CHIReview
Included In
If it’s possible for a Chicago restaurant to have a genetic jackpot, then Alla Vita hit it. Its DNA includes a trendy neighborhood, successful restaurant group, and a gorgeous dining room that’s roughly the size of Terminal 2 at O’Hare. All of the above are building blocks to create a popular restaurant, but Alla Vita also has delicious food - and that’s what makes it a great one.
This West Loop spot is from the Boka team (who also brought us Girl & The Goat, Momotaro, and Cabra, to name a few) and is decorated with tons of hanging plants, string lights, and an overhead art installation that looks a little like wavy gills. This place is buzzing with staff, and busy with everyone from couples to large groups to solo diners sitting at the spacious bar. Every detail of Alla Vita is designed to make it a crowd-pleaser, which definitely extends to the food.
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
The menu isn’t going to blow your mind with ingenuity (it’s mainly pizza, pasta, and a handful of entrees), but everything on it is incredible. The dumplings are our reigning definition of the word “decadent″ - large gnocchi surround a soft ricotta center and are lightly covered in a cacio e pepe sauce that’s the pasta equivalent of a silk robe. There’s a juicy chicken parmesan that stays crunchy even while sitting in a fire-roasted tomato marinara, and is topped with enough fresh mozzarella to make us check if Lactaid is eligible under our flexible spending account.
Even the simplest-sounding dishes end up being must-orders. Like a margherita pizza with a chewy wood-fired crust, and lasagna layered with an intensely savory wild mushroom bolognese and pasta sheets that have crispy edges and a satisfying amount of caramelized cheese.
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
But how long is too long to wait for a reservation just to eat some chicken parm and pizza? Alla Vita’s popularity makes it incredibly busy, and it can be very hard to find a reservation. So your answer will determine whether it’s worth waiting two months to book a table, or if you should walk in and snag a seat at the first-come, first-served bar. We’ve always had fantastic service eating at the bar with just dumplings and wine to keep us company, so that’s where you’ll find us, talking about 23andMe with the bartender.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Wood-Fired Bread
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Frito Misto
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Pizza
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Ricotta Dumplings
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Vodka Rigatoni
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Mushroom Lasagna
photo credit: Kim Kovacik