La Rondinella is light on the wallet, big on unique Italian flavors
One of the most important parts of my job is to find the good values hidden among the hype of the Detroit dining scene and then faithfully report them to you. "Would I come back on my own time and dime?" That's one of the core questions I ask when reviewing any restaurant. When it comes to La Rondinella, my answer is a resounding "Ye...
Espresso on Wheels
Today's culture spotlights the food industry. Celebrity chefs, TV reality food competitions, local "foodie" restaurants, and "farm to table" eateries dominate the market drawing regular consumers to become fanatics over what used to be just a cheeseburger. Another phenomenon, not new to the game, is the ever-popular food truck. From as ear...
United Airlines to fly nonstop between Chicago and Rome
United Airlines will fly nonstop between Chicago O'Hare and Rome next year, serving the route on a seasonal basis from May 16 through Sept. 23. United's Chicago-Rome schedule will begin with five weekly flights before ramping up to daily service June 4. The schedule will then shift to six flights a week on Aug. 18 and continue though the r...
Buon appetito! Lima digs in to CIAO Italian Dinner
It was good food, good laughs and good conversation Sunday during the 28th annual CIAO Italian Dinner at Veterans Memorial Civic Center. "That's what being Italian's all about," dinner co-chair Terri Crosina Spencer said. "It's a good day to be Italian. Everyone is today." The dinner has become a Lima institution over the years, with...
Cafe Spiaggia reopens today
by Jan Parr Sentimentalists, be warned. Cafe Spiaggia is not the place it used to be. Six weeks ago, chef/owner Tony Mantuano closed the restaurant at the top of North Michigan Avenue for a refresh of both menu and decor. Gone are the European-inspired checkerboard tile floors, the wainscotting, the burgundy banquettes, the colorful f...
Mangia! Inside fancy food emporium Eataly
by Lorene Yue Eataly—New York's celebrity-sponsored food emporium that is the definition of excess—is almost ready to devour River North. But will the neighborhood's frequent-diner residents and tourists slaver over it? Part restaurant, part gourmet grocer and all show, Eataly is set to open off North Michigan Avenue at the end of Novembe...
Nonna’s Sells a Surprisingly Juicy Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
The same characteristics that make chicken Parmesan such a soul-satisfying dish as an entree—the hearty pool of bright red tomato sauce and blanket of stretchy mozzarella—make it a such a potentially hazardous sandwich. While it almost always looks impressive, after a few seconds the onslaught of wet ingredients leave the bread soggy and the fried...
Annual Abruzzese Salami and Sausage Making Extravaganza
by Sandra Tornberg More than 35 years ago a tradition was started by the late Giulio and Connie Badia. They opened their home to about ten paesani for the purpose of making sausage, salami, and prosciutto in the Abruzzese tradition. Back in those days they started out with one hundred pounds of pork meat, and eventually worked the...
Rosati's celebrates 50th anniversary, new Schererville location
Rosati's Pizza in Schererville may have a new location, but there's nearly a century of tradition behind the name that began in Coney Island, New York and then Chicago's Taylor Street. The name goes back to the 1890s when Italian immigrant Ferdinand Rosati opened a New York restaurant. The family later moved to Chicago where in 1927 Ferdinand's so...
Nico Osteria is a YES
I knew I was going to like Nico. And not just like it, love it. I have been wanting to dine here since it opened nearly two years ago, and I finally made it to Nico on Monday, for lunch, with my Dad. The L-shaped dining room is perfectly decorated, with subtle colors, mixed seating with cushioned chairs, comfy booths and tables. ...
Festa Italiana hosts Italian recipe contest
Festa Italiana invites home cooks to enter their favorite easy-to-prepare Italian recipes in the festival's inaugual Chef's Choice Recipe Contest. A committee will select the top five, and those participants will be asked to present their dish to a judging panel at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 20 in the Cucina Showcase at Festa Italiana. The panel includes...
Buongiorno Chicago - The Italians are coming!
May 2, 2015 - May 4, 2015 Saturday 10:00 AM - Monday 2:00 PMWrigleyville - Lakeview, Clark & Eddy - Chicago, Illinois Buongiorno Chicago - The Italians are coming! Just in time for the James Beard Awards, Lavazza, Italy's favorite coffee, will be perking up Chicago by touring the streets with the Lavazza mobile café, the company...