My recent milestone birthday justified going all out to celebrate…and that is exactly what I did! I was so incredibly fortunate to have family and friends fly in from coast to coast to help me celebrate in style. Definitely feeling lucky, but also a little pressure to make sure this party was top notch!

While stressing over details such as the venue for my party, what to wear, who to invite, etc., the other thing on my mind was where to celebrate my birthday dinner. Being the foodie I am, I spent many weeks pondering the hundreds of amazing options in Chicago. It’s completely overwhelming since it seems like there are endless great restaurants to choose from. Then one day out of the blue, it dawned on me. It was such a no-brainer, that I was actually mad at myself for not thinking of it sooner. And once I thought of this restaurant, I knew my search was over. Osteria Via Stato for my birthday dinner it was!!!

This wonderful, cozy, Italian eatery in River North has some of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. And it gets better than that. Osteria Via Stato serves what they call their Italian Dinner Party Menu, which is absolutely perfect for large groups. It starts with the antipasti course (usually 4-5 different dishes), the pasta course (2 pasta options) and then the main course (with about 10 different entree options that each person can individually select from), and a side of seasonal market vegetables all for just $39.95 per person. You can also choose to do the unlimited antipasti and pasta courses for $24.95 per person. And, you know I LOVE that they have a separate vegetarian Italian Dinner Party Menu.

I simply can not rave enough about how unbelievable my birthday dinner was; everything from the special details, unique surprises to the downright delicious food. I’m not kidding, every single one of my guests raved about the food and is still talking about it to this day. That speaks volumes on behalf of Osteria Via Stato.

Here’s a quick rundown of my very memorable and tasty dinner:

It started off with the cutest, personalized menus. What a nice touch for a special occasion!

On the table to start were the roasted garlic, salt crusted ciabatta bread and a variety of olives. Perfect snacks to start with while we figured out our drink orders!

Then on to the antipasti course, which included baked polenta topped with marinara and goat cheese, the Italian vegetable salad, a roasted beet salad and a bosc pear and gorgonzola bruschetta. All DELISH!!!

Next, the warm, fantastic pasta options which included paccheri noodle (long flat noodles) with a roasted tomato cream sauce and fresh basil as well as the ricotta cavatelli with wild mushrooms and a parmesan broth. Both pastas were heaven on a plate, especially in this cold Chicago weather.

One of the best surprises of the night was when Chef David DiGregorio came to our table to welcome us, wish me happy birthday and then personally serve each person his house-made vegetarian risotto. What an absolute treat and way to make me feel like such a rockstar!

We ended dinner with some birthday cake from Bittersweet bakery as well as a special champagne toast. It was the perfect sweet ending to hands-down the most extraordinary birthday dinner I have ever had. Trust me, I’m not sure how this one will ever be topped. (And, I realized the next day that I never got a picture of my group at dinner. Maybe that means we have to recreate the evening, right?)

The night just could not have been any more perfect. In addition, the service was impeccable and each guest of mine noted to me separately how the Osteria Via Stato staff took such great care of us. Like I said earlier, I just can not rave enough.

I’m a little hesitant to let you in on the this secret because I don’t want Osteria Via Stato to get so booked that I won’t be able to get a reservation again! Ha ha. But, I do love sharing these kinds of gems in the city of Chicago and everyone should know about how wonderful of a restaurant Osteria Via Stato is. And especially for those big group dinners you might need to coordinate, the Italian Dinner Party could not be a more perfect option. So, start planning!!

Oh, by the way, my friends from out-of-town loved Osteria Via Stato so much, that we went back AGAIN for dinner two days after my birthday dinner. Seriously, I can’t make this stuff up!! #obsessed