Put simply, Eataly Chicago is a foodie’s Mecca. It is a building the size of a two-story parking garage, but instead of being filled with Toyotas and Volkswagens this building is filled with pasta, pizza and cheese. If I haven’t enticed you enough, there is a Nutella bar, so keep on reading. An Eataly shopper could potentially live there for a month and never eat the same dish twice and afterwards, go to the market and buy another month’s supply of groceries to bring home. Now let’s test this theory.
- Photo by Susanna Tuan
8 am: Lavazza coffee shop opens bright and early in the morning on the first floor of Eataly Chicago. It offers both your classic espresso beverages as well as creative and delectable drinks that use a combination amaretto and mocha syrups.
9 am: When you want to grab breakfast, more commonly known as the way to get your daily dose of dessert before noon, head to Lavazza’s neighbor, the Nutella bar. It will not be surprising to hear that the indulgent hazelnut chocolate spread tastes even better on a freshly cooked crepe or baked croissant than on your toast with a banana.
- Photo by Susanna Tuan
12 pm: For a quick grab-and-go lunch, Il Panino places all of your favorite ingredients onto a fresh baguette and warms it on a Panini press.
Photo by Susanna Tuan
1-8 pm: If you are looking for a more leisurely lunch or dinner then head upstairs to the extensive assortment of restaurants throughout the second floor. There are 23 eateries in total, and yes, it is as overwhelming as it sounds to choose. Each restaurant is more or less themed differently with Le Verdure serving dishes inspired by seasonal vegetables, Il Pesce specializing in seafood and La Pizza & La Pasta offering Neapolitan pizzas cooked in ninety seconds.
- Photo by Susanna Tuan
Anytime: Eataly demonstrates their devotion to alcohol consumption with their endless shelves of wine bottles of over a thousand varieties of Italian vino for purchase. Also, the brewpub, La Birreria makes its own beers. For dessert, head to Lait Gelateria for soft serve gelato with flavors like hazelnut, sweet milk, pistachio, chocolate, coffee and sorbet.
At the end of your Eataly adventure, you can browse the shelves of the market and pick up any of the ingredients from their entrees. The shelves of chewy bread, dried pasta and fresh produce are insurmountably endless.
- Photo by Susanna Tuan
If you’re in Chicago or New York, head on over to Eataly for an exciting food journey. Check out the locations and hours at the Eataly website. Remember, you can’t drive to Italy, but you can drive to Eataly.
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