Eataly Chicago

Eataly is massive.  It’s two floors in the middle of downtown Chicago of just about everything Italian food you can think of.

Coffee, gelato, a Nutella bar, Cheese, bread, wine, seafood, cured meats, Italian liquors…it’s all here.  It’s like Disney World for Italian food which is both a good and bad thing.

We stopped in for Gelato one afternoon and had an excellent pistachio gelato and a good watermelon sorbet.  after that we strolled around a bit (go slow, it’s crowded) and had an espresso.

Want to buy some nice stemware, go for it.  Fresh mozzarella, it’s there.  Want a cookbook, as long as Mario is on the front you’re set there are a ton to pick from (we don’t talk about Mario anymore as he’s a bastard.)  There is a ton of selection but it feels very “clean”

We did go back Friday evening before dinner for some wine and snacks…service was great – we stood at one of the bars and had a nice rose bubbly and some cheese and bread.  Very good to say the least.  I’d still prefer a place like La Prima for my coffee but in a pinch, Eataly will do just fine.