Brio Italian Grille, closed since March 2020, reopening under new ownership
Brio Italian Grille has reopened at Legacy Village under new ownership. The restaurant – which Florida-based Earl Enterprises acquired in June 2020 – had closed in March 2020. Brio’s previous holding company, FoodFirst Global Restaurants, had shut down multiple locations as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday...
Sauce for a good cause: Local Italian restaurants compete at Southern Park Mall
Southern Park Mall in Boardman hosted a new Italian event Sunday night, bringing together restaurants in the Valley as well as the community. Ten local Italian restaurants brought their best to the first Sunday Sauce Showdown — a new event to determine who has the best sauce in the Valley. Restaurants have been busy preparing for the event. “We bro...
Sicilian Street Food from a Ghost Kitchen: Sfera
“We started at farmers markets about three years ago with our arancini-stuffed risotto balls—which is our specialty,” says Daniela Vitale, who runs Sfera in Avondale with her partner, Steven Jarczyk. “My family is from Sicily, and I spent every summer there from the age of sixteen to twenty-five. Starting at farmers markets [in Logan Square, Wicker...
Tomato Festa at Eataly Chicago
Get ready, amici: tomato season is in full swing! From juicy heirlooms to sweet and tangy cherry tomatoes, it's that time of year to enjoy the glorious bounty of the season. Meaning "golden apple" in Italian, a perfect pomodoro is one of life's simple pleasures. And, even though the tomato is not originally native to Italy (hard to believe, we know...
Here Are The Highest-Rated Italian Restaurants In Chicago
It’s likely a challenge to find someone who doesn’t like Italian food. There are thousands of restaurants in the U.S. that offer the cuisine, and trying to find the best one might make the cheese fall off your cracker. That’s why people who dine at Italian restaurants have taken to TripAdvisor to rate the best ones. To make finding them easier, Sta...
Holy Cannoli! This Italian Bakery in South Bend is Simply Incredible
Whenever I make a road trip, I seek out a place for some sweet treats to bring something home for the family members who didn’t travel with us and for a little indulgence for the ride home. We’ve worked in many sweets shops, candy stores, and bakeries over the years, and I recently found a winner that I had to share. This Italian bakery in South Be...
Station Square Ristorante recognized in Wine Spectator’s 40th annual Restaurant Awards
Station Square Ristorante was recently named in Wine Spectator’s 40th annual Restaurant Awards. The local Italian eatery was the only Mahoning Valley restaurant recognized. Station Square, 4250 Belmont Ave., has been serving the Mahoning Valley since 1986. Owner Ottavio Musumenci took ownership of the restaurant in 2001 and showed an interest in d...
Abbiocco Italian Cuisine & Luna Kitchen + Cocktails provide two perfect, unique atmospheres inside one building
Abbiocco Italian Cuisine and Luna Kitchen + Cocktails can be found off of IN-49 at 600 Gateway Boulevard. The unique restaurant and bar are held under one roof. Well, that is if Luna being on the rooftop counts. These two restaurants allow for two different dining experiences in one. “Whether you’re coming from the beach, or you are coming for an a...
Restaurant of the Week: Lucca Grill
The Lucca Grill, in downtown Bloomington at 116 E. Market St., is the first pick for the Pantagraph's new feature on restaurants and bars of the week. Lucca Grill is a locally owned Italian-American restaurant. It was founded in 1936 by the Baldini brothers, Fred and John, but is now owned by Tony Smith and John Koch. While Lucca has a wide variety...
Off The Beaten Path: Astral Italy Via Roma
Bitcoin investments not quite providing for that dream vacation? Still leery of post-Covid international travel? Longing to revisit or experience the unique sounds, smells and flavors of romantic, exciting places like… Italy? Thanks to the culinary skills and heritage of Executive Chef Alessandro Forti and his wife Lisa, it’s possible to experience...
Portillo’s, known for hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, plans to go public
Portillo’s, the fast casual chain known for hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches and chocolate cake shakes, plans to go public, the company said Monday. Oak Brook-based Portillo’s confidentially submitted a draft registration statement with federal regulators. The company said it is still determining the number of shares it will offer and the price ra...
Food Network's Jeff Mauro Wants Us to Come On Over and Gather Around the Table as a Family Again—Pups included
In the very week that the entire country was shutting down as COVID-19 spread across U.S. soil, Jeff Mauro was holed up in an Airbnb with his wife, photographer, and food stylist to capture photos for his upcoming cookbook, Come On Over. As the title might suggest, its original intention was all about gathering together, having friends and family...