This past weekend, we were in Chicago and finally able to cross another item off the good ol bucket list, #105 Visit a Nutelleria. As foodies who also love sweets, things like Nutella or cookie butter will ALWAYS be at the top of the list as something so simple yet worth going out of our way. I discovered the concept of Nutellerias while exploring Tumblr, essentially it's a cafe dedicated to all things Nutella - the famous chocolate hazelnut spread. The Nutella Cafe, as it's called in Chicago, is the only location in the United States.
When we arrived, there was a small line of 4 or 5 people ahead of us. We had to wait outside, as the inside was full and entry was organized by a cafe employee. They had it pretty organized and we trusted the process. As always, there were people who tried negotiating with the employees or giving them a hard time. We've both worked in the food industry and it really bothers us when people try to pressure employees into letting them skip everyone who's been kindly waiting. Luckily, the employees stood their ground (good for them) and politely reiterated the protocol. It was cold but the sun was out and it wasn't too bad. Drew and I perused the menu as we waited so that once we got inside, we knew what we wanted to order. After maybe 10 minutes, we were able to go inside.
The inside was decorated for the holidays. They even had cute little Nutella jars as ornamental decorations hanging from the ceiling. There was also Nutella merchandise for sale such as mugs, tumblers and other gifts. You can also get your own personalized Nutella jar with your name printed on the label in place of the logo. A customized Nutella would make a great gift idea for the Nutella enthusiast in your life! Or for yourself, no judgment there. We ordered, they gave us a table number and we sat down at a high top table for two.
The wait for our food was about 10-15 minutes also. The service was great but be prepared to be pretty close to other tables as far as spacing. Very Euro, I'd imagine. What we ordered:
- The Panzanella
- Liege Waffle with Strawberries, Blueberries, Nutella drizzle, and Whipped Cream
- Nutella Mocha Latte
- Espresso Gourmet
- (2) Nutella Croissants
The Panzanella is one of their signature items. It's basically a Greek yogurt parfait with berries such as blackberries and raspberries, diced pound cake pieces, Nutella drizzle and hazelnut pieces. I'd never think to add Nutella or even pound cake to a parfait but it worked really well. The Greek yogurt added a sort of tangy flavor, while the berries added a tartness. The Nutella and pound cake basically mocked you for being healthy with a sugary sweetness to balance it all out, while the hazelnut pieces gave it that necessary crunchy texture that you need in an otherwise softer dish.
The Liege Waffle had all of the flavor, however I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't a true Liege waffle in that it lacked the caramelized sugar crystals that an authentic one would have. It was also very floppy and undercooked.
The Nutella Mocha Latte was something I expected to be the most basic of them all but it was the highlight for me. It was done well with lots of hazelnut and Nutella flavor, it was hot and the coffee flavor still came through so it wasn't too sugary.
The Espresso Gourmet was a classic espresso but with a spoonful of Nutella added for you to stir in, topped with whipped cream, Nutella drizzle, hazelnut pieces and came with a Nutella biscuit. Very sweet but fantastic.
Lastly, the (2) Nutella Croissants we actually planned on taking home as a souvenir. As if we didn't already have enough Nutella 😂.
Overall, we overloaded ourselves with Nutella flavored things but we had a great time doing it. Everything was beautifully presented and the cafe is really cute. I probably wouldn't ever go back but it's definitely one of those places you have to go to once in your life, especially if you're a foodie and especially if you love Nutella.
Nutella Cafe
189 Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601
Would you visit? What foodie places are on your bucket list?
Happy Holidays!
-Vick
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