On the table: Mantuano at The Modern Wing

Given that Italian architect Renzo Piano is behind the $200 million Modern Wing addition to the Art Institute, it would make sense to get some pasta in the place. Famed Spiaggia toque Tony Mantuano aims to do just that when the mega-project is unveiled in May 2009. Mantuano and the Art Institute just inked a deal for the Italophile chef to run the new wing's third-floor restaurant (tentatively dubbed Mantuano at the Modern Wing), which will be connected to Millennium Park by a Piano-designed pedestrian bridge that hovers over Monroe.

An outdoor terrace promises stunning views, but I'm more interested in what's on the plate: Mantuano will run the place independently of Spiaggia (where he'll still serve as chef/partner) and will implement a hyper-green platform, from organic/sustainable ingredients to eco-friendly dinnerware. The lunch-only menu will feature dishes like Ligurian-style focaccia stuffed with three-milk robiola cheese; crispy boneless chicken thigh with arugula, roasted tomatoes and sesame semolina bread; and crescenza cheese–filled ravioletti with black truffles and trumpet royale mushrooms. Hopefully people remember to look at the art on the walls.

Image: Nadine Nakanishi