The team behind West Loop favorite Monteverde Restaurant and Pastificio is expanding north with Trattoria Lo So, a new Italian restaurant planned for Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. Chef Sarah Grueneberg and partners Jaime Canete and Rob Mosher expect the 120-seat restaurant to open at 2044 W. Armitage Ave. in early 2027.
Key takeaways
- Trattoria Lo So is planned for the former Jack & Ginger’s space at 2044 W. Armitage Ave.
- The 120-seat restaurant will include a 17-seat bar and a custom skylight.
- Monteverde executive chef Bailey Sullivan will lead the culinary direction.
- Dried Italian pasta, grilled dishes and wood-fired preparations will anchor the menu.
- The restaurant is targeting an early 2027 opening.
A new chapter for the Monteverde team
Trattoria Lo So will be the second restaurant from Grueneberg, Canete and Mosher, whose Monteverde has become one of Chicago’s most celebrated Italian destinations since opening in 2015. The Bucktown project offers the group a chance to reinterpret Italian dining in a neighborhood setting while building on the team’s long-standing focus on pasta and regional Italian cooking.
The name roughly translates to “the trattoria I know,” reflecting Grueneberg’s personal take on the traditional Italian eatery. The concept is designed to feel soulful and welcoming, with a menu that balances familiar trattoria traditions with the team’s thoughtful culinary perspective.
Pasta will be central to the menu
Dried pasta from Mancini Pastificio Agricolo, an Italian producer, is expected to play a starring role. Grueneberg and Sullivan plan to highlight the “pasta marriage ceremony,” an Italian technique in which pasta finishes cooking directly in its sauce so the two elements come together more fully.
The restaurant will also serve fresh pastas prepared al forno in a wood-fired oven. Menu details are still being finalized, giving the kitchen room to shape a lineup around seasonal ingredients and the team’s evolving vision.
Grilled dishes and Italian drinks
Alongside pasta, the menu will feature meat, fish and vegetables prepared over a robata-style grill, a charcoal cooking method that can add a deep, smoky character to simple ingredients. The combination should give the restaurant a broader range of offerings for casual meals, celebrations and neighborhood dinners.
Guests can also expect wines, artisanal spirits and amari from small producers in Italy and the United States. Like Monteverde, Trattoria Lo So will include a custom batteria, a collection of barrels used to age balsamic vinegar and add a distinctive house-made touch.
A Bucktown location with room to gather
The restaurant is being built in the former Jack & Ginger’s space, which has been under construction as the team transforms it into a 120-seat dining room. Plans call for a 17-seat bar, a custom skylight and design elements inspired by traditional Italian architecture.
Trattoria Lo So will join an active Bucktown dining scene that includes Class Act, Pompette, Mirra and longtime neighborhood favorite Le Bouchon. With an experienced team, a strong pasta identity and a spacious setting, the new restaurant is poised to become a welcome addition when it opens in early 2027.
