Pal Joey's Italian Restaurant, West Chicago, West Chicago

Since 1973, the cooks at Pal Joey’s have been creating oven-kissed pan pizzas that have the attention of the Chicago Tribune, whose food critics proclaimed them as some of “the best in the Chicago area.” But beyond bringing Chicago-style pies to golden brown fruition, the cooks also craft a lineup of homemade Italian staples ranging from pasta ravioli soup to eggplant parmigiana served with marinara. No matter what winds up on the dinner plate, though, they're happy to conclude meals on an appropriately sweet—or dolce—note with a dessert pulled right from the Italian playbook, such as tiramisu or a chocolate chip cannoli.