Zarella definitely has a lot going for it.
Having opened March 21 in the space formerly occupied by GT Fish & Oyster in the city’s River North area (at 531 N. Wells St.), Zarella has the advantage of a prime location, located steps away from busy streets and spots like theMart (formerly Merchandise Mart).
Another plus is an area that’s away from the main dining area, called Taverna. When the hostess said my dining companion and I were going downstairs, neither one of us had any idea that we’d be led down a hall that had storage containers on either side. (Having seen one too many horror movies, my imagination was starting to conjure various scenarios.) However, all fears were allayed when we saw a darkened area—and by “darkened,” I mean we had to break out the phone flashlights—complete with patrons, a bar and smiling waitstaff (although I could only see smiles after dark adaptation kicked in).
Third, of course, is the food. Zarella has a menu featuring a mix of tavern-style and artisan pizzas, several entrées and small bites as well as fresh salads, Italian specialties and beguiling desserts.
Things started well with the fried zucchini and crispy calamari. Coming from the South, I like just about anything that’s fried (even Twinkies)—but it was the aioli that made the dishes even more delightful. (The zucchini came with basil aioli while the squid was accompanied by fried peppers and Calabrian chili aioli.) But Zarella is known for its pizzas—which turned out to be a bone of contention. (By the way, people can order 14-inch artisan or tavern style as well as “gluten-friendly” pies.) We settled on the mushroom and truffle pizza; my friend adored it while I only liked it—and our opinions were confirmed after having the leftovers the next day (and, speaking of leftovers, they’re conveniently kept upstairs near the host until you’re ready to leave). The pizza was cooked well but the mushrooms seemed slightly “off” to me. The next time I visit, I’ll probably try the carbonara or the spinach-and-artichoke pizza—and, fortunately, there are plenty of other varieties to sample.
Interestingly, our opinions flip-flopped when it came to the chicken piccata. While I thought it was prepared perfectly (with capers, lemon and parsley), my friend disagreed and thought something about the sauce was “off.” We decided to retreat to our corners, and decided that our opinions were just that.
But I couldn’t leave without trying the most indulgent dessert I’ve had in quite some time: the brown butter cake. This decadent item couldn’t be more aptly named, as you can truly taste the butter in every bite—and the pineapple and lime whipped cream that came with it only enhanced the experience.
“Chicago is a city that knows and loves great pizza,” Chef Lee Wolen said in a statement. While that statement is certainly true, I might have to revisit Zarella to be convinced that this particular spot makes great pizza. However, with everything else, it clearly hit the mark.
I previously visited the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) restaurant Marisol for lunch, and gave it rave reviews.
And the first-floor restaurant still doesn’t disappoint. The sunflower hummus (with flaxseed crackers) is still one of the best hummus dishes I’ve ever tried, and it still comes with a barely noticeable amount of heat. And while the bocadillos from the previous chef collaboration is no longer at Marisol, there’s a new partnership that currently involves Chef Lawrence Letrero from Bayan Ko that features Filipino pancit noodles. I’ve had pancit before, and this dish deliciously incorporates a slight spin with ingredients such as stir-fried canton noodles, baby bok choy, carrot, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), shiitake mushroom, Chinese sausage and soy sesame sauce.
In addition, there are plenty of other options, ranging from a delightful-looking lion’s mane mushroom sandwich to a trout “BLT” to a golden grains salad (with orange, turmeric, thumbelina carrot, golden beet, daikon radish, apricot, curly endive and mixed grains).
However, this visit was not just about sampling the enticing dishes. It was also about an upcoming exhibit at the MCA entitled “City in a Garden: Queer Art and Activism in Chicago” that will run July 5, 2025-Jan. 25, 2026 in the museum’s Sylvia Neil and Daniel Fischel Galleries.
According to a press release, “The exhibition examines this history beginning in the mid-1980s, when activists radically mobilized in response to the US government’s disastrous handling of the AIDS crisis and reclaimed the historically pejorative epithet ‘queer’ as a liberatory term encompassing all who purposefully deviate from heteronormative society. With works drawn from the MCA Collection and other local collections, the exhibition features more than 30 artists and collectives working in Chicago from the 1980s to the present.”
MCA Assistant Curator Jack Schneider, who is organizing “City in a Garden,” commented on how much he is looking forward to unveiling the exhibit. (BTW, in case you were wondering, “City” is not debuting during Pride Month because of the exhibition schedule and the annual fundraising auction.)
Asked how he decided which works and artists to include, Schneider responded, “One of the things I wanted to be conscious of was that I didn’t want this show to just include artwork by queer people. I thought that was too big of a [criterion]. I wanted the artwork to reflect queer experiences or the queering of something, like history. Of course, the whole conceit of the show is that it’s about Chicago, so it was important that the artist had lived or worked in the city for a significant amount of time, or had a work about a Chicago-specific subject,” adding that Nick Cave and Danny Sotomayor will be just a couple of the featured artists. “From my experience and studies, it seems that if you look at existing accounts of queer activism, you’re essentially reading about what happened in New York or San Francisco. Let’s broaden the scholarship on this subject.”
Hopefully, you’ll try Marisol and visit this promising exhibit. After all, both spaces allow you to experience art.
Note: SAVOR visits are pre-arranged, unless otherwise indicated.
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