Chicago Eataly Opening In November, According To Batali

Since restaurant Texas de Brazil lost its fight to stay in the North Bridge shops, there hasn't been a lot of word on the progress of the Chicago branch of Eataly, which was angling to move into the space. Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali's food mecca, which has seen huge success in New York, Italy, and Japan, had originally been aiming for a September opening before lease disputes with the Brazilian steakhouse threw some kinks into the plan.

It sounds as though things are underway once more, according to Batali. Prompted by a fan's question, the orange-shoed chef himself declared a mid-November opening for Eataly on Twitter. The website still cites a vague "autumn 2013," so the word isn't official. However, lovers of all things Italian can rest assured that there is no stopping Eataly's arrival onto the Chicago scene.

Covering a whopping 60,000 square feet, the Chicago Eataly has already tapped partners for their in-house beer garden, Birreria: Dogfish Head and from Italy, Birra Baladin and Birra del Borgo. Local producers will also play big parts in the curation of Eataly, providing a unique Chicago flavor to the Italian-focused super store.