Chicago Eats: Part 1

I’m sure you already know this, but Chicago has some of the coolest restaurants possible. You can always find a neat place to go to for brunch, lunch, dinner, or even a sweet desert—you name it! That being said, there is always a new place to explore, and a new place to try in Chicago (It’s one of the best parts of going to school here.)

This past weekend, a couple of friends and I decided to go to dinner to celebrate my birthday. We decided that we didn’t want to go to the cliché, Cheese Cake Factory or anything too fancy, so we decide on a casual Italian restaurant –Bar Toma.

 

 

Bar Toma is a small restaurant that is literally a block away from Loyola’s Water Tower campus. On the menu, you can find tons of pasta, pizza, antipasti, and deserts.

While it is so close to campus, the ironic part of this trip was that six of the seven of us had never actually been to Bar Toma before!  That being said, the menu was an interesting adventure, as lots of the dish and pizza names were in Italian (and well, none of us actually speak Italian). But it was all good and fine, since our waitress was super nice and helped us out. What we decided on getting were 3 pizzas, and I’ve got to say it was all so very delicious. From what I had heard about Bar Toma before my visit was that it was known for its authentic Italian pizza, and it definitely did not disappoint. Though, the actual best part of this visit was the gelato. (If you’re like me, and can never get enough of dessert- you will love all the sweets and goodies that Chicago has to offer.)

Overall, I would say that Bar Toma can get expensive, but if you’re going with your family or a group of friends, it is the perfect weekend dinner. And even if you can’t get over there for a meal, I definitely recommend gelato J, you won’t regret it.

This experience reminded me how I sometimes forget that the best part about going to school in Chicago is that we have all of these wonderful restaurants, neighborhoods, and diverse people near us.  Many times, I find myself stuck in my normal routine, and experiences like this remind me how much fun trying and exploring new things can be.

 

So, if you’re heading to Chicago in a few months, this is one restaurant recommendation I have for you! Stay tuned to get some more recommendations in the coming months.