The Best Osterias in the United States
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The best osterias in the United States, according to the experts: the James Beard Awards, the Michelin Guide, and AAA have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Osteria Ester comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Chicago and Boise.
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The Purple Pig and Osteria Langhe hold the next two places. Eater and the Michelin Guide show up on more of this list than any other guide.
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Rank 1. Osteria Ester
Italian-American Osteria
Gnocco fritto, the puffy Italian fry bread, sets the tone at this Thornton Park osteria: comfort classics with a little attitude. The Italian-American menu runs chicken parm alongside house-made pastas and truffle arancini, all in a room that manages to feel both stylish and genuinely relaxed. A 2025 James Beard nominee for Outstanding Restaurateur, and a Michelin selected spot that draws a neighborhood crowd who treat it like their personal dining room.
The awards
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Sue Chin and Jason Chin - Good Salt Restaurant Group
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 2. The Purple Pig
Osteria
The awards
- AAA Three Diamonds
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Rank 3. Osteria Langhe
Piedmontese Osteria
The glass garage façade on Armitage opens into a warm room of bare wood tables and glowing Edison bulbs, the kind of osteria that takes Piedmont seriously without taking itself too seriously. The menu stays tight and regional, meaning tajarin with ragù, hand-pinched cheese ravioli, and vitello tonnato done properly. The staff moves like they actually want you there, which in Chicago is not always a given.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 4. Dish Osteria & Bar
Osteria
Red mahogany tables, candlelight, and a Sicilian wine list that takes its job seriously set the tone at this South Side osteria and bar. The cooking leans into southern Italy, with Calabrian heat showing up in the shrimp and duck ragu turning up in the gnocchi. It fills up fast, and the room rewards a reservation. Bring someone you want to impress, or at least someone who won't rush you through a lambrusco spritz.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 19 Best Restaurants In Pittsburgh
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Restaurants In Pittsburgh
Why #4, not #5
Both places show 65. This one's exact Score is 65.4 and the next is 64.7, so it ranks first. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #4 Dish Osteria & Bar (this place) 65.4
- #5 Alavita 64.7
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Rank 5. Alavita
Locally inspired Osteria
The awards
- Eater The 30 Essential Boise Restaurants
A Tie
Two places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Alavita (this place) 64.672
- #5 Avoli Osteria 64.672
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Rank 5. Avoli Osteria
Northern Osteria
The awards
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Omaha, Nebraska
A Tie
Two places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Alavita 64.672
- #5 Avoli Osteria (this place) 64.672