A familiar building has gotten new life in LeClaire. La Ragazza Tuscan Kitchen & Bar will open at 117 Cody Road this fall. The building was formerly home to Faithful Pilot, which closed in December after 30 years in business. Sisters Chandra Bock and Alicia Rolfes co-own the Stardust in downtown Davenport and are now venturing into the restauran...

It’s no secret that I have experience with road trip food. On the long road trips of my childhood, carefully prepared bologna sandwiches and Lay’s potato chips, pretzel rods and cold grapes were the fare of choice. As I got older and started taking road trips without my family, McDonald’s stops became the norm (apart from my two-year vegan era, dur...

There is no shortage of Italian restaurants in New Jersey. But while many serve the tried and true classics, Limoncello Ristorante in Sewell puts a unique twist on each dish. According to Co-owner Ergys (Eric) Rakaj, the menu also changes every six months to focus on local, seasonal produce. Patrons can expect traditional Italian cuisine such as ho...

The Town of Angier, N.C. is continuing to see an expansion of their restaurant offerings.  Coming soon to Angier is a special treat from up north, which is all due to a family’s decision to start fresh. Giuseppe’s Italian Market & Subs will be opening their doors soon thanks to the Canepa family. Co-Owner John Canepa entered into the idea after wor...

When I think about hazelnuts and Italy together, that gooey confection—often found in a collectible jar—immediately comes to mind. Yes, I’m talking about Nutella, a clever and cloying friend that begs to be slathered on toast, or eaten by the spoonful. But the hazelnut has a much deeper place in the Italian culinary tradition—especially when it com...

There can never be too many pizzerias in New Jersey. But Tramonto’s Pizza in Ocean Township in particular stands out for their selection of pies and daily off-menu specials. The restaurant offers light & airy deep dish pies as well as thin crust, crispy Italian Brooklyn style pizza. The Deep dish pan pizzas are already a hit. “We took a lot of time...

It's a "cynical" blend of New York and Italy. Cinico Coffee Company (Cinico means 'cynical' in Italian) is welcoming customers of all dispositions to their first New York City location on Madison Avenue and East 35th Street. Taking over the former home of Chocolat Michel Cluizel at 199 Madison Ave., the cafe and wine bar offers an all-day menu, wit...

It’s one of the most iconic scenes in one of the greatest movies in American history, and it has almost nothing to do with the rest of the plot. It’s mob capo Paulie Cicero, played by the late Paul Sorvino. He’s in a minimum-security prison with the rest of the wise guys. They’ve bribed the guards so they can have all the stuff they need for a prop...

In a commissioned study conducted by OnePoll, Fresh Express discovered that when it comes to international cuisines, 36% of Americans say Mexican is their favorite, followed by Italian (32%) and Chinese (25%). The study also found that 47% of Americans said that using international ingredients when cooking made them feel like a professional chef an...

More than 20 years ago, while Portland restaurateur Adam Berger was learning to make pasta in Montelupo Albese, Italy, he would watch the matriarch of the the restaurant bake her daily focaccia: Pans slid into the wood-fired oven, and bread would emerge airy and crisp at the bottom to be placed at the tables in the dining room. “I can still remembe...