Italian food means a lot more than spaghetti and meatballs these days, but sometimes the basics, in an old school red sauce joint, are all we want. They’re the places that originally made Italian food popular in this country – authenticity aside.

That’s why we want to tell you about some of Chicago’s best old school Italian joints – the kind of places where a napkin bib is necessary. While they may not be “the best” Italian restaurants in town, they epitomize the omnipotent powers of a ton of pasta, red sauce, and wine in the presence of family and friends. And of feeling like a mid-ranking member of the mob.