They've been opened since March but I only made it over here recently. I was well taken care of by Dawn who explained all the sandwiches. I was having trouble deciding if I wanted something healthier and arugalish or something more meatier. But the she mentioned there's was fresh cheese ravioli available. That sealed the decision for me. I took my container to go. Verdict: satisfying ravioli with a great homemade-tasting red sauce.
I was in a hurry so I didn't grab anything else. But in the refrigerator case I saw the porcini encrusted chicken which sounded intriguing. And of course I have to come back for the deserts.
They do take credit cards now with a $15 minimum. There is a big city parking lot right behind the place.
Love this place, and love that Nancy put it all together and is making it work! It's like being in a quaint, European cafe - unpretentious and simple. I usually get the prosciutto sandwich, and love to stop by and pick up odds & ends for the kitchen every now and then. Whenever I'm in the neighborhood at lunch hour, it's my go-to spot for an affordable, delicious lunch. The cash only thing is a bit annoying, but it is what it is, plus my bank is next door. They do have some tables and I have hardly ever had a problem finding a place to sit if necessary. Whenever my Italian mother in law comes to visit, she runs with the kids down to Half Italian as fast as she can. That's a good sign!
Plus, cannoli! I mean, come on!
I really wanted to love this place and was hoping they'd have real deal italian sandwiches.
My rating is strictly for their sandwiches & customer service.
where is the meat on these things? They charge $6-8 for one layer meat. With so many great sandwich shops in Chicago, they should step up their game!
Bari on grand is cheaper and with more meat. Sterling goss in wicker may be $1 more, but they use boars head meats and layer it on THICK.
It is cute inside and the coffee is good. I like the chairs outside. The customer service isnt that great. My friend asked them for a plastic bag after she bought something and they gave her all this guff like "do you really need one?" B.S. and meh.
I cannot say enough good things about Half Italian! Â The atmosphere is great -- comfy and welcoming! Â They sell everything from sandwiches, daily dinner specials, deli meats, and traditional Italian specialties to fun gift baskets, local microbrews, and fine selected wines. Â Everyone who works there is so friendly and welcoming! Â I wish I had more time to visit. Â I am so happy that Half Italian is in our neighborhood, and I recommend this as a "must visit" to anyone in Logan Square!
Review Source:This place has great sandwiches the owner Nancy is sweetheart and the product is consistent.  The standout sandwich to me was the beef beauty which has rare beef  tenderloin and caramelized onions is pretty much a perfect mid day sandwich.  The BLT is also very good and I opt to add prosciutto bacon on top because who doesn't love more bacon.  Would give this place 5 stars but she could stand to lower her prices on some stuff which I have seen at Jewel or other spots for like 2 buck cheaper on some items.
Review Source:Half Italian is great! Logan Square does not have enough grocery options and this is a welcome addition. The produce selection is limited, but all high quality. They have a nice cheese selection. The freshly baked bread is delicious. I also had a great soy latte here. One suggestion I have for the owners is to be open on Sunday. There's so much traffic to the square because of the farmer's market and it's a shame to miss out on all that business.
Review Source:What a great spot for Logan! Their sandwiches are consistently amazing and the rest of the shop has fantastic top notch products. From the gelato to the biscotti, always something to satisfy my sweet tooth. Wine too! Great alternative to the nearby liquor store selection. Â Cash only but you can also use levelup on your phone.
Review Source:I am an absolutely Half Italian fan! I frequent the grocer weekly. The staff is all really lovely and make you feel very welcome. Even though the store is cash only I have no problem taking cash out to help support their business. It may take an extra minute to go to the ATM but its coming from the same place anyways right?
Not to talk about their selection. Since they have opened they have really grown in what products they offer. My favorite is definitely their deli options. They have delicious salads, dishes, and desserts prepared daily. I love their Tuna Salad and all of their sandwiches. I happened to come in one day when they were making fresh Apple Squares and the place smelled divine. My recent favorite purchase was a big piece of Pumpkin Cheesecake. Highly recommended.
I think this place is such a great addition to our neighborhood, a great place to stop by and grab a few things to throw in with dinner or just a nice breakfast pastry and cup of coffee. They carry delicious farm fresh eggs and fruits and veggies. LOVE!
I was really worried about another high end grocer into the quaint neighborhood I know. I mean, really worried. But then I went in, and was very happy that it wasn't a Fox & Obel type joint. Everything is priced accessible and there's a great selection of pastas, sauces and other Italian delights. Everything you need for a complete meal.
My favorite has to be the pasta wheels. I cannot remember what they are called, but imagine a rolled lasagna slices in 2" circles. Baked for 20 minutes and drown in their homemade sauce, you have a very delicious, simple to make meal. And they're fairly reasonable.
They also do tastings from time to time and the have a dinner special to go most days.
Last time I went they still weren't taking credit cards, but there's a $2 cash machine there or a Chase Bank two doors down. Definitely go!
Lots of lovely items that I was ready to buy up but had to put back because of the cash-only policy. I TOTALLY get the purpose of cash only--but not when prices are this high. Who carries that much cash? Also, it is my personal and perhaps unpopular opinion that there ain't no place for arugula on a caprese sandwich. Overall, the sandwich was just okay.
I'll be back with a wad of cash, though, to try out one of the ridiculously amazing looking cannoli, a cup of coffee and some fresh pasta.
Pros: Delicious cannoli. Great coffee. $5 free-range eggs. Great selection of HARD to find Italian items like espresso powder, anchovy paste and lady fingers. They saved me once as I scoured Chicago for lady fingers for my tiramisu. They were the only store (Not Jewel, not TJ's, not Dominicks, not Mariano's) that had the darn cookies.
Cons: No indoor seating and just a few tables outside. Cash only. Terrible tiramisu. Sorry but really the marscapone seemed to just be marscapone with no sugar, no eggs, no cream and heavy on the espresso but no alcohol (usually marsala or another fortified wine). Never buying that again.
Summary: Go for the cannoli, grad a cup of great cofffee and buy yourself lady fingers to make your own tiramisu at home!
Out running errands and I felt like hitting up half italian grocer. I'm a fan definitely sums it up for me. While I didn't grab any of the sandwiches, I did get a variety of the products they had for their half italian grocer (see how I worked that in).
I grabbed a variety of things from here. While I haven't used everything just yet, I've certainly been impressed with everything so far. The dried pastas they have are really damn good. Â Their produce, though small, was very good. I'm still very much looking forward to making polenta out of the cornmeal that I bought here as well.
It is cash only (though there is an atm here), so come prepared if you want to stock up on things. Thankfully I did come prepared, but it does need to be noted. The staff here answered any questions I had easily and was very friendly. I'll gladly come back here and try the sandwiches along with the many other items here.
YES!
As a Half Italian myself (Dad was born in Padua, mom was Irish and Polish), I can't express enough how excited I am about this place..
I grew up on 23rd and Oakley, with an incredible deli around the corner, I never thought I would have a place to grab a perfect salami sandwich on the Northside.
This place carries exactly what I would. Â A great place to grab gear to make dinner or a sandwich, or just some awesome Italian snacks.
The sandwich I just ate was incredible. I'm actually mad it's gone.
Love this place.
Only drawback is that it's cash only, but that's how it is on the south side so it's fine.
Welcome to Logan Square!
Beef beauty sandwich was delicious, I did add some crumbled buttermilk  blue cheese to half of it and that is the best blue cheese ever.  I also bought land jaegers from zubers in Monroe and vine ripe tomatoes, and made some fresh salsa they did not disappoint , it was like they came from my own garden.  Yes Cash only , but does have an atm in store.  The staff is also very Friendly.
Review Source:dearest half italian, why don't you try and be open sometime? I've come to the stupid place 3 times now and it's been closed every time. Not to mention that when I came up to the door all three times, the people that were there were rude so I'm going to take these stupid coupons and throw them in the the garbage. I'd like to support local business but not when they're rude.
(now, I will say that i wrote this post directly after being glared at by staff inside the store for the third and final time i tried to frequent the space. Â i truly would like to support especially b/c i have two coupons and went to an ATM to take out an additional $60 in cash for that purpose. Â my husband even joked on sunday as we were out for a stroll, "well, i'd suggest half italian but they're probably closed." we laughed and they were. :( Â all this i am fine with as a new upstart business. Â BUT, if you're going to have slightly inconvenient hours and a cash rule, when people come to your door to frequent your establishment, have the decency to be kind when you tell them you're closed.)
Yes, it is cash only, but SO WORTH IT. Â Try the prosciutto! Â or the beef one! I've tried most of the menu, and it's all really excellent. Â I will say that while the plain-er sandwiches are good, they aren't as amazing as the other things (turkey and swiss is turkey and swiss). Â I was also really surprised by how much I liked the broccoli salad. Â It's my new favorite, even though I usually don't like raisins in anything.
They are always very lovely and accommodating. Â I work just up the street and we've ordered food there for meetings a couple times. Â It goes over super well and is very budget-friendly. Â
Get some cash and try it!
Love the convenience of hopping off the "L" after work and being able to pick up the Mediterranean types of food I enjoy the most, whether dry, fresh, canned or prepared and if I'm just too worn out from work, I can eat right there in or out. Â Love the beautiful inventory, including some choice fresh produce.
Yes they are working on "kicking" up the flavor of their sandwiches and prepared foods. Â They are bringing healthy foods to Logan Square and we really need that. Â They want our input on what flavors we want on the prepared food, so let them know and they will definitely work with you. Â They are using fresh, healthy ingredients and they have veggie and vegan options. Â Talk to them. Â We really need variety in Logan Square and we won't get that without supporting new businesses.
They are bringing charm and warmth to Milwaukee Avenue without being pretentious  or "fou fou". Check this place out. Let's help them make this our favorite neighborhood "fast" food place.  Yes the cash only is a bother, but maybe they will reconsider once they've been open for a few months  and let's face it guys, if we are using a credit card to buy a meal, that's probably not in our best interest, unless you pay off your card every month.  There is an ATM right next door. Â
Not open on Sundays - consider this, Farmers Market opens up in a few more weeks and it may not be worth their while to be open on Sundays to start anyway.  At any rate, why deny them work/life balance, it's a small business with a small staff, let's not get all type A or "Mc I want it now" and consider that lots of other places are  open on Sunday, so maybe we enjoy this place on another day of the week.  Beyond religion, having one day a week down time is good for everyone.  And, isn't this Logan Square where we don't demand every business conform to the Big Box?  By the way the Cannoli's(sp?) are crazy good .  Try them with a coffee and you are taking a very cheap trip to Italy - right across from the "L".
I love it here. Nancy and crew are marvelous. They are experimenting with new things every day. It's great to have place to go and have my morning coffee, fruit and kibbitz with these amazing women. (and guys too) but the women really rock. I love that I can get fresh and healthy food on a daily basis and see new things in the store day by day. The deli and sandwiches are wonderful. I am so glad you are in our neighborhood--we've needed something like this for a long time!
Review Source:my friend & i were taking a walk in logan & discovered this place.  it's a medium sized deli/grocer with plenty of home made foods.  at the time we just looked around, but i returned a few days later with a reader coupon ($10 for $20 worth of merch) & an empty stomach.  got the italian sub-reasonably priced & just ok. for dessert some of their  tiramisu, some of their vast assortment of olives, a quart of home made marinara (it had to be seriously doctored up-flavor was very bland) ($4), a couple rotolos, (ewe) several single serving glass bottles of pelligrino, and some elegent parmesean cheese. (i tried some on a tasting plate & ordered it from the deli.  the woman tried to get me to buy other cheese that was already sliced-she did not seem to want to slice me any)
this is a welcome change in the hood. Â logan square has nothing like this. Â the service is friendly, although a bit scattered. Â they had to ring my order up several times to "get it right." Â i'm sure they will work the kinks out eventually. Â if they don't, they are doomed.
however, i agree with some of the other reviews about the "cash-only" policy. Â i "get" it in a cheap restaurant, but it's very possible to spend upwards of $50+. most people don't have that kind of cash. Â they would sell a lot more if they accepted debit/credit.
will i return? Â probably not. Â the food, although looking really good, just isn't & there are far too many awesome italian groceries to waste my time here.
My dad and I got sandwiches here today. And they just... weren't very good. I had the caprese sandwich, and while I appreciated the addition of arugula, the sandwich on the whole was flavorless. The bread was dry and flavorless. My dad had the all-Italian (I think that's what it's called--their signature sandwich) and wasn't a fan either. Their groceries and desserts look interesting, but I wouldn't go back for the sandwiches.
Review Source:I have been talking up this place to friends and telling them to come check it out because was extremely impressed with everything the store had to offer. But my experience today makes me reconsider the enthusiasm I had for this store. Knowing that this store is oddly open for very few hours, I tried to go in before it closed and was turned away at the door at 45 minutes before closing because "they were slow and decided to close early". I'd be more understanding if customers weren't just leaving the store with bags and if I didn't see that in plain sight other people were standing around inside as their children ran around in the store. I wanted to embrace this new business as a great addition to the neighborhood, but that needs to be earned by working hard at being accommodating to the community. I felt like my business was not appreciated.
Review Source:I really wanted to fall in love with this deli, but, alas, I was more surprised by what they didn't have than by what they did have.
I knew it was cash only going in and had bought a $20 coupon on the Reader for $10 last week. I don't really understand cash only places because no one carries cash anymore. They do have an ATM in house that has a fee of only $1 but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Going in, I expected them to have fresh homemade meatballs, sausage, or pasta in the refrigerator or freezer case. But they didn't have any. The freezer case was empty with a sign that said "freezer broken, please see deli for freezer items." So I went to the deli and asked a younger guy behind the counter what they usually carry in their freezer case. He replied with, "just what's in there." Umm. Okay. "There's nothing in there. The freezer is broken and it says to come to the deli." He still could not answer what they usually carry in there so I gave up. Then I asked if they had fresh made meatballs, but they didn't (though, he said, they sometimes do). The only fresh pasta I saw was tagliatelle in the deli case at $4.50 a lb. They sell fresh homemade marinara in their refrigerator case, which I brought home and had virtually no taste (I had to salt it!). I would not buy that again. Their pickled vegetables were delicious. Their fresh churned garlic and parmesan butter was straight up addictive. Their fresh mozzarella was what I imagine the flavor of paper to be.
They have Carnaroli and Arborio rice but no stocks to cook them in, so this place is not a one stop shop. They had virtually nothing I couldn't get at a bigger grocery store, except for French green lentils, which I have always had a hard time finding. Their "produce" section consisted of garlic, grapefruit and a couple other citrus fruits, kale...that's it. They also do not carry any fresh herbs or have any kind of goat cheese in their "cheese case." I put cheese case in quotes because it's about 8 or so varieties of cheese thrown in a small refrigerator.
If I wanted to go here to buy ingredients for a full meal, I wouldn't be able to. As it was, I had a really difficult time finding enough things I wanted to buy to amount to my $20 coupon. I would love to see arugula and homemade pizza dough to take home, or semolina flour for making your own pasta. I just wasn't impressed.
I did not try one of their fresh made sandwiches, but given my experience and the taste of the stuff I brought home, I don't think I'll go back to have one.
After stopping in for the first time last weekend, I can only assume that this will become a regular stop for lunch over the summer. The sandwiches were simple, fresh, and made with quality ingredients, which is what I Â look for in a grocery/deli. The service was accommodating, friendly and fast, and with the early spring weather, this was a great place to stop for lunch in Logan and sit at a sidewalk table for a quick bite.
Review Source:This place MAY have unbelievably delicious meats, cheeses, wines and pastas. But how would I know that if I MUST pay in cash? The owner is either decade-impaired or just too stupid and cheap to pay the 2.5 percent fee that the ENTIRE country pays for using debit cards!
I got to the register and was stunned that this new "Hipster" magnet is so ridiculously expecting people to pay in cash. Totally lame. I left my un-eaten sandwich on the counter and promptly went across the street to Café con Leché.  They accept credit cards and have wonderful food.
So far I'm a fan. Â Nothing beats being able to get mortadella, a tasty prosciutto sandwich, and a nice cappuccino within a 5 minutes walk from my house. Â Looking forward to trying other stuff from the deli. Â They could amp up their bread offerings for sandwiches (something nice and crusty)--but overall I'm pretty satisfied.
Review Source:I really, really like this place, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why a new business would choose to be closed on Sundays.
I realize I'm a heathen and I don't go to church on Sundays, but I HATE when businesses are closed on Sundays - that's half the weekend. I certainly don't expect to see a 'closed' sign on a grocery store/deli on a bustling day in the neighborhood. Even truncated hours would be appreciated. This isn't the 60s when as a matter of course, a lot of businesses were closed on Sundays. You know, being the Sabbath 'n all.
Wouldn't any (indeed, a fledgling one) business want/need the revenue generated by being open on a day that a lot of us tend to do our shopping and eating?
If they reconsider opening up on Sundays, I will update accordingly.
Please, and thank you.
Very Cool place. I am very happy with it already. I bought some marinara sauce and some fresh pasta and made an amazing dinner in minutes at home. I'm looking forward to trying all the sandwiches too. Great selection of cheeses. Logan Square is blowing up and I am so happy with Half Italian being only a block from my house.
Review Source:A perfect addition to Logan Square.
This market offers fresh bites that are homemade and delicious. It is a perfect place to pop in and have an espresso and sandwich or just pick up something to bring home after a long day at work.
Nancy, the owner, has envisioned her store for several years. She has painstakingly thought about every little detail and her hard-work is evident when you walk into the store.
In addition to having freshly made food, you can pick up beverages along with marmalades, pickled this and that, cheeses, and meats. The bread is made daily along with the other treats.
Take time to check out this adorable and welcoming spot.
I'm really happy about this addition to the neighborhood stores near me. Thank you for carrying bulk items, olives, and VEGAN jalepeno cheese!!!
I hope they get even more types of olives, more fun stuff for vegans, and more types of veggie sandwiches. I also hope they will request a bike rack for the sidewalk outside of their store.
This place rules. Â We had four different sandwiches, and all of them were excellent. Â They also have a solid array of groceries as well as some nice wine and beer options. Â Plus, everyone is very friendly and helpful, and most things are far cheaper than I would expect for a place like this. Â Honestly can't think of any complaints at all.
Review Source:Welcome to the neighbourhood!
Let me count the ways I adore you..
1. Â (Tiny) coffee bar, with irresistible (and irresistibly cheap) espresso and espresso drinks.
2. Â Huge decadent cannolis
3. Â Well priced, fresh to order sandwiches (the prosciutto sandwich was my personal favourite)
4. Â Quick, exceedingly pleasant staff
5. Â A nicely curated oil and vinegar display
6. Â Super cheap lady fingers
7. Â Convenient location
8. Â Well priced grocery items are either imported, organic or both.
I'm already looking forward to my next visit!
If the standards of quality are maintained over the next few months, I'll give you that 5th star...
Half Italian Grocer describes both the owner and the store. Â Unlike Italy, they don't take Euros, Lira or rosaries in exchange for goods and services, but they do have an excellent selection of well priced items. Â
I was most impressed with their olive oil selection and after about 2 hours of deciding, I went with the Eliki from Greece (Half-Italian, remember?). Â This oil is one of the best I've ever had, and is doing more for Greece then austerity measures ever will. Â At only $7 I can afford to drink it instead of water. Â
I also recommend their bread will be going back for eggs. Â I'm told these are actual free-range eggs from chickens that are friends with the owner's brother. Â Eggs of this sort are available at only a few places, and I haven't seen them cheaper than the $4.50 they charge here.
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