Fontano's in Hinsdale, not far from Little Italy
Fontano's Subs has been a staple in Hinsdale since 1990 and is the third sandwich restaurant the Fontano family opened. On a recent Wednesday, Kathleen Devine arrived at Fontano's with her three sons, still in their uniforms from Notre Dame Catholic School in Clarendon Hills. They had just gotten haircuts in Hinsdale, and were squeezing in...
Visiting Italy for Cibrèo happy hour: Kristel's CLE
Lately, a trip to Italy might not be as pricey as we imagined it would be. At least, a little taste of what Italy would be like is what you'll find at Cibrèo. This newly opened, Italian-themed restaurant holds happy hour from 3-6 p.m. every Monday-Friday offering guests a wide array of appetizers, beer, wine, and signature cocktails. After enterin...
The Flavors of Tuscany with Sandra Lotti at Eataly Chicago on Dec. 09
by Elena Pinceti Sandra Lotti, chef-owner of Toscana Saporita, embodies the essence of the Italian spirit in her warmth, her zest for life, and her passion for great food. These qualities, combined with her outstanding skill as an enthusiastic teacher, make Toscana Saporita the perfect place to learn the art of Tuscan cooking. Cel...
Iorio’s Gelato Invites East Lansing to Celebrate Grand Opening on November 10
In August it was announced that Iorio's Gelato will be opening up at the new Trowbridge Lofts, and now they're happy to announce they'll be opening to share their artisan Italian gelato and coffee drinks next week, starting with a ribbon cutting grand opening celebration at 9 am on Tuesday, November 10. Iorio's (pronounced "ee-or-ee-oes")...
Savoring Italy glass by glass, bite by bite at Eataly
By Deborah Pankey To answer the question that has been asked of me most often recently ... Yes, I, finally, have been to Eataly. And it was awesome. On a frigid Friday afternoon, a curt breeze blew me and a few friends into chef Mario Batali's temple to Italian culinary arts at 43 W. Ohio St. just steps off Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Ca...
Salvatore’s brings tomato pies to Madison
A young Bob Dylan, passing through Madison in the late 1960s, is rumored to have said that the best things about Wisconsin's capital city were its pizza and its Quaaludes. We have no insights into the pharmaceutical side of Dylan's statement, but were he to stop in today at Salvatore's Tomato Pies, he might wonder just how such a good pizza scene...
State's first Portillo's restaurant set to open Tuesday morning
By Paul Gores The highly anticipated opening of Wisconsin's first Portillo's restaurant is set for Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The diner-themed restaurant, 17685 W. Blue Mound Road in Brookfield, closes at 10:30 p.m. Nick Scarpino, spokesman for the Chicago-based restaurant chain, said a few customers camped out overnight before Portillo's ope...
First Look: Salotto Zarletti offers from-scratch Italian comfort
Mequon has never been one of the area's most exciting dining destinations, but a recent addition to the area gives Milwaukeeans a reason to travel north. Salotto Zarletti, 1515 W. Mequon Rd., which opened this past May, bears only a vague resemblance to its sister restaurant, Zarletti's in Downtown Milwaukee. Read more So...
New professional group to host cuccidati fest
The newly formed Chicagoland Italian American Professionals will present their first annual La Festa dei Cuccidati from 2 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 17 in the Chandelier Room at Casa Italia in Stone Park. The event will feature a baking demonstration of the traditional Sicilian Christmas fig cookie with information provided about its history and origin. &n...
Andiamo owner freshening feel, flavors of restaurants
by Frank Witsil Andiamo owner Joe Vicari is on the move again. After leading his restaurant group through a sluggish economy, Vicari hopes to give it a more casual feel to attract younger customers — and generally freshen up the restaurants as Detroit recovers. At the same time, he said, he wants to hold on to the things that...
Legendary Panino's Pizzeria Places High at the 2015 International Pizza Expo
"This was our first completion in the World Pizza Games in Vegas and it was tough competing with the 230 exceptional pizza artisans from all over the world," said Bruno Brunetti. "It was an honor to compete in those divisions and a thrill to see us do so well, along with Leonardo taking Top 10 overall in the Italian Neapolitan Pizza Division." &nb...
Lake Zurich student wins Future Chefs contest with Italian panini
The savory smells of basil, cheese and pizza dough permeated throughout the Lake Zurich High School cafeteria on March 20 as 15 elementary school students furiously competed for the title of District 95's top chef. Students had about 90 minutes to cook, saute, garnish and present their creation for the district's first-ever Future Chefs sa...
