Pelago Cafe, a family-run Italian spot from cousins Ruthie Amidei and Mada Ugolini Hitchmough, has quietly slipped into a storefront on Highwood’s Waukegan Avenue and started serving scratch-made pastas, panini, flatbread pizzas, espresso and a modest wine list. The counter-to-table café leans into daytime coffee rituals, then pivots to evening wine pairings and small plates, all from its perch at 325 Waukegan Ave in the middle of Highwood’s restaurant row.
Family roots and neighborhood fit
The cousins spent about a decade mapping out the cafe, drawing on family ties to neighboring towns in Emilia-Romagna and a shared wish to bring a more authentic Italian daily ritual to the North Shore. As reported by The Record, they transformed a former nail salon at 325 Waukegan into a warm, lived-in space they say should feel like guests are “walking into their house.”
Menu, hours and what to expect
According to the Pelago Cafe website, the menu revolves around espresso drinks, fresh panini, flatbreads, handmade pastas, biscotti and a small but curated wine list, plus grab-and-go items and retail Italian imports. The site lists hours as Wed through Sat from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sun from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a contact number at 847-926-7194, which points to a daytime-first operation with some early evening service. Separate pages for the café menu and the wine list let customers scout their order before they walk in.
TV spotlight and local notice
The cafe landed a TV moment on WGN this week, where Spotlight Chicago’s July 10 segment zeroed in on Pelago’s panini, flatbreads and Italian espresso. Regional media have started paying attention too. WTTW folded Pelago into its summer list of new Chicago-area restaurant openings, signaling that interest in the cafe already stretches beyond Highwood’s borders.
City welcome and small-business momentum
Highwood officials and the local Chamber publicly rolled out the welcome mat, folding Pelago into a run of new downtown businesses opening this spring. The City of Highwood listed the cafe among its recent arrivals, a sign of close-knit support for independent restaurants. The goodwill also fits a broader pattern, as Highland Park and nearby communities continue to see community-driven food projects pop up along Waukegan Avenue.
What it means for Highwood
Owners told local outlets they see Pelago as filling a neighborhood gap for quality sandwiches and late-night community meal options, including special offerings tied to event nights. Local coverage from The Record and Patch has tracked the cousins’ plans and the connection to family businesses such as Amidei Mercatino, which will supply some of the cafe’s ingredients. For residents, Pelago doubles as a convenient stop for quick lunches and a potential late-night, post-event option when Highwood’s concerts and festivals let out on Waukegan.
For menus, hours and full wine details, the Pelago Cafe site keeps everything updated, while the WGN segment offers a quick video walk-through of the space and its sandwiches.
