Chicago Restaurant Review - RPM!

(I wanted to name this post RP-YUM but I'm pretty sure Ali would disown me.)

As Ali mentioned, we had one of the most incredible dinners last week and I have been seriously lagging in sharing the delicious details.

After reading the menu online basically all day, we were pretty excited come Friday night. We often text each other just to make the other one want whatever food we're craving and it was a bit out of control before our visit. Proof:



I'd heard great things about RPM, of course, but I have to admit -- despite the drool-worthy photos on the website, I was a bit of a skeptic. I thought that at least a part of the rave reviews HAD to be just Chicago celebrity hype. Let's be clear, though, as an ardent fan of Team Rancic, this in no way deterred my desire to check it out. I'd suffer through some mediocre pasta for a Giuliana sighting at a beautiful restaurant with a fun scene, no problem.

Wellllll, I'm happy to report that I was totally and completely wrong.

As I suspected, we found the restaurant was beautifully decorated and the people watching killer, but the food stole the show.



House-made ricotta, so simple but definitely my personal favorite. Like a happy fluffy cheese cloud from heaven.



Prime beef meatballs... Smothered in Parmesan and served in the skillet they baked in, these tasted like Giulianas cute little Italian mother was firmly planted in just around the corner in the kitchen rolling these little balls of love by hand.



We chose the tuna carpaccio to break up all of the rich foods with something a bit lighter and were awfully happy with that decision. The freshest, smoothest tuna, so deeply colored it almost looked like salmon with little sprinkles of black garlic for the most interesting hint of flavor.



This might surprise you, but I can count the number of times Ali and I have ordered dessert in the last 5 years on one hand, and that's because the number is one. We're not mad at it, we'd just rather have another glass of wine or more fried olives. The Affogato float came highly recommended by a trusted source, however, so we went for it. A grown up float with an intense bottled coffee poured over creamy vanilla gelato, this was the absolute perfect ending to a fantastic dinner.

Unpictured but amazing -

• Fried olives


• Chicken liver on toast


• Lobster caprese


• Brussels sprouts


• Pork chop as big as my head for the manly man at the table


• Spaghetti carbonara

RPM, we will be back! Sneaking in early on a weekday to the bar area to try a few small plates without the months-long wait for reservations may be our new tactic, but I'd honestly sit on the curb in the  alley outside the kitchen if someone would just be so kind as to hand me a cup of that ricotta and a spoon.