The One Who Keeps the Book Chicago
How to Get Into Dimmi Dimmi (And What to Order Once You’re There)
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There is a kind of Chicago restaurant that feels instantly familiar: tavern-style pizza, leather booths, low lighting, and the sense that dinner might stretch into one more drink. Dimmi Dimmi understands this Chicago tradition, and brings a thoughtful and sophisticated Italian American sensibility to it.
The Lincoln Park restaurant is just shy of its first anniversary and remains a sought-after reservation; part of its appeal is how perfectly it channels the city’s longstanding love affair with red sauce and martinis. Inside whimsical lighting, cozy booths, blue tufted bar stools, exposed brick, and red wine-hued walls create a room that nods to an Italian trattoria and an old-school Chicago tavern, while still feeling undeniably current.
Executive chef Matt Eckfeld brings a polished touch to classics, pairing dishes like cavatelli bolognese and eggplant parmesan alongside distinctly Chicago details, like paper-thin, square-cut tavern-style pizzas and an Italian beef-inspired carpaccio.
The name Dimmi Dimmi translates to “tell me, tell me” in Italian—a reminder that the conversation around the table is just as important as what’s on the plate. We sat down with Director of Operations James Miller to get the inside scoop on how to score a table, what to order once you’re there, and how to make the most of your visit.
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How many seats are at Dimmi Dimmi?
15 at the bar and 60 in the dining room. We opened our patio at the beginning of the season, and that adds another 75. So when the weather is nice, we have 150 seats.
When do reservations drop on Resy?
The first of every month, we start taking reservations for the following month. And they drop at 9 a.m.
How quickly do reservations get booked?
It can be midday or the end of the day [the day they are released]. Lunch reservations take a little bit longer to fill up, but even those are growing.
How long is your Notify List and how many people get seated from it?
It can be pretty extensive. The Notify list for tonight (a Friday) is 721 tables, which is over 2,000 covers. And from that, maybe 5 to 10 tables will get seated.
What about larger groups?
For larger parties, we’re currently booking up to 8 people, and that can all be done through Resy.
How many covers do you usually have on a typical night?
Typically about 250. That’s if the patio is open. Because of the way we have our settings, we have a high efficiency as far as butts in seats.
Are any seats held for walk-ins?
Our bar and patio are first come, first serve every day and night. A little tip to everyone who doesn’t have a reservation is to get there at 4 o’clock, and you can, likely (no promises) grab a seat. Get there at 4:05, and you might have a challenge.
We installed a no vacancy-inspired light, and it says “walk-ins.” We turn it on to start the night, and as soon as we fill up, we turn it off. So if you’re walking home from work from the Brown Line and you see the light on, come in and grab a seat at the bar.
Can diners grab a drink at the bar while they wait for their table?
There isn’t a lot of standing room. We have room for probably a few in the front entryway, but you’re going to be really cozy.
What would you say is the best seat in the house?
Our bar has so much energy, so I’d definitely grab a seat there–but I tend to be a bar diner naturally. There’s also plenty of corner spots to have a more uninterrupted dining experience. If I’m with my wife, she’ll tell me the best seat in the house is somewhere where I can’t see the door or dining room, so I’m not distracted.
What should a first-time guest know before dining at Dimmi Dimmi?
You have to have the mozzarella sticks. I warn people that when they get them, there’s no going back. We’re making the mozzarella in-house, we’re double-breading them, and they’re twice the size of a normal breadstick. It’s fun to see everyone doing the cheese pull. The gnudi pomodoro with little ricotta clouds is amazing too. I would drive out of state for them.
And then definitely I have been converted to tavern-style pizza thanks to chef Matt. There’s so much crunch and texture. If I had to pick one, I would choose vodka pizza with ‘nduja, and it’s our number one seller by far. I also would tell first timers to make another reservation, because you can’t try everything in one visit.
How would you describe the design and vibe of Dimmi Dimmi?
Siren Betty Design in Chicago really helped bring this restaurant to life. It has a modern feel, but you still feel like you’re taking a step back in time. Maybe it’s weird to talk about the bathrooms, but they’re so unique and beautiful. One has a tropical theme, and the other has red and white stripes. It’s kind of modern nostalgia, bringing together the past and present in a fun way.
What are the must-order drinks?
Everyone’s doing dirty martinis these days, and I love that ours adds a little spice. It has Calabrian chile, a little spicy tomato, and a stuffed olive. We also have a chocolate hazelnut liqueur espresso martini, and that you can have at the end of the night, the beginning of the night, or both! When the weather is nice, it’s spritz season on the patio. So the Dimmi Spritz, the traditional Aperol, or Hugo Spritz.
What happens between lunch and dinner?
Between 3 and 4 p.m., we call it our “Pizza Hour.” You can come in between lunch and dinner, sit at the bar or the patio, get a cocktail, and order pizza.
How has the restaurant grown since opening?
When we first opened, we thought if we could get two turns out of the dining room every night, we’d be very successful. But now we’re seeing three to four per table and you can blink on a Friday or Saturday, and it will already be full in the dining room at 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays also get pretty wild because we have lunch service and eventually we’ll probably be open for lunch more days down the road in a year or two.
We’ve been methodical in how we pull each lever and I think a lot of the success of Dimmi Dimmi has been because of how we opened with control. So first it was takeout, then we added lunch service, then we opened our patio.
Any last pointers for people to know?
I always say don’t be shy to pop in and test your luck. Things are always adjusting and changing and our hosts are really great. A gentleman stopped in last week and said, “Hey, long shot, I know. Is there any way I can maybe get a spot tonight?”And we were able to get him in. We don’t want to see a table sit empty, but we are always honest with people when it gets busy.
At the end of the day, seeing someone’s excitement when they finally get to sit down for the first time and then seeing that same smile at the end of their dinner is really special.
