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A frequent criticism of mine in previous articles I have written for this blog is the number of our people (and they are legion) who have made their mark on history but who nevertheless are virtual unknowns in the collective minds of the American public.  This is due for a number of reasons including American attitudes towards Italians (especially...

The long-anticipated opening of the Tuscan Kitchen will become a reality March 1 when the doors open for dinner at 581 Lafayette Road. This week, the restaurant was bustling with employees completing their fourth week of training, with chefs and cooks in the open kitchen and others serving artistically plated rustic Italian cuisine to staff.  This...

Famiglia…family is family, like it or not! A brother and sister depart war-torn Italy in 1947 and cross the Atlantic to reunite with their father in Benton, New Jersey.  As the seasick brunette dreams of eligible Americani, the young fellow dreads the prospect of dealing with his cantankerous Papà.  Meanwhile, in Benton, another Italian-American fa...

Standing at the corner of 9th Street and Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, only a minor change to the awnings hint the major change inside. Zelo looks new. “Towards the end, our service and food didn’t match the décor,” said original Zelo owner Rick Webb. Webb opened Zelo in 1999, and sold it in 2008 to focus on his restaurant Ciao Bella. He o...

We are pleased to announced the 2017 Columbus Day Parade will be Monday, October 9, 2017 on State Street. Thank you to everyone who celebrated the 2016 Columbus Day Parade with us. The parade can be viewed here on ABC7’s website. For nearly half a century, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans has sponsored Chicago’s Columbus Day celebrati...

A little more than an hour outside of Venice, Italy harbors a secret gem of a culinary melting pot. Bordered by Slovenia and Austria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is nestled in the northeastern corner of Italy and boasts some of the country’s finest gastronomic artisans. Lush landscapes, quaint villages, and snow-capped mountains provide the perfect backg...

Cari lettori, Vi voglio raccontare il mio impegno per voi in questa settimana di carnevale. Ricevo spesso da voi, e vi ringrazio perché utile al mio lavoro, molte sollecitazioni e consigli su varie questioni. Questi giorni ne ho ricevute parecchie sul ruolo diRai Italia: chi vuole più sport chi più cultura, chi più informazioni etc.., tutte cose le...

LUX Wines, an importer and purveyor of fine wines within an independent division of the E. & J. Gallo Winery (Gallo), announced today that it has been awarded the exclusive rights to distribute Italy's Argiano wines in the United States, beginning June 1, 2017. Argiano is the latest addition to a growing LUX Wines portfolio of elite and iconic bran...

The Loggia Giosue Carducci Lodge No. 146 Sons and Daughters of Italy this week gathered local firefighters from “this end of the county” to the second floor of the lodge to present them with checks. Each of 15 fire companies received a $1,000 check from the Sons, according to Tom Walker. Walker said the lodge has donated to fire companies before, b...

“I grew up in the kitchen. I didn’t walk in the front door of the restaurant, I walked in the kitchen door.” Gabriela Littleton has a little more skin in the game as director of banquets and private dining at Chicago steakhouse staple the Erie Cafe. To be exact, she has four generations worth, having spent the past two years working in concert with...

As usual, the 89th Academy Awards, aka “Oscars,” ceremony – annually presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) – is going to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, on February 26th. More unusual is the presence of Italian roots both in one of the event’s producers, Michael De Luca, and in the host of the evening, c...

Cattivella gave us a sneak peek of its menu, and we are actually, physically trembling. The new Italian restaurant from Chef Elise Wiggins (formerly of Panzano) won’t open for another month or so, but that just means you have time to get your stomach stretched out enough to comfortably accommodate all the amazing eats coming out of her wood-fired g...