La Grange is a town that punches well above its weight in the sheer number of restaurants, as well as the variety and quality of those establishments. For a town of 16,000 it is remarkable that more than 50 restaurants can be found within its borders.
“We are centrally located with accessibility to the western suburbs,” said Cathy Domanico, executive director of the La Grange Business Association. “We have a very vibrant downtown with a lot of retail and it is very walkable.”
There are several dining districts. In the Westend you find treasures such as Milkstop Cafe, where a bowl of French onion soup is almost a meal unto itself.
Downtown proper is filled with boutiques, necessities (lawyers, accountants, fitness, etc.) and flavors. An afternoon affogato and a bite of famous toffee from Lilett Candies doesn’t disappoint. But nighttime is primetime for La Grange’s award-winning restaurants.
Marco’s Kitchen opened in March 2020. Grit and community support pulled them through the darkest days of the pandemic. Now, they are back to their original fine dining plan.
“We’re French, Italian, little bit of Asian, Middle Eastern, Spanish and Mexican. So all of those flavors go on to our menu to create our dishes,” said Marco Conte, chef and owner.
A crowd pleaser is roasted New Zealand lamb chops, encrusted with pistachios, served with a black garlic molasses. Another popular dish is duck breast and blackberry, sage reduction over pappardelle pasta.
In 2024 Marco’s Kitchen earned a DiRōNA award, given to exceptional restaurants in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Patrons are front and center for another restaurant called fourteensixteen. This American “craft” restaurant relies on freedom for the staff to try new things, reinvent old dishes and strive for the out of the ordinary.
“We are blessed that diners are willing to come out and experiment,” said Bret Bohning, chef and partner. “They are also honest when things don’t work. Customers feel ownership of the restaurant too. It’s a lovely back and forth.”
Each season drives the menu. This summer pan-seared gnocchi graces the menu with a supporting case of vegetables: broccolini and romanesco. All top a bed of cauliflower puree. Watermelon gazpacho is poured tableside, sparkling with ginger, cilantro and lime facets.
Modern, authentic Italian is the flavor-profile of the menu at GP Italiano.
“We say that everything goes on our plates would be something you’d find in Italy today. We’ve done our research,” according to chef and owner Joe Dellacroce.
His flour-covered apron attests to the hundreds of pounds of pasta he makes regularly. And speaking of flour, it is sourced from Italy, as well as the buffalo mozzarella which is flown in from there too. Even the cows are Italian, sort of. Beef comes from Piedmontese cattle (an Italian breed) raised in North Dakota.
All dishes are cooked in the restaurant’s wood-burning pizza oven. Even pasta dishes, such as chicken parmesan is nestled in cast iron and finished there. Their Neapolitan-style pizza took some getting used to for patrons, but now it is a fan favorite.
La Grange dining scene is a knockout!
More Info:
milkstopcafe.com
lilett.com
marcoskitchen.com
1416lagrange.com
gpitaliano.com