If there is one place in Chicago that you are sure to find me, it’s Eataly. Located dangerously close to me, Eataly Chicago is a two story market with six restaurants, featuring all of the favorites of Italian Cuisine. From wine and grappa, to freshly made mozzarella, Eataly is your one stop shop for all things delicious.
Here is A Guide to Eataly written by yours truly:
Where to Start? Start where all good things start…. at the wine counter. There are actually numerous places you can purchase a glass of wine to sip during your tour of Eataly. My personal favorite is in the vino section. They have a designated counter, which features 8-12 wines every day.
Cheese and Meat Counter: “Sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am I to diss a brie..” This is the most visited counter for my husband and I. They do have pre-packaged meats and cheeses available for purchase, but we swear by making a visit to the counter. We can always tell them what we are in the mood for, and boom, 10 seconds later they are showering us in samples. Personal Favorite: Soppresata Piccante and the Wisconsin “Brie”
Fresh Pasta Counter: If you are my husband, please stop reading now. Seriously, stop. I visit this counter entirely too often. It’s the perfect quick dinner stop for one. They usually have 15+ pastas to choose from (freshly made that day) and they take 3-5 minutes to boil. Freshly made pasta sauce or pesto is the perfect accompaniment. Finally, I prefer to pick a mixture of olives instead of the prepackaged options, but trust me, they are just as good. Personal Favorite: Proscuitto Ravioli. Need. It. Now.
Meat/Seafood Counter: Picture the kid in the candy store who has their face pressed against the candy counter, that’s me here. You cannot go wrong with anything purchased at these counters. Personal Favorites: The Scallops and the Dry Aged Rib-eye
Bakery: The baguettes are only $3, so you always need to grab one on the go. Perfect to pair with the meat and cheese (and my secret sauce below). They also offer numerous types of Foccacia and specialty loaves of bread. Personal Favorite: Loaf of Bread with Olives.
My Secret Sauce: This is the holy grail of Eataly. Somehow we stumbled upon this during one of our first visits and have never turned back. Extra Red Onion Preserve. I cannot even explain it, but if you have ever been a guests of ours, you’ve probably had it. And agree. I spread this on pretty much anything I purchase: cheese (pecorino), meats, breads, the list goes on.
Restaurant Overload: Like I mentioned, there are 6 different restaurants located within Eataly. The restaurants are pretty easy to maneuver and each is named after the items they serve. OF COURSE, the pizza/pasta restaurant is my favorite. They serve their pasta al dente and their pizzas are TO DIE FOR (and can also be ordered for Pick Up).
My Favorite Casual Luxury: Pop up restaurants and events. About two months ago, my husband and I went to a pop-up truffle restaurant, where you paid for truffle by the ounce. AH-MAZING. And this weekend, we will be attending an event on Friday night at Eataly. More to come on that.
Next time you are in town, be sure to let me know AND let’s grab a bit to eat (and a drink to drink) at Eataly.
Totally creeping and binge-reading all of your posts – LOVE your blog! I have lived in Chicago for a year and keep hearing about Eataly but wasn’t really sure exactly what it was… so this was super helpful! My boyfriend and I also love cheese (we are from WI) so we will definitely be stopping by that cheese counter soon! Thanks for this guide! <3
Ahhh, so great to hear Hope! I am hoping to have my “Chicago Favorite” guide out soon, so you will have to keep an eye out for that. I hope you keep following along!