Growing up in Rockford and being of Italian descent, my family spent a lot of time at Lino's. Still one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.
I hadn't been to Lino's since I left Illinois 15 years ago. I thought maybe it wouldn't be as magical (can a restaurant be magical?) but it was still there - that excitement of just being there.
Why? The decorations and themed rooms are so cool. Bits of Italy are everywhere. The Leaning Tower Room has a fountain in the foyer with a big round table and a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Village Room has walls painted of Lake Como and the Colosseum. The best children's party I went to was there and we sat in a whale-sized booth that was enclosed to look like a castle complete with windows and a tower.
The prices are cheap, the food is not. All entrees come with bread, salad, coffee AND dessert (I think the prices are from when I was a kid too - $8 for everything? wow.). There's all the Italian classics: spaghetti, mostaccioli, ravioli, gnocchi, manicotti, lasagna... Then there's: veal cutlet, New York strip, sirloin, salmon, meatball sandwiches, various pizzas... The charming thing is the included dessert - ice cream, sherbet or spumoni. Always spumoni.
Hands down the most popular place in town - make sure to make a reservation. Turning up sometimes will get you nowhere.
Hasn't changed a bit since I was a kid, I just appreciate it more.
Directions: get on State Street. And it's 2 miles west of Interstate 90/Bussiness US20/State Street exit.