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When do dough, tomato sauce, and mozzarella stop being mere ingredients and become pizza?It’s a philosophical question that has divided chefs and diners for decades. For some, only pies in the Neapolitan and Roman styles are acceptable—Sicilian, at a stretch. Others extend the goal posts as far as Chicago deep dish. But pizzas have been eaten in so...

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Making pasta from scratch isn’t extremely difficult, but it’s certainly a labor of love. On the whole, freshly made pastas taste better than those made elsewhere, frozen, and trucked in — and arguably no fresh pasta is superior to a filled pasta, ravioli in particular. Just about any professional chef can turn out a sheet of fresh pasta; many can d...

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It's one of the hottest emerging new cuisines in Minnesota, but many already consider a classic. Italian-American food. That's according to Appetites regular, James Norton, the editor of The Heavy Table — the online journal of food and drink. Italian cuisine developed a somewhat deserved bad reputation over the past few decades, Norton said. "On th...

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If you were to tune Pandora radio to a Dean Martin-inspired station, you would get a sense of the mellow vibes and Italian American fare offered at MOXIE Food + Drink. The restaurant feels familiar and cozy as soon as you walk in, even if it’s your first visit. The quaint space has a romantic atmosphere filled by a deep, rich color palette, wood fu...

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Fabio Giambanco and his family were drawn to Hermosa Beach because it reminded them of their hometown of Palermo, Sicily. In this similarity, he's found the successful recipe for running a small eatery specializing in pizza and Italian cuisine. “(Hermosa) is just like our town in Sicily … the beach, the people, everything,” said Giambanco, who said...

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When La Bistro opened 34 years ago, this part of Tarrant County was called the “Mid-Cities” and there was only one other white-tablecloth restaurant. A generation later, La Bistro will throw a celebration dinner Wednesday to thank customers who have made it an old-school Italian dining classic and now, a new OpenTable.com “diners' choice.” “We've h...

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The other night, we paid a visit to an old family favorite, Uncle Joe’s Restaurant on Genesee Street in Geneva. The place was established in 1978, but you’d never know it by looking at it. With a quaint atmosphere, classic red-and-white tablecloths and old-timey portraits and memorabilia on the wall, it feels like it’s been in that neighborhood for...

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Chattering in Italian, the Da Piera kitchen crew toiled over lunch specials in the kitchen at the back of the shop. In the meantime, scents of freshly chopped oranges and roasting pizza wove their way through the tiny restaurant. "Everything I do, it's from the heart," said Piera Vendra, the proprietor and cook for whom the Castleton Corners eatery...

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It’s not a stretch to call Tony Vallone a Houston restaurant legend. For over 50 years, he’s been the powerhouse behind Tony’s, the swanky Italian restaurant that’s long been a staple for foodies and the see-and-be-seen crowd alike. He also founded Vallone’s steakhouse in the Memorial area and Ciao Bello near the Galleria. He also started La Grigil...

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There’s a surprising new sandwich shop landing along Melrose soon, taking up residence inside the shuttered Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese. The place is called Pirolo’s Panino, and it should open in a matter of weeks. Pirolo’s is in part the work of namesake chef Michael Pirolo, a 2016 James Beard Foundation Award semi-finalist in the Best Chef South c...

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