We entered the familiar doors not to be greeted by a French flag, but instead by a newly furbished espresso bar with expensive DeLonghi machinery that gleamed in the sunlight. Italian pastries lined the shelves and freshly made gelato was churning in plain sight. To the right, the hostess, standing in front of piles of neatly organized pizza boxes, warmly welcomed us to "Bar Toma." She led us to the main dining room away from the more casual cafe section and sat us in big comfortable red booths with gigantic white-half circles for lights towering over us. The vibe had changed drastically despite my familiarity with the layout of the restaurant. This was no ordinary Italian restaurant; I knew it before I even glanced down at the menu.
The polite and enthusiastic young man who served our table was very well-informed of the simple yet complex menu. As I scanned the different categories of food before me, I could feel my eyes widen in excitement, and as a result, I felt sheer panic. Not only did the overwhelmingly long list of pizzas look especially appetizing, but every other item looked so unique and tasty. From the appetizers to the salads to the "jars" (I won't be revealing all the surprises on this posting!!) to the mozzarella bar to the roman style fritti to the rosticinni to the....agh! You get the point. Now you can understand my anxiety. I immediately wanted my afternoon snack to be transformed into a full-blown meal. As I glazed over the menu, the server it seemed knew my dilemma. He explained that Bar Toma was in fact an Italian tapas-style restaurant--just as I thought this place could not get even more cool!! Each plate is presented in smaller proportions so you and the rest of your gathered company can share and taste more of the available menu items. Because my mom and I were only there for an afternoon snack (sigh), we (...she) decided that we should just order one of the pizzas and an appetizer. After much deliberation we decided on the orange-stuffed olives marinated in an assortment of herbs for the appetizer and the "Dottore" pizza which consisted of La Quencia prosciutto, arugula, and mozzarella. Yes, it may seem like a genuinely simple pizza but I can guarantee it was one of the best home-made pizzas I have ever devoured. The mozzarella was so moist and fresh that the pizza did not even need sauce; at first I questioned this characteristic but as soon as I chomped down on my first slice, I knew it was the perfect culinary decision. The chef must be a genius.
(Sorry I did not capture any pictures of my appetizer or entree-- they were immediately consumed...but the presentation and food itself was phenomenal, you can trust me on that!)
When I found who the executive chef/owner of Bar Toma was, these words literally came out of my mouth: "You have got to be kidding me." So here's the scoop: My all time favorite up-scale italian restaurant in Chicago is Spiaggia. Located on the northernmost point of Michigan Ave., it not only reveals Chicago's prime Oak Street Beach, but also attracts numerous of famous guests including the Obama family. Alongside his restaurant, executive chef Tony Mantuano is quite famous himself in the restaurant industry. Don't believe me? Check it out! Being that I myself want to open an italian restaurant in Chicago, you can see why I idolize Mantuano so much. He even has a Spiaggia cookbook with all his masterpieces included! If you're looking for a great italian cookbook, investing in Mantuano's book would be a colossal first step. Look under my page "Cookbooks to Buy" for more information.
Needless to say, Congratulations Chef Mantuano for successfully opening yet another restaurant (italian tapas, I might add) in the city of Chicago!
Buon Appetito!
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| nutells pizzelle for dessert! |
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| i dolci! |
