As an Italian-American and borderline wino (I mean, aficionado), I’ve had Eataly on my short list of must-visits for a few years. Earlier this month, my dream of plates piled with fresh pasta and cannolis the size of a boot came to fruition when my family and I made the easy journey to Eataly, 43 E. Ohio St.

Eataly is a chain of large Italian food halls located in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Dallas and, lucky for us, Chicago. The massive marketplaces house a variety of restaurants, food and beverage counters, retail items, bakery, brewery and a cooking school. Think Brady Street’s Glorioso’s on steroids.