03 Dec 2013 Living Chicago Style 2 comments

Eataly Chicago: Eat Better. Live Better.

Last night I was formally introduced to Chicago’s Eataly at their Grand Opening in River North! After a long, highly anticipated wait, I could not wait to step foot in this “Whole Foods, meets Italy, meets food court, meets wine bar, meets brewery, meets things-I-don’t-even-know-about super market. As you may recall, I went to the original Eataly in NYC this summer. This one however really takes the cake!
The first few words that come to mind are gigantic, overwhelming and out of this world. Given all the write ups regarding Eataly, I don’t have much to say except get over there to experience it yourself. It is so large, with so many things happening I will need to go several times before I can truly wrap my arms around this place. So consider this the tip of the iceberg. 
I meet my husband and sister in law here after work and we headed straight upstairs to the Birreria (aka brewery) for a cheese platter and Italian craft beer.

The cheeses and salami were quite delicious. We loved our beer, which was an Italian IPA. The rest of my time was spent scoping out the different sections and getting a feel for the land.

{the wine section}
{cheese and meat deli}
{grab dinner to go at several food sections}
{Eataly is 2 stories}
{life is too short not to drink well}
{the shopping cart/basket}
{inside the Birreria – fabulous view outside too}
 If you look closely, you can see the ghost bar stools customers are sitting on. It is almost like they are floating.

Tip: if you get overwhelmed with all the people, we found the birreria/brewery significantly less crowded. It is tucked away upstairs in the very back, hidden from the main area.

{down the escalator}
{the chocolate bar – scoot over Fannie Mae!}

And the most talked about Nutella Bar!

This station consists of several vessels to transport Nutella into your belly. Think bread, hot crepes, cookies, cupcakes, etc. topped with a little hazelnut spread. Yum.

{coffee bar w/ Lavazza coffee}

{me and my SIL} 

I cannot wait to meet friends here for a glass of wine and cheese, pick up fresh pasta and produce to make dinner, grab coffee and a croissant on a lazy Sunday and just explore from top to bottom. A few things to note:

  • they have a mushroom section with all kinds of fungi
  • Baffo, their high end dining restaurant, is supposed to open in 10-15 days. Going to be a hot and difficult reservation.
  • parking is free the first  hour and $10 for an additional 2 hours (with proof of purchase)
  • they also sell European beauty products (toothpaste, shaving cream, lotion, etc.) which I think would make excellent stocking stuffers.
  • they will chop your meat and vegetables for free. Score!

If you are itching for more, this has been my favorite article yet for some inside scoop and specifics.

Did you make it over to Eataly yesterday? If so, what did you think?!

Ciao bella!