Zio's Place

Every once in a while, an Italian restaurant pops up in Pilsen, or a really good barbecue place makes its way to the Northwest Side, and for a brief period, the foodie universe gets thrown out of whack. But most of the time, it goes as it does with Zio’s: An unremarkable panini-and-sub shop opens in Bridgeport, and it may as well have always been there. Unless, of course, you actually live in the neighborhood, in which case it’s worth giving the restaurant a bit of notice. The meatballs smooshed between fluffy French bread were soft and juicy enough, even if the homogenous texture of the meat and sweetness of the marinara sauce made the whole thing taste pretty bland. (Adding hot or sweet peppers, 50 cents extra, helps a bit.) Same goes with the Italian Meat Lovers Panini—prosciutto, salami, capicola, pepperoni and provolone were all sliced to order, but none held a particularly distinctive flavor. And in this case, a little extra time in the panini press could have helped. The premade Zio’s Salad combined lettuce with black olives and sliced cucumber but was comprised almost entirely of crumbled feta, and dressings are pre-packaged. Still, the salad was a better pick from the cooler than the slice of dried-out carrot cake. All in all, there’s nothing here to throw the world off-kilter—just some big, messy sandwiches.

3129 S Morgan St (773-893-5592). Bus: 8, 62. Mon–Fri 10am–7pm; Sat 10am–5pm; closed Sun. Average sandwich: $6.

• More "Counter offers"
• More Restaurants & Bars articles