Stumbling into Italy?

Stumbling into Italy?

Writing about my travels abroad in my last post really made me miss Rome. And since I could not immediately get on a plane and fly there, I decided to search for a little piece of Rome in Chicago. So where can I find a place to relive my memories? Eataly of course! Eataly is located at 43 E. Ohio Street and is easily one of the best places to visit when in Chicago.

This place is as close to Italian authenticity as you can get. There are two floors to Eataly. On the first floor are all their deserts and sweet shops, including a full Nutella desert station AND a pasty station AND a gelato station. It is like desert Heaven! I myself opted for the gelato station since I absolutely adore gelato and wanted to see if the gelato was even remotely close to Italian gelato. I ordered a dark chocolate gelato (because that is the best flavor of them all) and was completely blown away. It was delicious and was the exact creaminess and flavor of Italys.

One the second level there are the restaurants and fresh produce sections. They have a restaurant that serves meat, one that serves fish, one for paninis, and one for pizzas and pastas. I decided on the pizza and pasta restaurant. I ordered the Capricciosa pizza which had fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, prosciutto (Italian ham), and artichokes. It was wonderful! It was made with super fresh ingredients and baked in the traditional Italian style with the edges burnt and the pizza so thin that you have to eat it with a fork. The pizza itself is perfect for two people, or you can just get one and take some home, because who would not want to relive the deliciousness?! The servers were extremely friendly and willing to answer any questions you may have on the menu. Finally, to round out my trip down memory lane, I checked out the fresh produce sections. They have freshly made cheese to buy, handmade pasta, fresh fish, and prime meat cuts. They also have a whole vegetable and fruit section. Not wanting to go home empty handed, I bought some blood oranges in this section. Needless to say, they were also spectacular in taste. No surprise there!

IMG_0042 (3)

Eataly is not only a restaurant and grocery store. They also offer cooking classes! You can learn how to make pastas, pizzas, and other such dishes from Italy. You can also hold private dining events there.

Eataly took me back to eating outside of a café on a cobblestone alley street in Rome. I already can’t wait to go back and taste more of Italy in Chicago!

Comments are closed.