Bristol group plans Italian spot for West Loop
The duo behind Bristol restaurant are ready to expand with an Italian-American spot in the West Loop later this year. John Ross and Phil Walters are once again working with Tony Quartaro, the sous chef at Balena restaurant, to open Formento's in the fall. Messrs. Ross and Walters are also involved in Balena, a joint venture with Boka Restauran...
Por’Ketta food truck launches this weekend at The Ohio Taproom
One of Columbus’ newest food trucks, Por’Ketta, is getting ready to launch this weekend. The kickoff event is taking place on Saturday, March 14 at The Ohio Taproom from 11 a.m. to about 9 p.m. Owner Tony Layne is launching Por’Ketta after years of observing food trucks at spots like Dinin’ Hall. With the youngest of his kids heading to co...
Eataly Chicago Hosts a Celebration of Italian Flavors
Olives – beside olive oil – are a staple of the Mediterranean diet and appear in many traditional Italian recipes, but they are not often considered as a real "ingredient" and are often ignored by modern, creative cuisine. Focusing on culinary traditions and innovations was the aim of the lessons recently held at Identità Golose Chicago, the roami...
Labriola’s Italian Beef Sandwich Upgrades a Chicago Classic
by Nick Kindelsperger The Italian beef stands out rightly as one of Chicago's most distinctive hometown sandwiches, a mess of gravy-soaked meat which should arrive topped with pickled giardiniera and roasted peppers. As great as the sandwich can be, most versions are built on soft and soulless rolls that offer little flavor of the...
Rosati's Pizza Traces Rich History Back to an Italian Immigrant
by Michael Sewall Although the Bolingbrook Rosati's Pizza is an offshoot of the company celebrating 50 years in business, it still shares in the history that goes back about a century—all thanks to Ferdinand Rosati, who ditched New York in the early 1900s for the more favorable pizza haven in Chicago. Ferdinand, an Italian immigra...
After 31 years, Spavone's still a hit in Bloomingdale
by Ann Piccininni The clientele at Tony Spavone's Ristorante in Bloomingdale is a devoted group. "We have people who have been coming since I opened up," said Spavone, who unveiled the 260-seat restaurant at 266 W. Lake St. 31 years ago. He said he's seen more than a few customers start out in high chairs, move up to wedding rehearsal...
5 of the best sfogliatelle at Chicagoland bakeries
The recent flurry of Italian restaurant openings (Nico Osteria, Eataly, Cicchetti, Azzurra) has us thinking about some of our favorite classic Italian foods. Namely, sfogliatelle. A successful sfogliatella—the clamshell-shaped, baked ricotta–filled pastry associated with Naples—is a creature borne of patience and balance. Producing its cru...
Dining out, Roseland style
As a youngster in a first-generation Italian-American family in Roseland, eating out wasn't something we did very often. As a matter of fact, if I try really hard I can only recall an occasional First Communion or Confirmation that led to some fine dining, Roseland style, at Pesavento's. As a result, finding our way out of the family kitch...
Italian restaurant at casino changes
Bella Italiana launches Tuesday at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino with an Italian-American menu that's simpler than the one at Wild Earth Cucina Italiana, which it replaces. Wild Earth closed Sunday. The new version of the Italian restaurant has more traditional Italian-American dishes, according to an announcement by the casino, 1721...
Marco’s Pizza Scores Major Victory at International Pizza Expo
Marco's Pizza, the fastest-growing pizza franchise in the United States, made its debut appearance at the 31st annual International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas from March 23-26 competing in the International Pizza Challenge. Drawing on its quality ingredients, Marco's Pizza took home the silver prize in the traditional division with its Pepperoni Mag...
Glenview entrepreneur to open Italian restaurant in Glencoe
by Daniel I. Dorfman One of the concerns for years regarding downtown Glencoe has been a lack of dining options, but an area businessman is hoping his experience in the restaurant world will change that perception. Glenview entrepreneur Rick Raschillo is planning to open Cibo Trattoria with a focus on upscale Italian food. The new...
Ballaro Bringing Italian Flair to the North Shore in One Month
by Ashok Selvam The wait's almost over for the North Shore as the owners behind Ballaro, a new 112-seat Italian restaurant, hope —pending inspections— that they'll open in three to four weeks in suburban Highwood. The restaurant, an homage to Italy's Ballaró market in Palermo, was conceived by two North Shore friends, Mark Newman and Josh Kaplan,...
