Chicago Hot Spot Tre Dita Is a Spectacular Ode to Tuscan Cuisine

David Collins Studio designed the new Tuscan restaurant Tre Dita. Photo: ERIC WOLFINGER

Fiercely protective and understandably proud of its manifold culinary delights, the sun-splashed Italian region of Tuscany launched an initiative called Vetrina Toscana to promote authentic fare around the world. The group has now designated its first certified Tuscan restaurant in the U.S.: Tre Dita, which just debuted at the towering St. Regis Chicago, designed by Studio Gang. Among the tempting menu items by chef Evan Funke are wood-fired bistecca alla Fiorentina and more than 700 wines, many of which are from small Tuscan producers.

The soaring space, meanwhile, was crafted by David Collins Studio with nods to its Italian roots with a medley of imported marbles. Adding to the atmosphere is a striking arrival lobby that leads to a “gastronomic tunnel,” where guests walk past a glass-enclosed pasta lab with chefs at work in order to reach the dining room.

“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,” says Funke. “Tre Dita is a place where those traditions can live in full illustration.”