LINCOLN PARK \u2014 A corner restaurant on Armitage Avenue in Lincoln Park is starting a new chapter this summer with the opening of Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian, an Italian-American spot from Cornerstone Restaurant Group. The restaurant will open at 1112 W. Armitage Ave., formerly home to Tarantino\u2019s, a neighborhood favorite for 30 years that closed this year.<\/p>\n
Dimmi Dimmi marks a homecoming for chef Matt Eckfeld, who is returning to Chicago after more than a decade in New York\u2019s fine-dining scene. Dimmi Dimmi \u2014 Italian for \u201ctell me, tell me\u201d \u2014 reflects Eckfeld\u2019s desire to reconnect with his Midwestern roots and build something of his own.<\/p>\n
Eckfeld, a Michigan native, said his culinary journey began in Chicago, where he worked under chef Bill Kim at Urbanbelly while still in culinary school. He\u2019s since cooked in acclaimed kitchens across the United States and Europe, including Carbone in New York and Las Vegas, The Ledbury in London and Contessa in Boston. But it was a call from Kim that ultimately pulled Eckfeld back to Chicago. \u201cChef Bill has been my mentor for over 15 years,\u201d Eckfeld said. \u201cHe\u2019s a great person and someone I have a ton of respect for. In this industry, that kind of relationship is rare and important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chef Matt Eckfeld. Credit:<\/span> Provided\/Dimmi Dimmi<\/span> Most recently executive chef at ZZ\u2019s Club in New York, Eckfeld said the chance to shape a restaurant in a familiar neighborhood \u2014 and do it on his own terms \u2014 was something he couldn\u2019t pass up. \u201cI\u2019ve been an executive chef at a few places, but there were always a lot of rules,\u201d he said. \u201cWhich isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing when you\u2019re a younger chef. But I\u2019m ready to put my own spin on things.\u201d<\/p>\n Dimmi Dimmi will feature a rotating menu of handmade pastas, pizzas, focaccia and produce-driven dishes that highlight the rhythms of Midwestern seasons. The restaurant will seat about 80 guests, with an additional 60 on the patio during warmer months. Eckfeld hopes to open by August, just in time for peak tomato, melon and corn season. \u201cWe want this to feel like the best version of a neighborhood Italian spot,\u201d he said. \u201cSomewhere you recognize the dishes, but they taste even better than you remember.\u201d<\/p>\n Cornerstone Restaurant Group and its affiliate, Jump Higher L.L.C., oversee all Michael Jordan-brand restaurants. CEO Josh Zadikoff said Eckfeld\u2019s return to Chicago aligns with their mission of supporting emerging culinary talent. \u201cDimmi Dimmi captures the spirit of Chicago\u2019s vibrant corners \u2014 places where people connect, celebrate and feel at home,\u201d Zadikoff said in a statement. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to support Chef Matt\u2019s return to Chicago by providing a platform for his unique voice and vision.\u201d<\/p>\n Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian is set to bring a fresh take on Italian-American cuisine to Lincoln Park, with a focus on community, seasonal ingredients, and a welcoming atmosphere. Chef Matt Eckfeld’s return to Chicago is a homecoming that promises to excite both locals and visitors alike.<\/p>\n Introduction to Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian LINCOLN PARK \u2014 A corner restaurant on Armitage Avenue in Lincoln Park is starting a new chapter this summer with the opening of Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian, an Italian-American spot from Cornerstone Restaurant Group. The restaurant will open at 1112 W. Armitage Ave., formerly home to Tarantino\u2019s, a neighborhood […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21988","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dining"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DimmiDimmi_Exterior-1-scaled.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,1080&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21988"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21988"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21990,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21988\/revisions\/21990"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Menu and Ambiance<\/h2>\n
Supporting Local Talent and Community<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\n
\nA: Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian is located at 1112 W. Armitage Ave. in Lincoln Park, formerly the home of Tarantino\u2019s.<\/li>\n
\nA: The chef behind Dimmi Dimmi is Matt Eckfeld, a Michigan native with a background in fine dining in New York and Europe.<\/li>\n
\nA: Dimmi Dimmi will serve Italian-American cuisine with a focus on handmade pastas, pizzas, focaccia, and produce-driven dishes.<\/li>\n
\nA: Dimmi Dimmi is expected to open by August, in time for the peak of the Midwestern seasonal produce.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"