Il Pastaio is food for the soul
We're taught in early language arts classes to write what we know. But in writing about food, the adage creates a paradox: When a reviewer dines out, he or she does so to experience something new or change perception about something common. Thus, the food writer is often forced to write about that which he or she doesn't know. Food writers...
Flavor of Italy to be featured at new restaurant
By Angie Haflich A taste of Italy — authentic Italy — is coming to downtown Garden City in the form of a new Italian restaurant, one unique to western Kansas that promises a variety of offerings. The anticipated opening of Giardino, which fittingly enough means "garden" in Italian, is two to three weeks away. Located in the f...
Tommy "Salami" Andrew's Complete Guide to the Hill
When Tommy "Salami" Andrew of Randolfi's (6665 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-899-9221) thinks back to growing up on the Hill, he's amazed that the mom-and-pop shops he frequented as a kid are still thriving. "I grew up right in the middle of it all," Andrew recalls. "My mom would have me walk down to Missouri Baking Company and ha...
Lowertown's Trattoria da Vinci closes after 16-year run
by Nancy Ngo After 16 years, Joel Lehman is calling it quits at Trattoria da Vinci in St. Paul's Lowertown. A sign outside of the restaurant reads "Trattoria da Vinci closed for unforeseen circumstances." Lehman said Tuesday that a combination of factors led to closing his Italian restaurant. He said it has been difficul...
At Monello in Minneapolis, a three-course meal is the way to go
by Jess Fleming Monello, the new coastal Italian restaurant in the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis, is a lot of things. It's modern -- but it's also rustic. It's fine dining -- but it's also more casual than La Belle Vie, the last employer of its chef, Mike "YC" DeCamp. It's a great place to hang out with a friend and...
Taste the Regions: Puglia (Apulia)
Join us as we continue to showcase Italy's regional richness and diversity in our popular series "Taste the Regions". Each time, native experts introduce us to a different Italian region or city presenting its history, geography and culinary traditions in an informal and fun format. For the first appointment of 2016, we will discover Puglia, t...
Postino WineCafe opens in LoHi with patio views and Italian eats
by Colleen O'Connor The new restaurant Postino WineCafe, which opens today in Lower Highland in the former Denver Book Binding Co., came to town because of connections. The owners, Lauren Bailey and Craig DeMarco of Arizona-based Upward Projects, met David Birzon, CEO of Snooze, when he opened a Snooze next to their restaurant in Phoenix. &n...
Rita’s Italian Ice to open next to Five Guys Burgers and Fries downtown
by Carrie Rengers Rita has proven to be such a popular gal in Wichita, she's getting a second place here. Five Guys Burgers and Fries franchisees Jeff and Jay Miller are opening their second Rita's Italian Ice next to their Five Guys downtown on East Douglas just east of Washington. "We're planning on it being open early spri...
St Louis Restaurants, Talayna's Italian Restaurant to Celebrate Their 50th Anniversary and Candicci's Restaurant and Bar Celebrate Their 5th Anniversary
Restaurateurs, Mehdi /Susan Rouhani, and Bob Candice proudly announce their achievements. Talayna's Italian Restaurant was founded in 1964 by the previous owner and has been owned and managed by Mehi and Susan Rouhani for the past 30 years. They are known for their Pizza and Italian cuisines. Additionally, they offer catering, banquet faci...
Italian wines are the focus of several new Minneapolis restaurants
For those who love Italian wine and food, this truly is the best of times. Call it kismet or karma. Whatever the terminology, Minneapolis this summer is the right place at the right time for those of us who love Italian food and wine. No fewer than three ambitious Italian eateries have opened in town over the past month or so, with seriou...
Wine Tasting series: Wines of Southern Italy
Southern Italy has been producing wine for 4000 years. Yet the wines from Italy's southern regions are not household names like their cousins from Tuscany and Piedmont. All this may be changing. For a very long time, southern grapes were sent to Northern Italy and Southern France as blends for many of their wines. Now a new group of young vint...
Luigi's joins Des Moines' Italian best
I'm calling Luigi's Italian Restaurante a Des Moines underdog. And, in my book, it's already won a royal title: Move over and share the Italian throne Latin King and Baratta's. Luigi's is an underdog mostly because of location. It is adjacent to a mobile home park on one of the city's busiest streets. A median forces south-bound...