Restaurant Thursday: Osteria Via Stato

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Back in May, Neal's aunt & uncle were in Chicago for a few days for business. We were happy to meet them for dinner, and since they had never been to Chicago, we picked the restaurant. There weren't any near their hotel, so we all took a little walk - okay it was a mile away - to Osteria Via Stato. Neal & I had never been there before, but Italian seemed like a safe bet. Osteria is actually attached to the Embassy Suites. And normally, I wouldn't choose a hotel restaurant. However, I'm glad I didn't know it was right next to Embassy's lobby, because it was scrumptious.

Osteria is known for their 'Italian Dinner Party' where the table shares anitpasti and pasta, and everyone gets an entree. It's a set price and the first two courses are family style. While that option seemed tempting, we chose the ala carte menu.

Neal's uncle picked out a nice red that we all enjoyed. I had the seasonal greens with walnut vinaigrette and the warm, crusty bread. For my main course, the braised beef short rib ravioli. One of my top 10 meals of all time. The short rib filling was flavorful, tender and topped with a perfect sauce. I wanted to lick my plate.

The atmosphere was warm and homey. Our waitress was pleasant and knowledgeable. We could have a conversation easily without shouting or worrying that we were disturbing other patrons. In a word: divine.

I would definitely go back. In fact, the bride from last Sunday's wedding is coming to Chicago next week. We're going to grab dinner after work one evening. And I might just take her here. I've been dreaming about that ravioli ever since May.