Local La Bella Vita

I feel so blessed to live in such a large city, especially because Chicago has a large Italian American population.  There are enough restaurants, festivals, and other activities to partake in when I am just wishing I could visit the boot.

As it is unseasonably warm in the city, one of my sorority sisters and I walked around downtown last night, went to some stores, and checked out the city's holiday decorations.  After awhile, we were parched and looking for a snack so we went to Bar Toma, a modern Italian restaurant.  Although it is not your typical Italian restaurant with pasta plates and cannoli, the atmosphere is typical of the country.  The menu is based in small plates so groups can share easily - similar to a tapas restaurant!

Stratcciatella and Vanilla gelato at Bar Toma!! 

The best part of Bar Toma is that when you feel as if you are in an Italian cafe the second you walk in. With an espresso bar, gelato year round, and various pizzas and appetizers, Bar Toma is a slice of contemporary Italy in downtown Chicago.  Many may long for checked red table cloths and heaping plates of pasta, but Bar Toma provides Chicagoans and tourists with a snapshot of modern Italy.

As someone who went abroad with a romanticized image of the country dancing in her head, I grew to love the Italy I lived in for six and a half weeks. Bar Toma reminds me of Rome.