Restaurants in Hazel Crest

Founder Eleanor Corso named Angie’s Restaurant and Pizzeria after her late husband Angelo “Angie” Corso, a bartender who dreamed of serving up steaming Chicago-style pizzas instead of beers and shots. Still staffed by Eleanor and Angelo’s children 25 years later, the eatery swathes today’s patrons in a comfortable neighborhood feel, as well as the scent of freshly grated parmesan cheese and sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes. Red booths seat families and local regulars inside the brick-walled dining room as waiters pile checkered tablecloths with pizza, oven-baked subs, and classic Italian entrees, or turn cartwheels down the aisles to see if they can touch hanging lamps with their feet.

Wild Abandon's daily offerings present a cornucopia of new American eats that stick to one's ribs with the gumption of a grizzled gold prospector. The dinner menu features American cuisine with French and Italian influences and a Northwestern flair. Get started with clams steamed in a white-wine garlic-butter sauce ($14 per lb.) before digging tridents into cioppino stew, loaded with fish, shellfish, shrimp, and scallops ($21). Crème brûlée ($5) or the house-made ice-cream and fresh-fruit sorbet ($4.50) give the gastronome in every diner a flavor-filled nightcap.

Al Basha corrals an eye-catching lineup of Mediterranean platters onto its menu and buffet tables, spicing palates with rotisserie-cooked meats adorned with signature seasoning. Kebab spears can lift bites of shrimp, lamb, and filet mignon into mouths or tuck them under fedora brims for later snacking, while sandwiches carry a classic cargo of falafel and shawarma. The staff prepares piping sips of authentic Middle Eastern tea with mint or sage, as well as all-natural smoothies and a daily-dessert selection.

Bertucci’s Restaurant & Lounge evokes a wilderness retreat with log-cabin-style walls, hardwood floors, and a central fireplace on a bed of stone. Exposed rafters teem with greenery and the rising steam of chicken and veal in authentic Italian preparations, in dynamic sauces such as lemon wine and marsala. The open space mingles cozy ambiance with more than enough space for catered banquets that serve up to 100 people. Seafood fillets such as salmon and halibut insulate pasta draped with garlic, olive oil, and marinara. Patrons can venture outside to sip wine or an espresso drink amid the sprawling verandas of Bertucci’s open-air patio, where a fountain stands in a pool of water and falcons swoop down to snag unattended cannoli.

Mark's On 66 straddles the border of two distinct culinary philosophies, sating rumbling stomachs with a menu of timeless Tex-Mex standards while entertaining eyes and ears with sports-bar-style dartboards, TVs, and games. Overstuffed burritos and steamy fajitas intermingle with American-inspired burgers molded from quality beef and steak. Complimentary WiFi and matches on the in-house Wii add to an ambiance often tinged with upbeat notes and perfectly in-pitch meal orders sung by live musicians.

An Italian native, Tonino's owner has shown the casual eatery’s chefs the ins and outs of Italian cuisine for more than 30 years. Panzerotto—the house specialty—is a baked or deep-fried pizza turnover headlining the menu, which also includes thin- and thick-crust pizzas that cradle sauce forged from fresh garlic, olive oil, and basil. Noodles such as orecchiette and ravioli anchor pasta dinners, and fillings such as Italian sausage and chicken parmigiana nestle inside sandwiches. A flurry of seasonings crash-land onto grilled calamari, which diners can wash down with beer and cocktails from the full bar.