Name: La Fontanella Restaurant, Heart of Italy
Age: 34
Address: 2414 S Oakley Ave
Type: Restaurant

This long-standing Italian restaurant was part of the hidden cluster of Italian restaurants in the Heart of Italy neighborhood on Chicago’s south side. The family-owned Italian restaurant attracted many regulars from the neighborhood and the region to dine and linger. The owner, Franco, imported the Italian custom of slow dining where a meal would take hours to ensure that the whole experience was THE event of the evening to guests. After working hard for many years, the owners decided to close following the start of the pandemic.