Burrata at Bar Toma

If you’re one of those people who look at a menu and ask, “What’s Burrata?,” it’s high time you Googled it, because virtually every kitchen in town—Italian or not—is turning out the incredibly rich cream-filled mozzarella cheese. Davanti Enoteca (1359 W. Taylor St., 312-226-5550) slipped the indulgent stuff onto its opening menu in 2010, and today it appears twice: as a spreadable snack housed in a Mason jar and as a velvety addition to a simple salad. We recently even slurped Burrata in soup—an unexpected twist—at Allium (see “Reviews: Allium and Maison”). As part of the meticulously sourced cheese selection at Bar Toma (110 E. Pearson St., 312-266-3110), it arrives—by way of Puglia, where it originated—whole, a softball-size serving cutely festooned with a bow of blanched leeks, just like they did in the old country. Nellcôte (833 W. Randolph St., 312-432-0500), on the other hand, serves twin heaps crowned with a garlicky green sauce, thick pieces of fried artichoke, and sea urchin—a far cry from the old country’s version but delizioso nonetheless.

Photograph: Anna Knott