Paparazzi

I remember hearing of the mysterious Paparazzi restaurant in Peoria Heights when I was in high school, but I never had figured out where it was. This was in the days before Google Maps and all of those great things.
A few years back, I would take walks down Harvard Ave. to Prospect (Harvard changes into Lake), and lo and behold, tucked next to some industrial buildings, there was Paparazzi.
My friends and I booked our Christmas dinner there a few years ago, and I finally got to check the place out.
Dining there, you almost feel like you are in a basement or something, albeit a great basement. The cement block walls are painted in thick bands of green, white and red in honor of the Italian flag colors. Black and white photos grace the walls.
The service is always wonderful when I visit Paparazzi, the last time being Saturday night. I had my usual dish I settled on after my first couple of visits, the stuffed filet of sole. The sole is stuffed with spinach and cheese, then broiled to perfection. It's served accompanied by a tomato half stuffed with ricotta cheese and herbs, which I use to dip my fish in.
The house wine prices are great here, about $3 for a glass and $14 for a bottle, and they serve it in the stubby European glasses, which I think is a cool touch. Buca di Beppo (gasp...a chain!) does this as well, and we love it there. We love it so much, in fact, we're having our wedding dinner there in July, after our Big Fun Wisconsin Wedding.
Back to Paparazzi...StfRon has also settled on his favorite dish there, the lasagna. It isn't as meaty as some, so, based on a great recommendation from our waitress one time, he orders it with a side of meatballs. Perfection, says he.
And last, the icing on the cake...Paparazzi's desserts. They are Divine, with a capital D. They have a gelato of the day, cannoli, rum cake, and the be all to end all chocolate mousse, if you ask me. This mousse is FANTASTIC! It tastes to me like it has the cannoli filling mixed in with the chocolatey goodness. It isn't as whipped as some, but the flavor is excellent. We like it topped with the raspberry sauce, and we're in heaven. Several times I've had to hold myself back from licking the glass they serve it in!
Paparazzi features live music some nights, and the prices can be reasonable for dinner. Keep in mind that salads, soup and I think even bread, cost extra.
We have been turned away before due to not having reservations, so if you plan to check it out, you might want to call ahead.