Author & Photographer: Jason Frey

Want some comfort food? How about classic Italian? Look no further than Ricobene’s in south Chinatown. Open since 1946, Ricobene’s is a Chicago classic known for its friendly service, breaded steak sandwiches, and pizza. The retro feel of the neon storefront sign is extended by the black-and-white checkered tile on the inside, and in non-pandemic times, I can imagine it being filled with customers digging into their subs and pasta. But for now, takeout is the only option—and just as advertised, pickup was a perfectly enjoyable experience.

Eggplant Parmesan

Starting with the time-honored eggplant parmesan sub, I opened up the double-wrapping and gazed upon a decadent sandwich. As expected, a sub soft roll surrounded fried eggplant, parmesan cheese, and marinara sauce. Not as expected, though, was how good the eggplant was. Often, the eggplant is so thickly coated and greasy that it’s hard to taste anything but the outer fried layer—and although I recognize that may be to some people’s liking, it isn’t to mine. With that being said, this sub struck a delicious balance between the fried exterior and eggplant interior. To top it off, the marinara sauce nicely complimented the eggplant, making this sub a flavorful option for vegetarians.

Ricobene’s Pizza

Sandwiched in between the subs on the menu were the pizzas. Ricobene’s offers personal size pizzas, which is convenient for anyone craving a few slices and the experience of having a pie to yourself. I tried a half-and-half green pepper and mushroom pie. The first thing to note is that this pizza is good, but not great. The crust is a little tough and has a slightly uneven bake. That being said, it’s tasty as a snack and is satisfying for anyone who likes a crunchy crust. I highly recommend the green pepper topping; it balanced the melty cheese and sauce. In my opinion though, mushroom is superior and makes (almost) anything better, so I do prefer it over the pepper.

Breaded Steak Sandwich

Saving the most popular for last, I finally tried the Breaded Steak Sandwich. And I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I was a little afraid at first glance. I take back what I said about the eggplant parm earlier—this sandwich was the epitome of decadent. Served on a sub roll with copious drizzles of red gravy, the breaded steak was almost overflowing. Props to the bread though, because it was substantial enough to stand up to its hefty interior. The steak was cooked and breaded to perfection and wasn’t chewy at all (which was my primary concern about this sandwich when I read the description). In a way, this sandwich tasted nostalgic to me, and I would recommend it to anyone contemplating visiting Ricobene’s.

Final Thoughts:

All in all, I was delightfully satisfied with my experience at Ricobene’s, and I would definitely recommend this experience to anyone else who is craving fresh Italian food!