NEWS FROM : GREAT LAKES  

By Mark Bennett Yards and yards of wide open, flat dirt. A batch of hard plastic spheres the size of softballs, and permission to throw them. My preschool-age sons couldn't have been happier. They got a brief taste of the ancient game of bocce ball when our family trekked to the Little Italy Festival at Clinton in the 1990s. The festival fea...

Terlato Wines has reached a long-term agreement with Italy's Collis-Riondo to become the exclusive U.S. marketer of Riondo Spago Nero Prosecco. The pact gives Terlato one of the most promising brands in the U.S. wine market's hottest category.   Riondo, known for its frizzante style that features apple and pear notes, has quickly become one...

Each year in May, Herrin shows off its proud Italian heritage at the nine-day HerrinFesta Italiana. But before the stage is up in the piazza, a group of dedicated volunteers began working on plans for HerrinFesta Italiana 2016.   The HerrinFesta Italiana committee is a not-for-profit fundraising arm of Herrin Chamber of Commerce. Cris J...

Tony Mantuano, the affable James Beard Award winner and Top Chef Master, is a purist at heart when it comes to Italian cuisine. He's been referred to (affectionately, I should add) as "The Godfather," and his Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant, Spiaggia, has been going strong for 30-plus years serving Italian cuisine that's "innovative yet mindful...

A new "Italian pub" called Bar Lupo is slated to replace the shuttered Oak & Char in River North this fall. What exactly is an Italian pub, you ask? "It's a neighborhood restaurant where we hope you can go without having to overthink or over plan," says restaurateur Brian O'Connor. "It's a relaxed, fun and engaging Italian restaurant mixed wit...

Details have been scarce about the forthcoming Chicago outpost of Eataly, Mario Batali's sprawling Italian market and restaurant with locations in New York City and Rome, but beer fans will be glad to hear that brewpub planning is underway. Delaware-based brewery Dogfish Head announced that it will continue its partnership with Eataly and will des...

For the third consecutive year "Festa del Vino" will be presented by the Italian-American Cultural Club from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 15 at St. Florian Hall in Wintersville. A special highlight of the evening will be a silent auction of items provided by area businesses and individuals. Well known local artist Dave Barnhouse has donated a print fr...

Now that Eataly Chicago has been operating for a couple of weeks, now that lines form daily in front of each of its 23 eateries, it's about time we recognise that Eataly Chicago, at its overstuffed heart, is also a market.   A 63,000-square-foot wonderland, importing whole octopus from Spain, making mozzarella twice an hour. But fundamental...

Sostenere il programma AP Italian e premiare gli studenti della Società Dante Alighieri del Michigan che sosterranno l'esame AP nel 2014.   Questo l'obiettivo del Consolato italiano a Detroit che, insieme alla "Dante", ha organizzato un incontro con Luigi Datome, giocatore italiano di pallacanestro della squadra dei "Detroit Pistons", il cui...

Taylor Street Italian Festival on August 14-17, 2014. Celebrate at the Taylor Street Italian Festival with music, amazing Italian food, outdoor cafes, children's activities and cultural exhibits. $5 Thursday and Friday 5pm to 11pm - Saturday – noon to 11pm - Sunday 2pm to 10pm   Chicago's popular Little Italy neighborhood will cel...

di Liliana Rosano   Giovani, ambiziosi e con la voglia di lasciare il segno. Hanno una formazione internazionale, radici italiane e almeno due passaporti che gli hanno permesso di conquistare il Nuovo Mondo. Ma non chiamateli "cervelli in fuga".   Sono gli italiani che "controllano" l'arte americana, a New York come a Chicago. L'Ameri...

By Daniel Bethencourt   In what could be dubbed an act of criminal irony, a statue of Christopher Columbus in downtown Detroit was vandalized just in time for this year's Columbus Day. The statue, located at Jefferson and Randolph right next to city hall, was splashed with fake blood, and a hatchet was taped to his forehead as if it had...