Conte Di Savoia

By Erin in Food on May 19, 2005 5:54PM

Chicagoist has lived in Little Italy for 10 years, save for the one year we accidentally moved to Atlanta. We wanted to be close to UIC for grad school, and our friends used to ask us why we lived in such a "transitional" area (transitional meaning "not Lincoln Park").

Proximity to school was one thing, but it’s a great neighborhood. It’s quiet, which is nice in a big city, and close to public transportation, the main freeways, and duh, close to some of the best Italian food in Chicago. But what makes Little Italy so special is the family owned bakeries, hardware stores, and specialty food shops, like Conte Di Savoia (translated to English it’s "Conte of Savoia," we're just that good in Italian).

Full of Italian and European foods, wines, candies, you can even grab a tasty sandwich and cappuccino for lunch. It’s the perfect place to stock up before heading to Ravinia…you can even call ahead and get a basket put together. Chicagoist love their raw almonds, which we roast (325 degrees for 8-12 minutes) and the great wine selection. A few other things always find their way into our cart…fresh ravioli, cheese, a jar of anchovies, and usually a Martha Stewart wedding magazine because you never know who you might bump into at the store, and it’s best to plan ahead.

There are a few tables set up in the front, if you want to sit an enjoy your sandwich, coffee, or any of their desserts. Chicagoist loves the little carts they have ... very small, sort of like the real portions of food we’re supposed to be eating prior to our super-sizing fetish.

These carts look like the VW bug of shopping carts in an SUV cart world; no cupholder to hold your coffee in these babies. Chicagoist always seems to start down the olive oil aisle (try saying that real fast three times). We can’t help it; from tiny bottles of extra virgin olive oil for $10 to gallon old-fashioned tin jugs for $35, how are we supposed to choose? Better get a couple different kinds.

The different brands take up almost the entire aisle. Opposite are all the canned tomatoes. We can just smell the marinara cooking, thinking of dining al fresco if we could just get one Spring evening without a windchill. We love looking through their jarred condiments ... capers, anchovies (we love them, stop making that wrinkle-y nosed face or you might freeze like that), and peppers, the kind that are so tangy they make your mouth pucker. We then swing around the aisle to find a wire rack of nuts, including raw hazelnuts and our almonds, and dried fruits. The back wall is the freezer where you can pick up frozen pasta (they once had pumpkin-filled ravioli, we swear!), homemade sauces, and even whole lasagnas. Be prepared to pay, though, the lasagna will run you $25 on the low end.

Chicagoist will tell you, homemade is good, but not cheap, bring your wallet when you shop. We swing through a few more aisles, the cookie/candy aisle always has those Ferrero Roche chocolates we can never pronounce but always have room for. And lots of biscotti. They even carry some heavy-duty pasta serving platters at reasonable prices.

Chicagoist swings back around, passing the counter and deli for the time being to go to the back – no wait, we have to stop to look at the fresh cheeses and meats. Prosciutto from Italy! We have to remember to get some and put it with honeydew slices, such a good combo. Chicagoist finally gets to the back where all the wines, coffees and European drinks are (if you are familiar with Orangina, they have it -- think watered down tang, but in a cool bottle). Their wines aren’t just Italian, and range in prices from $6 to $35. Chicagoist has gotten a very good Chilean Merlot for $8. They even carry the Italian liqueur, Limoncello, a smooth, lemony after dinner drink that should be kept in the freezer until ready to drink (it’s made with vodka, so it won’t freeze). So refreshing in the summer, you’ll think you’re sitting on the Spanish Steps in Rome. (Chicagoist’s parents hate it when we make arrogant comments like that).

Finishing up at the counter, Chicagoist gets a container of marinated artichokes and a fresh Italian loaf. They also carry friselle, which look like huge halves of bagels, already toasted. You are supposed to dampen them a little with water (they are very dry from the second baking, we’ve been told), then rub them with garlic cloves, add a little salami, parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and broil for a couple of minutes.

Summer is one of the best time to visit Conte Di Savoia, for two reasons. One, the fresh potted herbs they sell from tall carts out front – basil, rosemary, and parsley in 5" containers are perfect for apartment gardens, and two, our good friend Mike.

Mike is the leader (read: troublemaker!) of a group of distinguished older gentleman we once caught ogling some women walking by. He and his friends (Joe, Art, and Art 2.0) watched the women very closely as they walked away. "We see you ogling those women," we teased. "And now we’re going to ogle you too!" he joked with us. Mike always has a lollipop for us, even when we forget to wear our "hot pants" for him.

Going to Conte Di Savoia is a treat -- for the welcome/ogling, for the food, and for being transported to an Italian market for just those few minutes, until someone invariably answers his cell phone too loudly.

Thanks, Colleen!