Tony Quartaro pays homage to his family's Italian kitchen at Formento's
"My entire upbringing is based in Italian-American food," says chef Tony Quartaro. "My grandma is a major inspiration for me, and there are pictures of me when I was 8 years old making gnocchi with my dad." Quartaro is poised to bring that traditional Italian family cooking — with a few twists — to Chicago's dining scene when Formento's opens in Ja...
Italian chef brings authentic tastes of home to Batavia
Anyone who travels will most likely agree that the best restaurants are those that are known mainly by local residents. These small eateries where the owner is often the chef survive on reputation so the food is prepared with personal passion. The Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is trying to discover these best-kept secrets by ho...
The Italian Expo Expresso
The Italian American Chamber of Commerce invites you to The Italian Expo Expresso - Tuesday, October 27, 2015, 5:00- 9:00 PM - Bridgeport Art Center - 1200 W 35th St. Chicago, IL 60609 This Tuesday October 27th, we are keeping the ball rolling on the fun and throwing our next one-night event - The Italian Expo...
Sweet of the Week: Italian Ho-Ho at Rosie's West Town Deli
The best part about childhood was snack cakes. The best part about adulthood is being able to eat snack cakes without asking permission first. Or even better, we have the wherewithal to seek out snack cake-inspired desserts that capture the best of both worlds: childhood nostalgia without any of those pesky preservatives that want to kill...
A Conversation with Viola Buitoni - November 07, 2014 at 6:00 p.m.
Join Viola Buitoni as she shares the colorful story that is her iconic culinary heritage. Weaving threads of family, love, pasta and chocolate, she'll describe how her industrious relatives turned Perugina from an exclusive confectionery shop in the heart of the Umbrian capital to the worldwide brand it is today. Viola is a sixth generatio...
Vinitaly International lands in Chicago for the first Italian participation in FMI Connect
From the 9th to the 11th of June, Vinitaly International will be taking part for the first time in FMI Connect as the co-protagonist of a project supported by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) and organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) with the aim of developing the Italian agro-industrial sector through the involvement of th...
Fontano's in Hinsdale, not far from Little Italy
Fontano's Subs has been a staple in Hinsdale since 1990 and is the third sandwich restaurant the Fontano family opened. On a recent Wednesday, Kathleen Devine arrived at Fontano's with her three sons, still in their uniforms from Notre Dame Catholic School in Clarendon Hills. They had just gotten haircuts in Hinsdale, and were squeezing in...
Visiting Italy for Cibrèo happy hour: Kristel's CLE
Lately, a trip to Italy might not be as pricey as we imagined it would be. At least, a little taste of what Italy would be like is what you'll find at Cibrèo. This newly opened, Italian-themed restaurant holds happy hour from 3-6 p.m. every Monday-Friday offering guests a wide array of appetizers, beer, wine, and signature cocktails. After enterin...
The Flavors of Tuscany with Sandra Lotti at Eataly Chicago on Dec. 09
by Elena Pinceti Sandra Lotti, chef-owner of Toscana Saporita, embodies the essence of the Italian spirit in her warmth, her zest for life, and her passion for great food. These qualities, combined with her outstanding skill as an enthusiastic teacher, make Toscana Saporita the perfect place to learn the art of Tuscan cooking. Cel...
Iorio’s Gelato Invites East Lansing to Celebrate Grand Opening on November 10
In August it was announced that Iorio's Gelato will be opening up at the new Trowbridge Lofts, and now they're happy to announce they'll be opening to share their artisan Italian gelato and coffee drinks next week, starting with a ribbon cutting grand opening celebration at 9 am on Tuesday, November 10. Iorio's (pronounced "ee-or-ee-oes")...
Savoring Italy glass by glass, bite by bite at Eataly
By Deborah Pankey To answer the question that has been asked of me most often recently ... Yes, I, finally, have been to Eataly. And it was awesome. On a frigid Friday afternoon, a curt breeze blew me and a few friends into chef Mario Batali's temple to Italian culinary arts at 43 W. Ohio St. just steps off Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Ca...
Salvatore’s brings tomato pies to Madison
A young Bob Dylan, passing through Madison in the late 1960s, is rumored to have said that the best things about Wisconsin's capital city were its pizza and its Quaaludes. We have no insights into the pharmaceutical side of Dylan's statement, but were he to stop in today at Salvatore's Tomato Pies, he might wonder just how such a good pizza scene...