Nando Milano brings Italian food Downtown
By Jessica Hammie Downtown Champaign's newest restaurant is Nando Milano Trattoria. This is the second location for the restaurant — the first is in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood — and currently the only exclusively Italian fine dining establishment in Downtown Champaign. The restaurant is lovely. The remodel and build out of...
Eataly Chicago Opens Chain's First-Ever Roman-Style Pizza Concept
In their first move after closing Baffo, Eataly Chicago today will open a second pizza concept. It's called Pizza alla Pala, named after the wooden paddles the puffy central Italian pizzas are served on. The opening is described as a way to liven-up the second floor piazza and is expected to be the first in a series of moves. No, they're a...
Miko's Italian Ice Ushers in Spring by Opening This Week
by Victoria Johnson You know it's spring when Miko's is open. The popular Italian ice stand in Logan Square will open Thursday afternoon while the Bucktown location will open Friday. Both Miko's Italian Ice locations close for the winter each year and then re-open when the weather warms up a bit, making it a sort of unofficia...
NONNA'S ITALIAN DELI A HIDDEN GEM
You've got a look a little harder to find Nonna's, tucked into the back of the big and flashy Formento's on West Randolph, but the search is worth it. "I grew up in New York suburbs going to a lot of old school Jewish delis and a lot of great just Italian neighborhood delis, and I wanted to bring a lot of those ideas to the table here. But do...
Italian from scratch at Ballaro in Highwood
In north suburban Highwood, there's a new place downtown near the train station which is attracting a loyal clientele due, in part, to their commitment to making everything from scratch. It's a good thing the pasta machine works well at Ballaro, because nearly every table has a plate of one of the restaurant's three or four daily options. &nb...
Mariano's pact with trade group will bring more Italian products to stores
By Jessica Wohl Mariano's has a new partnership with the Italian Trade Agency to bring products from southern Italy to its stores, a move it could replicate with other countries as the growing grocer hopes such specialty fare will help it stand out from rivals. Bob Mariano, the chairman and CEO of Roundy's who started the Mariano's chain,...
M Italian is a grown-up treat that welcomes kids: Family-friendly restaurant review
My 5-year-old stuffed spaghetti in his mouth like it was some kind of contest. My 3-year-old happily devoured her pepperoni pizza. And my husband and I clinked drinks in the sunshine, savoring a moment of leisurely serenity with two normally picky, occasionally whiny eaters. (This was a treat, and not just because we didn't have...
Osteria Via Stato was Italian in River North before everything was
Chef David DiGregorio has been in Chicago for 35 years, but he still has the broad East Coast accent of his native Rhode Island—an accent that bespeaks big family tables full of hearty Italian food. After working for several restaurants here, he's spent the last ten years as chef-partner of Lettuce Entertain You's Osteria Via Stato, which...
Holy Grail owners opening Italian restaurant at The Banks
The owners behind Holy Grail Tavern and Grille are bringing an Italian restaurant to The Banks, representatives announced on Thursday. 'Santo Graal' will open this March on the northern side of Freedom Way, right next door to Holy Grail. It will occupy the former space of Mahogany's Restaurant. Read more Source: http...
Rita Loccisano and the discipline taking over Italy – Now in Chicago!
Rita is the creator of the new culinary discipline VisualFood®, which unities aesthetics and function by transforming food into little works of art without altering the essence, function, or value of the food itself. It has become a huge success in Italy with an evergrowing number of fans. Like in design, the object is not stripped of its...
Piccolo Sogno Due Will Reinvent Itself as the More Casual Nonnina
A taste of cooking from the four Italian grandmothers you never had is headed to River North in early summer. Piccolo Sogno Due (340 N. Clark St., River North), sibling restaurant to Piccolo Sogno, will close at the end of April to reconcept into the more casual Nonnina. "Nonnina is influenced by our grandmothers—all four of them," says ch...
Longtime Gene & Georgetti Chef Opening Italian Spot In Mirabell Space
Arturo Aucaquizphi has spent his last 20 or years as executive chef at Chicago steakhouse stalwart Gene & Georgetti. The Ecuadorian native is now heading out on his own, taking over another Chicago classic, the Mirabell. In about three weeks, he said he's opening Mirabella Italian Cuisine inside the space at 3454 W. Addison St. He'll f...