Eataly Chicago Launches Alpina: A Winter Pop-Up Experience
This January, Eataly will launch a new pop-up experience: ALPINA. Named after the landscape of the Italian Alps, this limited-time-only experience will run through March 2025 – providing a taste of the après-ski lifestyle without ever having to hop on a plane. With an immersive design inspired by the baita, or mountain cabins, that can be found sca...
Troni Brothers Bella Bistro Italian restaurant opens in Troy
Dave Keen admits he is not the most likely owner of Italian restaurants, but he is excited about the opportunity to serve the Troy area with the opening of Troni Brothers Bella Bistro, where local residents will be able to enjoy sit down meals, a quick lunch, carry-out or delivery. “My family is German. I am the only one born in the United States,”...
The women behind Chicago-area based Linguini Sisters Pasta Sauces: 'A very big nickname for us'
When life gave Annamarie Gullo bruised tomatoes, she smashed them and made an amazing line of sauces. The CEO and founder of the family-owned company, Linguini Sisters, began jarring and selling marinara, vodka sauce, and other varieties while in treatment for post transplant lymphatic disorder. "Because I went through that terrible time in my life...
New Italian restaurant opens in Lansing's REO Town
A new restaurant serving Italian dishes and promising live entertainment opened its doors Tuesday on South Washington Avenue in REO Town. REO Town Clubhouse, in a nearly 12,000-square-foot building at 1314 S. Washington Ave. that was previously home to Ellison Brewing Co., will begin offering live entertainment with dueling pianos in February or Ma...
Sotto breathes new life into the century-old Italian Village
My sister, Madeline Shea, and I have been coming to the Italian restaurant La Cantina in downtown Chicago since the respective ages of eight and seven, so it wasn’t without trepidation that we visited its successor, Sotto, for the first time in early December. The cheeky, Italian American bar (Bar Sotto) and restaurant (Ristorante di Sotto) combo f...
Puccini’s Pizza, Carmel, Indiana
I’ve been a longtime fan of Puccini’s Pizza & Pasta. We’ve been regulars for years, and honestly, I don’t see that changing anytime soon! Between the excellent food and the friendly service, Puccini’s checks all the boxes for a great dining experience. Today, I took advantage of their lunch special, which I highly recommend. For just over nine buck...
Nittolo's Little Italy To Open In Traverse City's Warehouse District
One of Leelanau County’s most popular restaurants is expanding to Traverse City, MI. Eric Nittolo, owner and head chef at Nittolo’s Seafood & Pizza in Lake Leelanau, is preparing to open a new restaurant concept called Nittolo’s Little Italy in the Breakwater complex on Garland Street. Nittolo tells The Ticker that demolition is underway to convert...
Visit to Parasson's Italian Restaurant in Akron is like a trip to the past | Local Flavor
It was like taking a trip back in time. My parents would take us to eat at Parasson's when we would visit relatives in Greater Akron. And when they opened a Parasson's in Ashtabula not far from my childhood home in Conneaut, we would often have dinner there. Later when I found myself at Kent State, I would eat at the Parasson's in Stow. There was a...
Christmas at Caputo’s: Nostalgic Holiday Traditions at an Italian Grocery Store in Chicago’s Suburbs
You probably remember the old-time cartoon characters – Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, and others – who picked up the scent of delicious food and then magically floated through the air, following their noses to the good smells. I had a similar sensation over 40 years ago, walking into Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Market in Elmwood Park (2400 N. Harlem Ave.) fo...
Nando Milano a Central Illinois standout
Nando Milano Trattoria in Champaign, Illinois, was the only Italian restaurant named among the “Best in Central Illinois” by Eater Chicago. “Guests can expect to pay $100 per person for dinner before drinks and tip, and yes, lest you think your eyes deceive you, that is a $600 bottle of wine on the list,” Eater writes. However, the high prices are...
Sotto Brings Elevated Flavors To The Basement Of Italian Village
Chicago’s oldest Italian restaurant is opening a basement eatery with an elevated menu and relaxed vibe that owners hope will attract a younger crowd. Sotto opens Thursday in the basement of the sprawling Italian Village Restaurant, 71 W. Monroe St., following an extensive makeover. It replaces La Cantina Enoteca, one of the restaurant’s three dini...
Beloved Italian restaurant Balena is popping up in Chicago early next year
Just a few weeks after we published a piece about the 23 local businesses that Chicagoans wish they could bring back from the dead, Boka Restaurant Group reached out to reveal its intentions of running a Balena pop-up—one of the very eateries mentioned in the story—from January 19, 2025 through January 26, 2025 at the Wellsley (504 N. Wells Street)...