Ok, so I really am sharing a secret with you. It’s actually a secret menu item at a fantastic restaurant here in downtown Chicago. And trust me, you will want to pay attention to this one.

How I found out about this secret item is kind of funny…I found out about it on Instagram! I started noticing a few Chicago foodies posting a beautiful, star-shaped pizza that looked absolutely delicious and I knew immediately that I had to have it. They mentioned it was an off-the-menu specialty pizza from the restaurant Dolce Italian on the first floor of the Godfrey Hotel. I had been to the grand opening party of Dolce (read more here) but didn’t have THAT pizza.

You can bet I was back at Dolce Italian and not only did I order the famous but secret Startufata pizza as it’s called, I tried a few other items that I loved. Here are my favorites from the menu:

Dolce Mule– I absolutely fell in love with this drink (Effen cucumber vodka, cucumber, strawberries, ginger beer). I *tried* to limit myself to one. Ask me how that went.

Dolce Italian Restaurant – The Godfrey Hotel

Summer Salad– One of the most light and refreshing salads (bibb lettuce, avocado, radishes, hearts of palm, mint, white balsamic), this is the perfect starter before the heavier pizza and pasta arrive!

Summer Salad At Dolce Italian

Startufata Pizza (made vegetarian)– You have to ask for this pizza since it is not on the menu. What’s so special and delicious about this particular pizza is that the edges are folded to create a star shape and the points of the star are filled with house-made ricotta. Also, being vegetarian, my pizza was created as the Contadina pizza (artichokes, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, peppers) and drizzled with truffle oil. Can I just get a YES, PLEASE!?!

Startufata Vegetarian Pizza

Ravioli di Ricotta– Delicious and tasty pasta (eggplant al funghetto, smoked mozzarella, cherry tomatoes) was light and not at all heavy. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of smoked cheeses, but this one worked for me.

Ravioli di Ricotta At Dolce Italian

The secret is out of the bag. Now it’s your turn to get in on one of the best kept secrets in Chicago. Let me know what you think of this delicious, unique pizza, among many other options to try out. I know you won’t regret it!

Please Note: While I was invited to Dolce Italian, all opinions are my own.