Also—although it’s in the family-friendly River North area just off Michigan Avenue—one can surmise from the first part of the spot’s name that it caters to the adult crowd. The wine list is quite extensive (half-off on Wednesdays), and the set-up is perfect for the after-work business crowd or for nightclubbers to enjoy themselves. (However, if Bar Umbriago cleared some tables, said club-hoppers might never leave, as the music playing was a heady mix of dance songs.)
In addition to the wines, Bar Umbriago has an interesting drink list, with items such as meat and potatoes (with potato vodka and salami-stuffed olives) and the summer social (which includes rum, watermelon, peach, Prosecco and a squeeze of lime). With the day being a bit hot, I asked for the latter—after being denied my first choice, the Tacco Rosso. (I was told that not all of the ingredients were available. The drink inclues mango, passionfruit and blood orange.) However, the social was definitely a hit—and was certainly refreshing.
The Italian menu (which relies on mostly locally sourced food) is divided into sections such as salumi, cheese, crostini, cicchetti (small side dishes), primi, secondi and pizza. Bar Umbriago serves smaller portions; however, the prices are quite reasonable, with side dishes running as low as $6. Having never tried a Scotch egg (with arugula and pecorino sardo), I went for it—and was pleasantly surprised. However, my favorite item was probably the whipped ricotta crostini; if you get nothing else from it, try this dish.
The goat-cheese gnocchi wasn’t far behind, nor was the crispy poussin with roasted vegetables. Of course, the desserts are sinful as well, as I tried la bomba (homemade doughnut with chocolate and Nutella) and the cioccolato (a chocolate mousse cake with fresh berries). I paid the price in the gym the next day—but those items were worth it.
On top of it, Ponzio and General Manager Nick Lombardo are extremely outgoing, talking with almost every patron that evening. (They even talked about how their servers have personalities—verified when they called one over who told a joke I can’t reprint here.)
Bar Umbriago offers a bit of everything, but is (thankfully) not over the top. I definitely plan on returning.