A native of Venice, Italy, Dario Monni and his Chicago-born wife Jill Gray opened Tortello, a classic family-owned pastificio (fresh pasta shop) and chef-driven casual restaurant, in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood in July 2019. Located near the bustling intersection of Division and Wood Streets, Tortello is the debut concept by Monni, who has an extensive background operating world-class food and beverage programs throughout Italy, London and Dubai. Tortello was recently nominated for a Jean Banchet award for best counter service restaurant 2019. Inspired by the classic pastificio found in many Italian towns, Tortello boasts a handmade pasta program where sfoglinas (pasta makers)—trained by a 65-year-old sfoglina from Puglia, Italy—can be seen in the front window crafting a variety of daily fresh “nonna-style” pasta by hand as guests dine. The chef-driven menu is focused on high quality ingredients—imported from Italy and from local farms—and takes pride in making everything in house.
