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Tara Francolini, a New Orleans restaurant business veteran, saw a niche in the local market. It was part of her own cravings for the Italian sandwiches she grew up eating in New Jersey and the northeast. She also knew one key factor could be a deal breaker. “It’s the bread,” Francolini said. “It can make or break the sandwich, and I’d rather not op...

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The DiFara and Juicy Lucia collaboration concept came to a halt in late 2022. While signs are down on the red sauce-on-barbecue endeavor, pizza still will come from the corner building at 100-102 Lincoln Ave., Grant City. “We’re going to call it D’Lucia,” said its owner, Richie Holmes. A former co-owner of the place, he’ll remain a tenant of the ad...

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From the main floor of the luxe Four Seasons Nashville, Mimo Restaurant and Bar makes a dramatic statement. Spacious and modern, posh yet relaxed, its lounge, impossibly long marble bar and elegant dining room stretch along First Avenue with a wall of windows overlooking Riverfront Park. Against that backdrop, the lights along the Cumberland River...

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For a long time, I didn’t quite comprehend the widespread affinity for red sauce Italian American food. I wasn’t the mom who made lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs, perhaps because the best versions require the mixing of milk and meat, which isn’t allowable in our kosher home. Eggplant parmesan was an option, but my kids weren’t fans. When we dine...

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Crabs are a contentious topic in Venice right now. The moeche, or soft-shell crabs - normally harvested from lagoon mudflats to star on local menus for a few short weeks in October and April - have all but vanished this year. It’s blamed on a combination of rising temperatures, overfishing and invasive alien species – chiefly, the far larger Atlant...

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The new Martinelli's Market in downtown Champaign is an Italian-inspired deli, a bakery, a restaurant and a retail shop all rolled into one. And if you ask co-owner Lauren Brokish what some of the signature sandwiches are, the first three she names are the turkey, pastrami and corned-beef rubens. These sandwiches are "massive" and large enough to s...

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Authenticity Makes the Most Sense - Joe Isidori is unapologetically "New York Italian". However, it wasn't always that way. While building his brand, he found his voice after "shedding the armor" of what he thought he should be, and did what made the most sense: be himself. Gaining Balance by Leveraging Social Media - Joe Isidori's father Arthur wa...

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There is pasta, and then there is pasta. Understanding this difference is more obvious in some circumstances than others. An obvious example: Chef Boyardee vs. homemade ravioli. Less obvious: the difference between bronze-cut and industrial boxed pasta. Of course, any Italian nonna worth her parmesan could tell you the difference immediately, but f...

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The next Winter Fancy Food Show is about to run on January 15-17, 2023. The trade show organized by the Specialty Food Association (SFA) will return to Las Vegas, moving into the new, larger West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. “Building on the success of the 2022 show, we anticipate a strong turnout from leading retailers, innovative exhi...

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Panic has beset the Italian American Community!! Pastina — the ultimate Italian American comfort food  — has gone the way of the Dodo!!!  Only… it hasn’t! When an Italian American thinks of pastina, especially during these cold winter months, it brings one back to the comforts of childhood, a cozy day in bed, and Nonna’s healing touch. But this wee...

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