Gioia Ristorante E Pastificio

Gioia is a busy, loud, upscale Italian restaurant in the West Loop with decent handmade pastas, like bucatini cacio e pepe, pici with ragu, and paccheri mancini prepared tableside. It's large without feeling cavernous, decorated in soothing neutral colors, and the service is reasonably attentive without being obtrusive. Plus, there’s a large bar area that’s great for hanging out after dinner. It's not the best Italian spot in the city, but works if you need a kind-of-fancy last-minute option in the neighborhood.