Ballo
445 N. Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL 60610
312.832.7700
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $18-30 entrees. $10 appetizers. $7 desserts.
Valet: $12. Street parking very difficult
First I will say that the food at Chicago's Ballo is really good. In addition, Ballo serves huge portions. Every thing I ordered could be shared with another person. Upon being seated, complimentary bread came out with olive oil sprinkled with shredded cheese. The bread is nothing to brag about. It was served slightly warm. For appetizer, I got their meatball dish which comes with salad. This dish has 3 huge meatballs with marinara sauce which is suppose to be mixed with the salad. Although it seems messy, it was really good. Ballo sure knows how to make their sauce. This appetizer is enough for a whole table to share. Enough for 3-6 people. After eating my portion, I felt pretty comfortable. I would order this dish again. Next, I ordered chicken parmesan. The size of this dish was the size of the plate. I ate maybe 1/8 of it because I was so full. The chicken parmesan is covered with cheese with great sauce. Finally I had their coconut cake with coffee. Again, this is a large piece of cake that is enough for 2 people. Came with 2 pieces of rolled dark chocolate. The cake had good decoration. Coffee was good.
I rate the service at Ballo as one of the highest. Our waiter was extremely friendly and helpful in recommending dishes disregarding price. His assistant was also close by to make sure we had everything we needed. Our glass of water was never less than half full. Some people may be turned off by all the attention the waiter gave, but I thought I was a nice gesture. He checked up on us every 5 minutes. Still, too much service is better than not enough service and I don't mind having that all the time. It was just slightly annoying to be interrupted while I was in conversation. From the moment I sat down to the moment I left, the whole staff was extremely courteous.
I went on a weekday and was seated immediately during dinner hours. Even so, while eating, I noticed the place fill up rather quickly and would probably want to make a reservation next time. Ballo has a bar that is right next to the dining area. Note that the noise level can get pretty high. The crowd of people are typically in their late 20s-30s. Not really meant for a quiet romantic dinner. This place is more a place to go for good food and having a good time.
I would definitely go back if I am in the mood for some Italian food. I want to try other things on the menu. However, I am a little reserved to because of the high price. Even though the price is on the expensive side, I highly recommend Ballo.