Eataly Chicago Hosts a Celebration of Italian Flavors
Olives – beside olive oil – are a staple of the Mediterranean diet and appear in many traditional Italian recipes, but they are not often considered as a real "ingredient" and are often ignored by modern, creative cuisine. Focusing on culinary traditions and innovations was the aim of the lessons recently held at Identità Golose Chicago, the roami...
Labriola’s Italian Beef Sandwich Upgrades a Chicago Classic
by Nick Kindelsperger The Italian beef stands out rightly as one of Chicago's most distinctive hometown sandwiches, a mess of gravy-soaked meat which should arrive topped with pickled giardiniera and roasted peppers. As great as the sandwich can be, most versions are built on soft and soulless rolls that offer little flavor of the...
Pompeii Fest makes move to September
"We hear a lot about change these days: climate change, change of pace, change is good," says Marcia Piemonte, director of events at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii. "For the last several years, Mother Nature has made the weekend of our Festa di Tutti i Santi one of her hottest and stormiest of the summer. This year, a decision was made to change...
Greater Rockford Italian American Association to hold banquet Oct. 10
The Greater Rockford Italian American Association will hold its annual Hall of Fame and Special Recognition Award Banquet at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort, 700 W. Riverside Blvd. The event will honor Rockford-area Italian Americans who have made significant contributions to the Italian-American community and will feature a socia...
Serratore, Falcons hockey in fine form
The Air Force hockey team enters this weekend with a bye and coach Frank Serratore dropped a bombshell during his weekly press conference. He has never lost to Bye. "I look at our schedule and I see Bye listed there," he said. "I am calling it right now. We will destroy Bye. Bye has no chance against us. I have never lost to them. You...
A mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes
Thanks to this column, and my "check-ins" on Facebook when I am out researching somewhere, my friends know to contact me if they have a question about their Chicago or Italian heritage. I received a call from the sister of one of those friends last week. She has been bitten by the genealogy bug, and despite her best efforts, she was unable...
Cleveland’s Italian Community
by Joyce Mariani Like a giant that awakens from a deep slumber, Cleveland's Italian community is in the midst of a vibrant cultural rebirth, a "risorgimento culturale," born from a desire to fully embrace the great mosaic of Italy's rich cultural heritage. Ohio has one of the largest populations of Italian Americans, numbering approximate...
Wyandotte: ‘A Taste of Italy’ provides financial boost to Penrickton Center for Blind Children
by Jim Kasuba Fundraisers always seem better when good food is involved. If that's the case, it's hard to beat a fundraiser like "A Taste of Italy," which is centered around the sampling of genuine Italian food, as well as Italian and California wines. Last month's event at the Downriver Italian-American Hall continued a decadelo...
Rosati's Pizza Traces Rich History Back to an Italian Immigrant
by Michael Sewall Although the Bolingbrook Rosati's Pizza is an offshoot of the company celebrating 50 years in business, it still shares in the history that goes back about a century—all thanks to Ferdinand Rosati, who ditched New York in the early 1900s for the more favorable pizza haven in Chicago. Ferdinand, an Italian immigra...
Italian Festival gets cooking this weekend
The Sons of Italy will serve up their usual assortment of food, games and music this weekend at the annual Summer Italian Festival. Organized by the Order Sons of Italy in America Geneva Lodge 2397, the festival runs from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with bands and bar service through midnight. "There's going to be lots of food, band...
After 31 years, Spavone's still a hit in Bloomingdale
by Ann Piccininni The clientele at Tony Spavone's Ristorante in Bloomingdale is a devoted group. "We have people who have been coming since I opened up," said Spavone, who unveiled the 260-seat restaurant at 266 W. Lake St. 31 years ago. He said he's seen more than a few customers start out in high chairs, move up to wedding rehearsal...
Patterson produces pasta and pancakes in Oxford
By Matthew Rigali Paesano's Pasta House owner Mike Patterson said the restaurant business has been in his blood since age 14. But it wasn't always his life's work. "I did a lot of radio," Patterson said. "I was in radio for 12 years." A job opportunity with a large communications company brought Patterson from New Jersey to Oxford. B...