I had the pleasure of dining at Casati's in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. This spacious spot is hard to miss on the corner of Fullerton and Clark, yet when you walk inside, it feels intimate. The vibes are elegant but unpretentious and can be considered a great spot for a date night, girls night out or dining with a group. I met fellow vegan foodie, Alyssa (@AlohaAlyssaGail on Instagram/TikTok), for a comped meal to try out some of their vegan menu items.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting the tantalizing culinary experience I had. I only say this because so many Italian places only offer pasta with veggies and sauce as their vegan option, but this vegan menu was ROBUST, honey! I could tell, they took time developing this menu and kudos to whoever the chef is, because they did their thing!
After speaking with Melanie (owned by husband and wife team, Melanie & Stefano Casati), I learned that Casati's has been around since 2018 and one of the first Italian restaurants in Chicago to offer vegan and gluten free menu items.
We started off with the Vegan Giuiaca, a cripsy artichoke dish with herbs and a bomb tomato sauce. The texture was so good, with the perfect amount of crunch. We also tried the Quinoa Bowl and OMG, this was so flavorful. Both appetizers were plated immaculately. A treat for the eyes and the taste-buds!
Next, came the drinks and some more eats! I had a Mela Mia mocktail that was so pretty and so yummy! The Prataiola Pinsa aka pizza and the Saffron Risotto Cake came out and my eyes got big again. Now y'all KNOW I love pizza with all my heart, so I asked our awesome server, Dennis, which one he suggested and he didn't hesitate in saying The Prataiola. I loved it.
The crust was everything--crunchy but not dry and the toppings were tantalizing. Now I had no idea what to expect with the Saffron Risotto Cake but OH MY. It was a mix of savory with a tiny hint of sweet. The outer texture was slightly crispy and the inside was like super moist cornbread. Basically it too, was tantalizing! Casati’s boasts the “healthiest pizza in Chicago” being the first to feature “Pinsa” dough that is 90% less fat, carbs, and gluten than traditional pizza!
We finished up our dining experience with the vegan Chocolate Cake and this even caught me by surprise! I was expecting a slice of chocolate cake, right? Nope. It was a whole plated piece of art with the chocolate mouse-like cake nestled in between fresh blueberries and a citrusy, lightly sweet sweet raspberry sorbet. When I tell y'all, this dessert knocked our socks off...I am not lying. All of these flavors together were such a tantalizing treat!
So basically, if you haven't realized it already, you need to check out Casati's vegan menu. Check out my video of our experience on my TikTok and/or Instagram pages. Have you been to Casati's? What is your favorite Italian spot in Chicago? Casati's is now on the top of my list!