Fresco 21

Too pricey but great service ! Food is good nothing amazing. .had a pizza and wings for afternoon drinks.

No one else seems to have mentioned but it seems like a fairly important piece of information: this is a restaurant inside Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel. The Capital Grille is also in the hotel and then there’s another steakhouse in the parking lot, (I forget which one). It took us a while to find the entrance and the parking lot. Rosemont seems to be mile upon mile of hotels and steak joints. Expense accounts!
Food was fine, a little pricey but good. We got about 5 small plates for four of us and then dessert and it was enough. The mussels were good, and so was the little lamb skewer. We went here on a Monday night and the place was about a quarter full. Not much else to say really except why is Rosemont such a sprawling megaplex of alienation?

As a hotel guest this restaurant was convenient and had vegetarian options. So far they’ve gained 2 stars. The third star came from the quality, quantity and freshness of the food. Sizable portions, very tasty and fresh, fresh, fresh! I had the daily hummus starter special and panzanella salad both were very well done and more than I could finish. The fourth star came from the service. The bartender was friendly, helpful and attentive. They even cooked a chicken breast for my dog. Thanks Fresco 21!

The bright side of having your flight cancelled and being stuck in Rosemont– this place. I was here for a meeting a few years back and had the pleasure of eating here then, so I decided to walk over from my hotel.
When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by the hosted. As you can imagine, spending the day in an airport and in the end, not reaching your destination put me in a mood. But the hostess was so pleasant and chatty– she could have just taken me to my table, but she was just truly friendly.
I couldn’t figure out what to order (because so many items looked delicious) so I referred to my waitress. First, she was really friendly, but she also knew the menu very well. One of her recommendations was the polenta. I warned her «I am an Italian and we don’t mess around with polenta– we love the stuff», but she reassured me. She was so right, it was perfect. Seasoned perfectly, the absolute right consistency and the mushrooms, goat cheese and sweet balsamic were the perfect compliment. Such a well balanced plate. I also ordered the calamari– this dish was also wonderful, my only complaint was it was a bit greasy. If they had tossed it on a towel, it would have been perfect.
And to top of the meal, I ordered the tiramisu cream brûlée. This was the best cream brûlée I have ever had– hands down.
Hopefully I don’t get stuck in Rosemont again, but if I do I will head over again.

I haven’t been here but just wanted to note they are NOT a brunch place. I just called and confirmed that breakfast items stop being served at 11am.

Had apps prior to a business dinner @ M&S. Good service with a smile. Fast service on the foot and drinks and the apps were tastie. I will be back.

So this is a good place to meet up if you are heading over to a concert at the rosemont if you dont want to be tempted with shopping. Their wing were my favorite, crispy, tangy, and little spicy. The mac and cheese was good, it was simple topped with a pulled pork. After that would be the hanger steak a little over season for me. The strawberry mojito used fresh strawberry but it was a little too strong for me and heavy of the Lime. Overall it was good experience especially if you are looking to have a big party.

Better than I expected for a hotel restaurant. Food was decent and service was good.
I had the salmon it was good.

We had tickets to a show at the theater next door. We didn’t have a reservation but were seated immediately. The first question our server asked us was whether we were going to a show and what time it started. She kept our timeline in mind throughout the whole evening.
We ordered the falafel to share — delicious. I then had the paella which was very flavorful and packed full of meat. My husband had the 6oz steak which was very tender and flavorful. We finished with the tiramisu crime brûlée. Wow. Would definitely come back.

I was really excited when I read about this restaurant on Unilocal.I was staying in Rosemont for a conference and was bummed about the apparent lack of diverse non-​chain food options in the area. Fresco 21 looked like a great option.
I went in a group of 5 ladies. We ordered 3 appetizers and a bottle of wine to start. The wine was great — at $ 38 one of the least expensive on the menu. However, the appetizers were a little weak. We ordered the crispy polenta, lamb meatballs, and a pâté appetizer. We were all very excited for these items, but I saw obvious disappointment when the dishes arrived. Tapas size — but not tapas prices. Everything was delicious, but three appetizers should go far with 5 ladies, and they just didn’t here.
I ordered the carbonara pizza, as I love pizza, and I love a fried egg on anything! The pizza was fine — just okay. I wasn’t blown away by it, and honestly didn’t even take my leftovers back to the hotel with me. Reviews at the rest of the table were mixed as well.
So, Fresco 21 gets an A-​OK from me. Would I go back? Probably, because honestly the options in Rosemont are pretty weak (for out-​of-​towners without a car) and the food was good, but next time I’ll order something different!

I was in Rosemont for an annual conference I attend at the Hyatt so this place was within walking distance. I’ve been coming to the conference for a few years and have eaten everything 3 times over at the hotel, so branching out to places outside of the hotel is something I was looking forward to and this was the first place I patronized on my trip.
My colleagues and I had a reservation, because we were travelling on foot we were a few minutes late, but the hostess was very kind and seated us in the back dining room right away. The ambiance was beautiful, the place had the type of atmosphere where you could come in a cocktail dress or a pair of jeans and feel like you were in the right place. That’s a hard mood to pull off – so I have to give this place props for that.
My colleagues and I ordered wine, a few small plates, and entrees. The service was fantastic throughout the meal, but the food left something to be desired. I was honestly a little let down with the small plates/​appetizers. We ordered a few and the selection was small, and the portions, not too filling. Usually my ladies and I can do wine + small plates and leave satisfied, but this place left room for hungry tummies to order entrees as well. A girlfriend and I split a pizza, which was good, but could be better. There was nothing WRONG with this place. It was nice, the food was decent, but I feel like I should have gotten a lot more flavor or portion size for the price tag of everything. I’m from Reno Nevada, not exactly a culinary Mecca, but I felt like our local dishes seriously outperformed this place – and that gave me a sad face. You don’t leave town to pay extra for dinner to have it just be Meh. To sum it up, ambiance: great, staff: wonderful, food: decent, price: a bit on the high end relative to the portion size and flavor.

Would be nice to have a ½ star option because I would add it. It is a great option for the rosemont area. Good wine selection but would have liked a cocktail feature/​deal for a Monday evening. We were one of two tables in the dining area so very quiet. Service was attentive but not overbearing. The polenta cake and lamb meatballs were a great start. Had the carbonara pizza which was light and delicious. I would return and do recommend.

During our recent visit to Chicago, we discovered Fresco 21 in the lobby of our hotel.
We ordered a pizza with mushrooms, roasted chicken and goat cheese drizzled lightly with honey and it was light and outstanding. My wife found a chicken salad on the menu and requested if additional fruits and nuts could be added. The waitress was very helpful in accommodating our request and presented us with the freshest and most delicious salad.
Friendly wait staff, nice ambiance and great food.

Came here for dinner on a Sunday night and it was pretty empty. We had to wait a few minutes for the valet to appear before and after dinner. The hostess will validate the valet parking inside. The alternate is to pay $ 5 for a spot in the parking garage at the end of the strip.
They sat us in a comfy booth near the kitchen, which was fine by me since it was nice and warm. It was also efficient for the waitress, who was nice and friendly. One of those that offers to take a picture when she sees you taking pictures of stuff. She said that she was going to print us the specials menu, but returned empty handed and gave us a verbal presentation instead. I’m fine with saving trees.
I started off with a pint of Redbridge (gluten free beer) $ 7. It was light, refreshing and reminded me of a cider without the sourness.
HALIBUT CAKES — $ 11 — This was on the specials menu. Good texture and flavors.
AMISH CHICKEN — $ 21 — Nicely cooked, juicy. The potatoes were plain, but the side of seasoned lettuce was really good.
CARBONARA PIZZA — $ 14 — Large sized pizza that came with an egg on top. I loved the thin crust and it was loaded with meat!

I didn’t enjoy this place…
Despite the fact that I was starving (I stopped in here for a light snack at 4:30 before a dinner I had scheduled at 7 and hadn’t eaten since breakfast) it still wasn’t satisfying.
I had the shrimp and ham tapas. This combination simply didn’t work for me. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, but the dish was really salty and the almonds just didn’t complement it at all. I’m not an expert on mediterranean though, so maybe this is a regional favorite for folks?
It was pretty, but that’s about it. The 2 pizzas ordered at the table behind me looked much better, even if a little
dry.
It’s slightly overpriced for the serving sizes of other things that went by my table, but this is a hotel restaurant in a tourist area so that’s to be expected.
I wish I had held out until 5PM and had an appetizer at Capital Grille instead.

The good the bad and the in between…
The bad…
Tapa dishes are meant to be small — I get that. However, these dishes were like EXTRA-​SMALL lol. If it were EXTRA-​SMALL, the price should be like $ 2 and not $ 8 lol.
The good…
The halibut and the paella were phenomenal. Actually all of the main entrees were phenom even the veggie lasagna we had! Everything was flavorful and worth the price of the dish.
The set up of the restaurant is very spacious and the service is excellent.
The in between…
Dessert was good — however it didn’t wow me … it was eh in between.
Til next time? Not sure… maybe? Only time will tell…

As a tapas-​style eatery, Fresco 21 is many steps up from the majority of airport hotel restaurants you will encounter. I applaud their efforts to move away from the tried-​and-​true — but oh so tired — traditional offerings found on most hotel menus.
One of the specials the night I dined simply knocked it out of the park — duck confit on a crisped polenta cake, topped with fried egg. I would have ordered a second but it was so popular that it quickly sold out. They should make it a regular offering and also consider adding it as a «twist on eggs Benedict» brunch item.
Calamari can be a ho-​hum appetizer at many hotel restaurants. At Fresco 21 the dish stood out by being tender and freshly prepared by hand in house as opposed to pre-​fab from a food supply company. The tasty Moroccan hanger steak had been marinated in Harissa before a quick sear to medium rare. My only complaint was the portion was quite dainty — definitely a solo tasting portion, not a sharable plate.
Not as successful were gambas serrano, overcooked shrimp wrapped in Spanish ham accompanied by burnt marcona almonds. Rather than being tender, the shrimp were tough and chewy. The slightly scorched Spanish ham lent an acrid taste to the dish. But to the restaurant’s credit, the manager noted that the dish was improperly prepared and took it off of the tab.
Watch for nightly specials on food or beverages. At the time of this writing, Monday evening is martini night. On Tuesday evening select bottles of wine are half price in the restaurant. This is especially nice for hotel guests who can take the bottle back to the room after dinner.
Although Fresco 21 would likely have difficulty playing in the major leagues against power-​house restaurants in the downtown Chicago core, it has no problem holding its own in the Rosemont area near O’Hare. This small airport hotel restaurant shines.

Fresco 21 came up on a Unilocal search as a highly rated place to dine at. Fresco 21 is located close to the new outlet mall in Rosemont and is attached to the Intercontinental Hotel. Valet parking is free if you decide to dine at the restaurant.
They offer daily specials to their patrons. When we visited, it was buy-​one-​get-​one-​free pizza night. I was impressed by the variety of pizza their offered on their menu. It is a lighter type of pizza; wood-​oven cooked. Both my college and I were very happy with our pizza selection and toppings.
Service was great but unfortunately our server was at the end of her shift and she was not the most attentive. I much preferred our original host server who directed us to our table.
I will definitely be back when I am in the Rosemont area; they have some other menu items I would like to try.

People rave about the daily made pasta here; I’m biased in that I’m not a big fan of pasta to begin with. I came here for their lunch tapas menu and also for the elite event.
Carpaccio 2
For $ 10 this is one of the smallest Carpaccio plates I’ve had. It was not bad quality but not worth it for the small portion.
Flank Steak 4
I know tapas is meant to be small, I come in understanding that but really here they’ve taken the minimalist approach a bit too far. Apart from this the flavor of the steak with fresh rosemary is amazing! If I could get this as an entrée I’d be a happy camper.
Bonus start for hosting an elite event. It was awesome to see the pasta made right in front of you. The food burst with flavor I only wish there had been more of it!

Fresco is cool!
We had spent the morning at the International Quilt Exposition and wanted a nice, relaxing lunch after tons of walking. We knew about this place from the Unilocal event and I had a coupon! Yay!
The coupon was for a free app and the obvious choice was gambas a la plancha as I used to eat this very dish back in the last century (literally) when I spend my Jr. Year abroad in Spain. It’s a fairly pricey dish but we enjoyed it very much!
For my actual lunch I had the Italian panini with a side salad. Both were outstanding as was my iced tea. I lunched that day with my husband and my quilt show companion, my step daughter. She can be a bit picky about food and she loved her lunch. Score!
So we had to have dessert to celebrate Olivia’s first quilt show, no? Yes! I had the panna cotta with hazelnuts and chocolate sauce. The presentation was quite lovely which is good because this is not a cheap place for sweets! I enjoyed my treat quite a bit and adored the coffee. We got a huge French press for both my husband and myself and it was hot, full bodied, strong and delicious!
I really like the Unilocal event, but I liked actually eating here even more. And we still have my husband’s coupon.
Fresco 21 encore!