their old menu had an item that was a crab and shrimp pesto pizza. When we went there, that had been replaced by a chicken pesto pizza. We asked if we could get the crab and shrimp pesto pizza but they did not have any crab but could make a shrimp pesto pizza which we got. The pizza is cooked in a nice brick oven and hand made in front of everyone.
Well. The shrimp pesto pizza was unbelievable and probably the best thing that we had gotten. They made a cream sauce that was put on top of the pizza which complemented it perfectly.
The pizza was an appetizer and was ordered along with bruschetta and grilled calamari. I really like it when a restaurant puts the calamari on top of a bed of spinach salad. However, the only problem here is that there was not enough calamari which was a real downer. The bruschetta wasn’t bad either. The waiter had recommended it but I probably wouldn’t get it again next time.
I ordered the Gnocchi for the main course which was very good. I think it may have been better if I hadn’t stuffed myself with bread and all the appetizers that we gotten.