At Home With Milano's Italian Restaurant - a Cookbook
With the current global pandemic, we are all facing, it is safe to say the restaurant industry may have been hit the hardest. With restaurant dining rooms being closed to patrons, owners have been forced to get creative with sales. From offering takeout and delivery services to make-your-own pizza kits, restaurants are doing all they can to keep th...
Onesti named president of Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
Ron Onesti was unanimously selected to become president of the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, its board of directors announced Monday. Onesti is the organization's second president. Founder George Randazzo served in that capacity from 1977 until his sudden passing last July. "This is an honor I will not take lightly," Onesti said. "As only t...
Roost Modern Italian reopens with new look, new menu
The Oregon District's Roost Modern Italian opened back up for dining inside the restaurant on Thursday. Dana Downs, executive chef and owner of Roost Modern Italian, estimates that her occupancy is about 78 percent of what it once was. She has expanded the restaurant seating into the Dough Room — the restaurant’s private dining room in the back of...
Cubs' Anthony Rizzo to test cooking skills in virtual class with renowned chef
Ever wanted to take a cooking class instructed by a renowned chef with one of your favorite Cubs players? Now’s your chance. Anthony Rizzo will put his culinary skills to the test on May 29. In a Zoom cooking session, the Cubs first baseman will prepare Italian dishes under Chef Giuseppe Tentori‘s tutelage. Tentori, chef and owner of GT Fish & Oys...
Italian Stainless Steel Company Picks Indiana For North American HQ
INOX Market Service will invest $15 million to establish its North American headquarters in Delaware County, IN, creating up to 101 jobs by the end of 2024. The Padua, Italy-based company, which has operations in Europe, Mexico and India, will launch INOX Market North America (IMNA) and construct and equip a 139,800-square-foot facility in Muncie....
Sam Toia of the Illinois Restaurant Association is a Chicago guy who gets Chicago things done. Is he pushing too hard on reopening?
Sam Toia, based on appearances alone, looks more Lex Luthor than Superman. The guy is bald, bald, bald, rarely the tallest one in the room, though also baldly persistent, and full of charisma, able to leap tall bureaucracies in a relatively short period of time. But not without stumbles, of course. Toia is president and CEO of the Illinois Restaura...
Italian Street Festival postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic
An event that annually draws 40,000 fans of Italian food to the southeast side of Downtown Indianapolis has been postponed. The Holy Rosary Italian Street Festival, which was scheduled for June 12 and 13, is postponed indefinitely due to concerns about COVID-19. Italian Street Festival organizers said in a statement that they will post updates to t...
Bob Mariano to open new Lincoln Park grocery store: Dom’s Market and Kitchen
Bob Mariano, the man behind Mariano’s grocery stores, plans to open a new chain of grocery stores in Chicago with the first one slated to open next March in Lincoln Park. Dom’s Market and Kitchen will be a small-footprint grocer that caters to “busy consumers who want the option to cook at home, take out quality prepared foods, or eat on-site. Cons...
Magnani: An American in the Giro d'Italia - Excerpt
The Giro d'Italia, yet another victim to the coronavirus sweeping the globe, won't be held this year for the first time since 1946 when the Giro had finally resumed after five-year hiatus imposed by World War II. The 1946 Giro started on June 15 in Milan with a field of seventy-nine starters – all Italian, except for Joseph Magnani, an Illinois nat...
Festa Italiana is canceled for 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns
The Greater Rockford Italian American Association made the announcement Monday canceling all 2020 summer events, including Festa Italiana. This comes as the latest summer event to be canceled in the region due to COVID-19. While the state is currently in Phase 2 and ideally looking to get into Phase 3 within the month, officials with the associatio...
Scotti’s Italian Eatery staying open only for carryout and delivery
Not all Cleveland area restaurants are willing to reopen on Friday, May 15. Scott Nathanson said he’s felt the pressure lately but, he’s standing firm. “We want to protect our customers, we want to protect our staff and right now is not, in my opinion, a good time to be opening up to the public,” said Scott Nathanson, owner of Scotti’s Italian Eate...
Carmen’s Italian Ice opens in Olney
Carmen’s Italian Ice officially opened in Olney April 30. It’s located on Spartan Road, in the same location as the old Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard, which closed permanently in the winter. Carmen’s has been open in Rockville for 19 years. Its owner, Jason Mandler, who hales from New Jersey, describes the establishment’s frozen treat as “d...