Openings

Chicago Joins Eataly Rumor Mill

Eataly, Mario Batali’s Italian food mega-market-slash-fancy food court, which actually started in Turin but is best known for drawing crowds to its New York flagship in the Flatiron District, has been rumored to be coming to lots of places— Philadelphia, Los Angeles, D.C. And now we can officially add Chicago to the list. Eater has a report today that co-owner Joe Bastianich was in town yesterday scouting locations (and apparently talking loud enough to be overheard at GT Fish & Oyster Bar), though no idea yet where he has in mind. This is exciting, as there’s certainly nothing like its size and scope here— though it also reminds us that we do have a good number of old school Italian markets around in corners of the city and the western suburbs, and it might be a good time to pay a visit to Riviera or Nottoli or Caputo’s before the behemoth lands here. [Eater]

Chicago Joins Eataly Rumor Mill