Tony Mantuano Revamps Spiaggia and Bar Toma
Tony Mantuano has been exceptionally busy lately. Not only does he command an empire of restaurants in Chicago, but he’s steadily been revamping and reimagining venerable spots like Bar Toma and Spiaggia.
Mantuano’s most casual and accessible endeavor, Bar Toma, was closed briefly this summer for renovations and a menu overhaul. Bar Toma 2.0 is decidedly more fun and upbeat, outfitted with arcade games, more televisions, a DJ booth, and two large wood burning ovens in an open kitchen. Mantuano’s famed Neapolitan pizzas are still present and accounted for, center stage on the menu, but the chef has amped up the rest of the offerings with a variety of new creations. The pull-apart garlic Parmesan monkey bread is a fun riff on typical garlic bread, while a gigantic meatball comes draped with a fried egg, and nachos get an Italian accent via fried pasta in lieu of tortilla chips and a smattering of pepperoni, green onion, ricotta, and marinara. An expanded craft beer program, along with cocktails and punch bowls, round out the updated beverage program.
While Bar Toma skews casual, Mantuano’s longstanding Spiaggia veers in the opposite direction with its new focus on tasting menus. One of Chicago’s most revered fine dining Italian restaurants, Spiaggia recently transitioned entirely to tasting menus, exclusively operating within a prix fixe formula. Otherwise known as “prezzo fisso” in Italian, the prix fixe format is available in seven or 14-course menus, with dishes changing seasonally. Mantuano’s inspiration to shift to tasting menus came from the desire to offer diners a more well-rounded and full-fledged Spiaggia experience; one rooted in Italian tradition. Current menu items on the prezzo fisso include focaccia with foie gras, squash blossom with Robiola and basil, bucatini with sweetbreads and black truffle, and bison with blueberries and thyme.
Bar Toma
110 E. Pearson Street, Chicago
(312) 266-3110
Website
Spiaggia
980 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago
(312) 280-2750
Website