The Chef Who Led the World’s First Michelin-Starred Brewpub Is Now Tackling Italian
You’ve got to have guts to open a red sauce joint in Chicago, especially if you’ve never even been to Italy before. But if chef Soo Ahn has proven anything this past year, it’s that he has nerve. In 2020, Ahn walked away from Chicago’s Band of Bohemia, where the executive chef had earned a Michelin star for the restaurant, citing a toxic work envir...
Here are 11 suburban Milwaukee Italian restaurants that give you a taste of Italy, and a lesson in the language
If you're going to call yourself an Italian restaurant, you have to know the language, though for the guests themselves the menu items can sometimes be, well, difficult to pronounce. You know you're in an authentic place when the staff verbally breezes through the menu with ease and doesn't dumb it down. Traditional Italian restaurants have a bit m...
Food truck faves: Amore de la Cucina
Anna (aka Nonna) Rondinelli and Joe (aka Papa Joe) Micheli launched the Amore de la Cucina food truck in 2018, offering a range of Italian-American traditional favorites to diners at festivals and other events. “We have been together for over eight years,” says Micheli. “We both love cooking and have cooked for family and friends most of our adult...
Best Pizza Place In Buffalo Grove: Readers Pick
We asked Buffalo Grove Patch readers this week to give us their best pizza place recommendations. And the results on your favorite spots are now in. In total, 90 readers shared their go-to pizza places in Buffalo Grove. It was a close call, but Nino's Pizzeria & Catering narrowly beat out Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. Rosati's Pizza was next in total vot...
Italian Concept Adalina to Open in Chicago on June 21
Adalina, a refined hospitality destination serving modern Italian cuisine accompanied with robust wine offerings, is opening its doors on Monday, June 21. Located at 912 N. State, Adalina's culinary program is led by Michelin-starred chef Soo Ahn, previously of Band of Bohemia. Adalina is the vision of partners Phil Siudak, Matt Deichl, Miles Musli...
Buona Beef's Italian Beefless Sandwich tastes like the real thing
While previous generations of plant-based burgers tasted nothing like the meats they sought to imitate and were often punctuated with protuberant beans and mealy soy, more recent, higher-tech efforts like Impossible Foods and Beyond Burger have come closer to the mark. Many restaurants and grocery stores now offer plant-based burgers, meatballs, ba...
Jefferson Park’s Sicilia Bakery Launching Food Truck After Worker Shortage Leads To Temporary Cafe Closure, Owner Says
The owner of longtime neighborhood staple Sicilia Bakery Chicago plans to open a food truck service in the cafe’s adjacent parking lot after closing his storefront last week after struggling to find staff. The owner, Freddy Pecoraro, told Block Club he will reconfigure the store into a rental venue. He said his food truck should be open within a fe...
Italian-Style Coffee Bar Planned For Wauwatosa Village
A new Italian-style coffee bar plans to open in Wauwatosa Village. Bill Haley, Tommy Orlando and Tommy Orlando Jr. plan to open Vendetta Coffee Bar at 7613 W. State St. in place of Del Monte Bar. The bar will serve Italian-style espressos and cappuccinos along with a homemade blend espresso that Orlando built. Wine and local beers on tap will be se...
New Italian restaurant opening in downtown Green Bay
A new destination for Italian cuisine will soon be opening in downtown Green Bay. Mangiare, a sister restaurant of Republic Chophouse, will open on July 8 and is located at 121 North Adams Street. The location was previously the site of the Candlestick Lounge. Officials say that Mangiare (pronounced man-JHAH-ree) is slightly different in that it is...
J.P. Graziano Celebrates 84 Years Of Feeding Chicago, From Italian Imports To Legendary Sandwiches
Jim Graziano still remembers being 9 years old and getting up on Saturdays or summer vacations to sweep the floors, load shelves or delivery trucks, and count the cash drawer without a register at J.P. Graziano. Working at the family-owned importer and distributor warehouse at 901 W. Randolph St. was a rite of passage for Graziano’s grandfather, h...
Unexpectedly Italian: Matthew’s a delicious Dayton addition
Dayton, a town of 2,700 residents located a short seven miles from McMinnville, definitely has its charms. A picturesque park in the heart of downtown appears movie-set-complete with a gazebo perfectly placed in the center. Surrounding the square, buildings reflect a glimpse of the past and present, too, with new life bustling in one particular sto...
In love with Lucca
Italy must run in the blood, wine and water at 1415 W. 22nd Street in Oak Brook, Ilinois. The space that was formerly Tuscany has now been transformed to Lucca Osteria & Bar thanks to owner Steven Hartenstein. He obviously loves to talk to guests who patron his newly opened establishment as he looks them right in the eye when speaking to them. His...