New restaurant Tre Dita swoops into the city of Chicago, making a home on the second floor of the decadent St Regis hotel. Built on tradition and glamour, the interior boasts an open-hearth, wood-fired grill, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Tre Dita in St Regis Hotel
As you are guided to your table, you journey through an arched walkway, which passes a temperature- and humidity-controlled ‘pasta lab’, where chefs can be seen hand-making pasta for the evening ahead.
The interior design of the space was created by David Collins Studio (also behind the recent Fontainebleau Las Vegas). The studio used an organic colour scheme that includes earthy tones of terracotta, sienna, and maroon, alongside white and grey marble. The entrance features arched detailing and columns that nod to Italian architecture. The use of dark-stained, chequered flooring, timber panelling, and wrought-iron lighting adds a casual flair while also evoking the sophisticated yet relaxed dining style of southern Europe.
The surrounding upholstery features deep blue leather and forest green, complementing the linen curtains at the floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a stunning view of the city. Overall, the studio has successfully blended modern dining with traditional elements, creating what feels like a hidden culinary gem that could be tucked away on an Italian street.
Tre Dita is a collaboration between chef and partner Evan Funke, his first Chicago restaurant, and Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. ‘When you visit a restaurant in Florence, Lucca or Livorno, you meet a constant in themes and traditions – handmade pasta, wood-fired cooking, and bistecca. Tre Dita is a place where those traditions can live in full illustration,’ says Funke.
To stay true to this ethos, Tre Dita gathers an array of culinary inspiration from many areas within Tuscany, including Pontremoli, Pienza and Chiusi. The menu offers an assortment of antipasti, Tuscan pastas and insalati. Highlights include Funke’s signature Schiacciata Bianca, a house-made rosemary and sea salt focaccia Toscana; Fiori di Zucca, which is squash blossom with ricotta and Parmigiano; and Gamberi in Salsa Verde, fresh prawns doused in Italian Salsa verde. Pasta includes Tagliatelle al Ragù and Tortelli di Zucca.
Tre Dita is Italian for ‘three fingers’, a traditional measure to achieve the precise thickness of Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the restaurant’s namesake and speciality.
