Pisolino Restaurant

Chef-owner James De Marte can be found demonstrating everything from hand-rolled tortelli to precisely tossed pizza dough (with #catchitifyoucan) on our Instagram page. It’s a showcase of his Italian cooking skills, which began at the age of 12 in his nonna's kitchen. De Marte then traveled through Italy for 11 years (from Venice to Verona) before launching Pisolino with Rachel, an event planner. Simple-but-rustic pastas (like orecchiette with spicy sausage), pizzas (like the titular Giacomino with fennel sausage, castlevetrano olives, stracciatella, and truffle pureé), classic antipasti (such escarole and beans), and, in true Italian fashion, wine by the quartino are also popular here. Pisolino means "nap" in Italian (it's the usual in Italy, and chef is a great fan), but with desserts like chocolate tiramisu and butterscotch budino, you won't want to sleep through it. Get them all, as a pro tip. James' ancestors arrived in Chicago's Little Italy in the early 1900s, when his Grandmother Angela and Grandfather Achille emigrated from Bari, Italy. Angela and Achille, butchers by trade, built a business on Halsted and Taylor Streets, where they reared their family and prospered. After years of working in the family business, James enrolled at Kendall College's Culinary School in Evanston. During his time at Kendall, he worked with Roland Liccioni at the renowned Le Francais and also at Les Nomades. After spending several years under Roland's instruction, James went on to work with Dean Zanella, another mentor. Dean was a formative influence on my life throughout those years. "Dean showed me what it meant to be Italian," James says. The true journey began after that. James is going to Italy to witness it for himself. James then progressed through a succession of levels. James was introduced to the Langhe wines and, of course, white truffles while working at the world-famous Il Cacctiatore da Cesare in the highlands above Alba. James' passion for wine brought him back to Vicenza, where he worked in the front of the house, learning the ins and outs of serving wine and solidifying his knowledge of Italian wine in particular. James' final stop was a stage at Pasticceria Il Chiosco, where he was watched over by Francesco Ballico. Before returning to Chicago, James completed his 10-year stay in Italy by learning the fundamentals of pastries. Pisolino was founded by James and Rachel De Marte, and here we are now.