Where to Eat Italian Food in Chicago
If there’s one thing most people can agree on, it’s that a hearty plate of pasta is always a good choice. Heavy with Italian tradition, Chicago is home to some of the country’s best red sauce restaurants. From timeless classics, such as spaghetti and meatballs and chicken Vesuvio, to contemporary offerings featuring luxe ingredients like truffles,...
Italian restaurant to move into old Nichols Library in downtown Naperville this summer
The old Nichols Library on Washington Street will have a new name, look and use this summer when it opens as Gia Mia, an Italian restaurant and Neopolitan pizzeria. Once destined for demolition, the historic library is now part of the Central Park Place development and the centerpiece around which the retail/residential complex has been built. Bria...
Restored Buchanan building now an Italian cafe
Sweet Shop Cafe Italiano is a new business in an old spot. Attorneys Joe Paolucci and Thomas Hitchcock opened it in downtown Buchanan, slowly increasing their offerings since then. Paolucci said they should be able to open fully in February. The store harkens back to the Sweet Shop, which has occupied the historic building for decades and to the It...
Taste of Italy returns to Bryn Du
On Saturday, Feb. 12, Bryn Du will welcome back the Taste of Italy Tour to campus. The fundraiser supports Bryn Du’s historic preservation and community programming efforts, and is open for all to participate. Just like in past tours, the public is invited to place orders for homemade Italian food from The Berwick, a well-loved caterer that is ofte...
Ca’Lucchenzo is Story Hill’s Little Italy
I’m proud to say that one of Ca’Lucchenzo’s owners recognized me and promptly made a joke about how I always sit in the same spot when I come for dinner. My life goal has always been to have a seat that’s always open for me at my favorite spot in town. Unfortunately for me, Ca’Lucchenzo is a very hot spot and reservations (on Tock) are usually need...
Review: Peanut Park Trattoria traces the heart of Little Italy in Chicago
Peanut Park Trattoria has nothing to do with peanuts and everything to do with Chicago history. “When I rented a shoddy, dumpy garden apartment from a gentleman on Loomis Street, he was trying to up the rent on me,” said Dave Bonomi, owner of the Coalfire pizzerias in the city, where smoke lingers in the crust and in the air. “He was like, ‘You k...
Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Fred’s Italian Restaurant offers pizza, pasta in friendly environment
Fred’s Italian Restaurant in Plainfield Township offers pizza, pasta, salads, subs, burgers and more in a relaxed, family-friendly environment. The restaurant, 3619 Plainfield Ave. NE, was opened in 1963 by Fred Pizzo, who was born in 1933 in Sicily, Italy. It’s now owned by his son, Sam, who says the restaurant prides itself on providing quality,...
Balistreri’s Bluemound Inn Is Classic Italian
Both Balistreri’s, the Inn on Bluemound and the Ristorante in Wauwatosa, are known for their pizza, but the restaurant I visited on Bluemound is far more than a typical pizza joint. When you step inside and see the polished wooden railing, the elegant, curved bar that defines one of the dining rooms, the old-fashioned light fixtures, and tables set...
Bella Mia Offers Fine Italian Dining in the Southland
Bella Mia Offers Fine Italian Dining in the Southland (Midlothian, IL) – When you have been in the restaurant business for more than 30 years, it truly becomes a labor of love. So when Randy Spears says he knows every aspect of his business, he is not exaggerating. “I am here seven days a week and I served tables as a senior a few years ago with...
Inside The Kitchen at Nittolo’s Pizza in Lake Leelanau
“This is what we call Sunday dinner, every Sunday, you started the sauce on Saturday,” said Eric Nittolo, the owner of Nittolo’s Pizza in Lake Leelanau. Now he is bringing these dishes to you, seven days a week. “My culture, where I come from, you’re born into this, this is not taught, this is intertwined in my DNA, yeah I am an Italian, I make sau...
Adalina serves upscale Italian romance in Chicago’s Gold Coast
If you’re looking for new ways to celebrate love this upcoming Valentine’s Day, WGN News Now has you covered with our Valentines-YAY! series. In this episode we take you to a gem tucked away in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, Adalina. The modern Italian restaurant opened its doors in June 2021 and is led by Michelin-Starred Chef Soo...
Quartino, Italian in River North
Ahhh Quartino. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re familiar, but we are here with a review anyway to further strengthen this relationship. If you don’t know, whether it’s because you’re new to Chicago, or don’t often frequent the depths of River North, then here’s some info on a downtown standby that caters to a number of needs. Quartino is...