Gemelli Trattoria

Just like mom's house. Not once did I get the feeling that I was just a customer. Everyone at that place treated me with such respect, patience, and courtesy without rushing me at all. Customer service gets an A+! Food... oh lord, the food. My mouth is watering just thinking about their mussels, salmon, mozzarella/avocado pasta, and their cannoli dessert. This is hands down the best Italian restaurant I've been to, service-wise and food-wise. more

Being Sicilian I love the authentic dishes as well as the innovative dishes. The service is excellent. The waiters are very knowledgable about the dishes. Believe me when I tell you, my daughter, who is a chef, drills them for information. If she's home and we mention we're going to Gemelli's, she is quick to grab her coat. The portions are large. The appitizers are generous. But leave room for desert. They have a fried tortollini with nutteral filing, served with hazelnut gelato and drizzled chocolate sauce that is wonderful. Get there early to beat the commuter crowd. But if the waiting list is long, if you have a cell phone they suggest you go across the street to have a drink, and they will call you when your table is ready. Pros: Excellant food and service Cons: limited seating more

I have had dinner here many times. The food is always great. The wait staff is very helpful. Try one of the nightly specials to have some unique Italian dinners. I have no complaints except that it is so popular you may have to wait for awhile Pros: love the rigatoni more

Trattoria Gemelli is hands down the BEST Italian restaurant I have ever had the pleasure of eating at. The chef is a true innovator and comes up with delicious and unique specials on a daily basis. The wait staff is knowledgable, courteous and professional and enhances the delicious Gemelli experience. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a fabulous Italian dinner at a very reasonable price. Gemelli is a true "gem" in the western suburbs. Pros: Everything - the food, the wine, the staff, the decor Cons: The calories!!! more

The food is okay, service is mediocre. The staff is uninformed about presenting the winelist, however. We asked for the house Merlot and were not informed that there is only one Merlot, and it's $12 a glass! Had we known, we would have perused the wine list. We spoke with the owner, who told us that it was our own responsibility to look at the list and that his servers did not have to inform customers that there is no house wine. His demeanor was offensive and condescending. We definitely do not recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to be treated as a valued customer. Pros: food is okay Cons: Condescending and offensive owners more

Gemelli is dynamite. It has a really great atmosphere, which is intimate yet energetic at the same time. The food excells in consistency and creativity. Every single pasta dish is fantastic. The owner is a great guy who will always treat you like a VIP. The restaurant is in a perfect location, in downtown Brookfield, with the Metra station and three other bars across the street. Considering all of this, the prices are really reasonable. You will be eating "City" food for half the price. In fact, the food here is much better than most neighborhood restaurants. Is that enough? You really cannot say anything negative about the place. All food snobs will love this place. I guarantee it! Cons: No reservations. But call ahead to get on the seating list. more

My husband took me there for our 10th year anniversary and at first I was reluctant to go because it was in Brookfield, a good 15 miles away from where we live. That feeling went away the second we walked into the restaurant. The owner actually greeted us and offered us a seat by the window, and the restaurant was full. I was amazed at how he actually took the time to make us feel welcome. We are not VIP's or anything, just oridinary people from Lakeview. The place is also finely decorated with warm-colored walls and curtains over exposed brick. It has an Italian loft-like feeling. I felt right at home. Not only was the waitress friendly, but the food was unbelievably delicious. My husband ordered pizza and I ordered gnocchi. I nearly fainted after I had a piece of my husband's pizza: it was NOTHING like any other pizza I've ever had. I later learned it's what pizza tastes like in Sicily, the island the restaurant's menu is based off. They use homemade dough and a real brick oven to make their pizza. I'm confident to say that they have the best pizza I've ever had, and I'm an avid pizza eater! Their gnocchi was marvelous, as well. It was perfectly made, and it tasted really fresh, too. For dessert, we ordered cannoli cream in a parafait with some crispy cookies (I don't know what they're really called), and, like the pizza and gnocchi, it was fresh as ever. I am DEFINITELY going back there again, even if it takes sitting in Friday night traffic for 30 minutes! It's highly recommended. If you want some authentic Italian food, GO THERE. more