Osteria Via Stato

" Osteria Via Stato embraces the lifestyle of Italian dining..." from the "Lettuce Entertain You" website.

Without getting into the whole restaurant chain vs. traditional Italian lifestyle thing I'll just say it does this gobs better than the Olive Garden.

I wanted a nice lunch and have been curious about Osteria and their fixed price lunch. The price on it has dropped from $19 to $15 which with tax and tip ends up being $20... If you can rationalize $20 for lunch it's money well spent.

From the initial small plate of mixed olives the tastes came quickly and in nice doses: Cucumbers in virgin oil with onions, thinly sliced salami with slate-like chunks of a crumbled hard cheese and wonderful baked onions.

The main was a pounded chicken dredged and fried but seemingly finished in the oven in a clear broth that tasted terrific. A side of broad beans maybe (well they were broad) cooked perfectly was the side passed table to table. I appreciated the offering of more of anything. Everything was good and I was not wanting.

Ideally a long lunch and a glass of wine or two would be the way to go. Water on this occasion.

Osteria Via Stato
                         620 N. State St.
312-642-8450

Comments

[joanna]

The dinner is good, too, especially for celebrations. "Just Bring me wine" is a service where the wine guy pours a different wine to go with each course, and he explains why. The wine is offered at different price points, but the cheap-o's $15 per person wine service offered three glasses of good wine at a great price.

This is my favorite of the Lettuce restaurants.