Two Lights Seafood & Oyster

Gussies had a great vibe. The place was popping which I guess makes sense given it was a Friday night. Service was good and servers were friendly and helpful. The night started off hot with the table bread but really stopped there. Octopus was decent but nothing worth raving. Pasta was also just fine (pesto which is usually my favorite didn't really do it for me). So maybe stop by for a table bread + cocktail during happy hour but I'm not sure this is standout spot given Chicagos culinary prowess, especially in Italian food.

I've been meaning to review our experience for months. It was so delightful, I can remember it like it was yesterday. These days I'm just a happy patron of the Chicago restaurants owned/operated by David, Bruce, & the Addingtons. Years ago, I was their server. Their outlook on what good service looks like sets an incredibly high bar, and their staff consistently shows the same commitment to that mission. Always with a genuine smile on their faces. Worth noting: I brought my boyfriend, a gifted chef, with me on this trip to Chicago for his first time. We hit at least 10 different restaurants. Our evening at Gussie’s was, by far, his favorite meal, atmosphere—overall dining experience. For starters, the complimentary bread (as others have raved) is something that will live in our heads, rent free, for all eternity. From the antipasti section, we got the Meatballs and the Grilled Octopus. Meatballs were 10/10 for both taste and texture. There was discussion of ordering more but we responsibly held off. The octopus dish, one I've gotten to try before, was equally delicious; taste and texture were perfect and that side salad has the perfect “spicy-to-refreshingly crisp” ratio. For our main course, we each got pasta. I opted for the special, Mushroom Ravioli w/ Seared Scallops. It was brown-buttered, perfectly seared—just absolutely delightful from start to finish. My boyfriend went with the Carbonara, a classic he loves to make, and was very pleased. A man of few words, we could sum this up as “no notes”. On the other hand, he came home with plenty of inspiration for handmade Italian dishes and presentation. Consider me very lucky! We shared everything and could have stayed at Gussie’s all night—but we had a wedding to get to, and they seemed like they had a busy night of reservations underway. Rightfully so. We love Gussie’s!! Hope to see you all again soon!

Divided on this place but I’ll definitely come back. For starters the complementary bread is incredible. It’s a garlic bread with cream cheese. In fact it was so good we ordered a second serving. The meatballs we had were a rip off. They’re the tiniest 3 meatballs for like $10?! Not worth. The carbonara was also weird, not my favorite at all. Didn’t taste like other carbonaras I’ve had. The arrabiatta pasta we got was really good though.

Gussie's is fantastic! The bread with garlic & cream cheese is to die for. I had the evening special of scallops & wild mushroom ravioli (hopefully it's a permanent item on the menu now) was phenomenal! The lemon curd pie was a bit like key lime pie so not true lemon curd but still tasty. Cocktails are fabulous and the service is friendly & professional. Gussie’s is located across the street from Second City so perfect for dinner & a show. I've been twice and will definitely return!

The garlic cheese bread is the reason I will revisit this place. We ordered mussels for appetizer but there was sand in all of them. Thankfully the server apologized and took it off the check for us. I ordered the carbonara which was a little bland, I think it was too much water added. The tagliatelle was amazing though and I would definitely come back to try some other items on the menu. Wine selection and cocktails were classic and well picked. Loved the atmosphere as the windows were all slightly open letting in a nice natural breeze.