Fourth-generation siblings Jonathan and Giovanna Capitanini -- both still in their twenties -- took over the basement space that used to house La Cantina Enoteca and rebuilt it as something closer to 'an extension of your living room,' a neighborhood tavern with real Italian flair rather than another formal special-occasion dining room.
Chef Steve Mendez's menu plays against type for an Italian spot, folding in Japanese, French, and Scandinavian touches around the Italian-American comfort-food core -- and the pasta alla norma (basil rigatoni, tomato, guanciale, eggplant, pecorino, basil) is the dish that made a former Chicago Tribune dining critic's list of his ten favorite bites from a year spent eating through the Loop. 'Sotto' means 'under' in Italian, a literal nod to its basement home -- fitting for a restaurant explicitly built to feel more relaxed than the institution sitting on top of it.
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