It has been open since 1992, but Mia Francesca remains one of the hardest tables to get in Chicago. Unless you plan on arriving as the doors open, be prepared to wait. By 7pm, that wait often exceeds an hour and can drag on to 3 hours as the night wears on (the locals have an advantage: They put their names in and then go back to their apartments and have the hostess call when their table is ready). The addition of a second-floor dining room has eased things a bit, but "Mia" remains an exceedingly fashionable place. They come for the scene, but it's the food -- unpretentious but never dull -- that keeps locals coming back. Tables are packed close together, so you can't help eavesdropping on your neighbors -- and checking out their food. The menu changes weekly, but you can count on thin-crust individual pizzas, excellent pastas and chicken, veal, and fish dishes nightly.

For a less frenzied atmosphere with mostly the same menu, try the other locations -- Francesca's on Taylor, 1400 W. Taylor St. in Little Italy (tel. 312/829-2828), and Francesca's Bryn Mawr, 1039 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. just north of Wrigleyville (tel. 773/506-9261) -- which both accept reservations.