Part of the Italian Village restaurant triumvirate, La Cantina is often overshadowed by its sister restaurants The Village and Vivere. The Village occupies the top floor of the building at 71 West Monroe and receives a great deal of attention for being Chicago's oldest Italian restaurant, while Vivere, located at the ground-level, is world-renowned as a purveyor of fine, contemporary Italian cuisine.

That leaves La Cantina, located below ground. Despite its relegation to the basement – in fact, because of it – La Cantina is certainly worth a visit. The charming space is designed to mimic a wine cellar ("cantina" is Italian for wine cellar) with wrought iron gates, brick archways, and exposed stone walls, a design aesthetic which it makes good on by offering a 45,000-bottle wine list, the largest in the Midwest.

Of course, you'll want some food to accompany your wine, and La Cantina has plenty of the delicious Italian variety. Familiar pasta dishes such as fettucini all'Alfredo con pollo and lasagne al forno go over well, as do new recipes like the Cantina prime steak sandwich made with grilled onions and mozzarella cheese and served with cottage fries.

The atmosphere is casual, but if you're most comfortable at home, delivery and carry-out are also available, making La Cantina the perfect Italian eatery and relieving it of its Jan Brady-like status.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Amanda Nyren