Half-price Wednesdays and Etna on the list
West Loop · Chicago · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 14, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Mart Anthony's, the exposed brick and warm lighting do exactly what they're supposed to — make you feel like you're about to eat well. The wine list backs that up more than you'd expect from a neighborhood Italian spot on Hubbard. Italy and California are the twin engines here, and they've got enough range to reward a closer look.
The list leans into its Italian identity without being predictable about it. You've got Vietti Barolo and Gaja Barbaresco covering the Piedmont heavyweights, but the real signal is the Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso — that's a producer buying volcanic-site fruit on the slopes of Mount Etna, not a name you expect to see at a cozy West Loop trattoria. California shows up with Ridge Lytton Springs and Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot, two producers that actually mean something. La Spinetta rounds out the Italian side at a price point that feels approachable. Wine Spectator handed these guys an Award of Excellence starting in 2025, and you can see why — the list has genuine intent behind it.
By-the-glass specifics aren't published, which is a miss in transparency. Given the list composition, we'd expect the usual suspects — something from Tuscany, a California red, maybe a Pinot Grigio for the crowd. If they're rotating off-the-bottle wines as pours, that's worth asking the server about. Wednesday's half-price bottle program is the smarter play anyway.
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso 2021 — $68
Terre Nere is one of the benchmark producers in Sicily's volcanic north — nerello mascalese with real structure and freshness. At $68, you're getting a wine that retails around $30-35, which is a reasonable restaurant markup for something this interesting. Drink it with anything on the menu.
Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021
Most tables at an Italian restaurant are ordering the Barolo or the Chianti. The Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot at $52 is the sleeper — cool-climate California Pinot with enough acidity to work with the food without demanding attention. Most people walk right past it.
Opus One 2019
At $285, Opus One is always a trophy pour more than a value play. You're paying for the name — the wine is genuinely good, but you could drink Gaja Barbaresco and have money left over. Save it for someone else's expense account.
Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2020 + Short rib agnolotti
Vietti's Castiglione is a structured, classic Barolo — tannin, tar, roses, the whole playbook. Braised short rib filling in pasta has the richness and fat to stand up to it, and the acidity in the nebbiolo cuts right through. This is the pairing you came for.
Wednesday — Half-price bottles on Wednesdays — the best reason to eat Italian mid-week in the West Loop.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Mart Anthony's punches above its weight class for a neighborhood Italian — the Terre Nere on the list alone earns goodwill, and half-price bottles on Wednesday makes it a legitimate weekly move. Send a friend, order the agnolotti, and ask about what's open.
West Loop · Chicago · Californian
The Oakville Grill earns its Wine Spectator credential and the sommelier duo makes this list accessible, not intimidating. Wednesday half-price wine night alone is reason enough to get a reservation — just let go of the idea that anything other than California is on the agenda.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Lincoln Park · Chicago · American
John's is a neighborhood spot that punches well above its casual format — two sommeliers, a thoughtful France-and-California list, fair prices, and half-price bottles every Monday. Send your friends here, especially on a Monday.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
River North · Chicago · American, Seafood
Terrace 16 earns its Wine Spectator badge and delivers a respectable, California-and-France-focused list in one of Chicago's most dramatic dining rooms. Just don't expect to be surprised — the wine is as reliable as the skyline view, and nearly as expensive.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River North · Chicago · French, Indian
Indienne is the Wild Card in the truest sense — a fusion kitchen with a genuinely considered wine program that earns its Wine Spectator nod. Yes, send a friend here for wine, but make sure they skip the Napa Cab and lead with Riesling.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Loop · Chicago · Steak house
BLVD Steakhouse doesn't reinvent the steakhouse wine list, but it executes the formula competently — solid producers, proper storage, and enough range to keep a table of Cab loyalists happy all night. Just go in with your eyes open on the markups and skip the trophy-bottle trap.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Magnificent Mile · Chicago · American
Adorn is a reliable, well-staffed wine program in a high-overhead setting — you're paying for the view and the address, but the list itself is legitimate. Send a friend here who wants solid French and California bottles without doing homework first.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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