Trivoli Tavern

Ah West Loop! One of the hottest and "trendiest" neighborhoods in Chicago- ESPECIALLY when it comes to its food. We've been trying to make it out to West Loop for dinner for a while now, and it finally happened! What started as a stop for happy hour quickly turned into a fantastic meal.

First of all, the restaurant is nestled into "Gin Alley," a gorgeous hidden spot with lots of outdoor seating and shopping. The alley took you out of the city and was shockingly not busy whatsoever. Even before entering the restaurant, this area got our stamp of approval!

Now for the restaurant! The ambiance was giving speakeasy meets upscale Italian restaurant. This vibe really added to our experience, as we weren't sure what to expect when walking through the door. While dark and dim, the lighting coming from the numerous chandeliers and lamps left each table feeling cozy and intimate.

Moving onto our meal, we began with the Teeny Espresso Martinis, which were only $6 in their happy hour special! The martinis were delicious. While strong, they had a really nice flavor, had a nice frothy top, and were overall just a good way to start our meal. We would give these drinks 8/10. Nothing too out of this world, but definitely bonus points for the cute glassware!

Next, onto appetizers! We were planning to just start with the happy hour crab rangoon, however our waitress was very sweet and gave us some complimentary fries as well. The crab rangoon were scrumptious. The fried wanton was actually very light and airy, which paired well with the cream cheese filling. These definitely met our expectations and were a pleasant introduction to our meal. The crab rangoon was a solid 7.5/10 . Further, you truly cannot go wrong with a nice warm, crispy, and salty fry. The shoestring style fries were excellent paired with a creamy and garlicky aioli sauce. Especially considering they were on the house, these fries deserve a 10/10.

Moving onto our mains, we both chose to try one of their pasta dishes. Olivia ordered the Spicy Orecchiette, paired with a glass of the house white wine (also a happy hour special!) This was a hearty pasta dish filled with pork sausage, espelette pepper, and rapini. Part of what made this dish so amazing was the way the sausage created a sauce for the pasta. The dish as a whole was light, with a spicy kick adding to the taste. The salty rapini added some nice color and flavor to the meal while bumping it up a notch. The Spicy Orecchiette gets a solid 9/10! Patricia, on the other hand, tried the Vodka Rigatoni with a glass of the house red wine. While this dish wasn't spicy like some other vodka sauces, it was extremely creamy and had lots of fresh basil on top. A good vodka sauce goes a long way, leading this dish to receiving an 8/10,

At this point, we thought our meal was over, but our waitress had another surprise up her sleeve! She brought us a dessert to help us celebrate graduating college, which really rounded out our great experience. The dessert was a delicious, creamy salted caramel ice cream, with a gravy boat of hot fudge on the side. The combination of flavors were perfect together. This yummy surprise was an excellent end to our meal, and of course deserves another 10/10.

Overall, we have to give Trivoli Tavern a 9/10! We had a really great experience and the food was delicious all around! We went in expecting a quick happy hour bite, but left full and happy after a delightful meal. While West Loop has dozens of fantastic restaurants to offer, Trivoli Tavern is definitely worth the visit if you're in the area!