Salerno's keeps its old-school vibe, menu
Four Salerno brothers came to America from Italy in the late 1950s, opened a bar in Berwyn in 1966, and served up pizza, lasagna and other Italian food. The brothers used to go trap shooting on land west of St. Charles. A real-estate agent/friend convinced them to buy land in St. Charles on the Fox River, telling them, "How nice to be on the water,...
Buona Beef Opening In Frankfort: Free Italian Beef For Early Guests
The much anticipated opening of the Buona Beef restaurant in Frankfort will come to fruition on Thursday and those who wait in line early will get a free Italian Beef sandwich. Buona, The Original Italian Beef will officially open its 19th location at 20950 S. La Grange Road in Frankfort on Thursday, July 6 at 10:30 a.m. Those in line at 10 a.m. wi...
Columbus gets its hands on Giordano’s stuffed deep-dish pizzas
Giordano’s has brought its pizza to Columbus, but don’t call it deep-dish. It’s a stuffed pizza. That’s a very important distinction, CEO Yorgo Koutsogiorgas said. “It is a different kind of experience than the original deep dish,” Koutsogirogas said. “We’re kind of the evolution of the deep-dish pizza in Chicago. It tastes somewhat different, in o...
Ohio meatball gem Marcella’s is coming to LoHi
So. Many. New. Restaurants. Here’s another one: Marcella’s Ristorante, Pizzeria and Wine Bar will open on Central St. in LoHi. Marcella’s, in case you couldn’t guess by the name, is an Italian restaurant, and it’s from Ohio-based restauranteur Cameron Mitchell, who also runs Ocean Prime. (Not to mention loads of other restaurants around the country...
Chef's Choice: Grandma's cooking big influence on Italian deli owner
In Chef's Choice, the Naperville Sun asks local chefs to share their culinary background and experiences and talk about a featured dish found on their menu. This week, we speak with Joe Turco, 57, who co-owns Turco's Italian Deli at 1523 North Aurora Road with wife Sherry, who worked for 30 years in the newspaper industry before helping his brother...
Bourdain-Approved Bonci Pizzeria Plans U.S. Debut for Mid-July in Chicago
Anthony Bourdain did wonders for the popularity of Pizzarium Bonci, the tiny and divey pizzeria in Rome with a cult following. Gabrielle Bonci showcased his genius three-ingredient pizzas on a 2011 episode of The Layover with Anthony Bourdain and Americans rushed to the unassuming spot to try Bonci’s inventive and simple three-ingredient pies. Ital...
Detroit's La Lanterna goes modern
The latest outpost of the Barbieri family's Da Edoardo Italian restaurant empire is making the most of its 60-year-old downtown roots. A portrait of patriarch Edoardo Barbieri, clad in a V-neck-sweater, pipe in hand, adorns a wall. A framed April 1958 copy of Michigan Restaurateur headlines, "A Rigid Standard of Quality at La Lanterna Pays Off!" La...
Prisoners Learn to Make Pizza in Chicago
Chef Bruno Abate owns one of the best pizzerias in Chicago. His restaurant makes thin pizzas, heated in an oven with a wood-burning fire. They come with toppings like mushrooms, onions, olives, tomatoes and Italian meats. Each pizza sells for between $12 and $18 at Abate’s restaurant, Tocco. But did you know you can get a similar pizza for half the...
The Real Dorsia Brings Modern Italy to Brady Street
You can be the envy of Patrick Bateman who could never get a reservation at the fictitious Dorsia, the restaurant from the movie American Psycho from which a new Milwaukee restaurant got its name. The owners of Cataldo’s recently opened Dorsia as a thoroughly modern Italian restaurant, a place with lots of energy, creativity and an effortless cool...
Restaurant Review: Mezzo Restaurant & Bar translates to comforting Italian fare
Is there anything more comfortable than sitting on a well-appointed patio, wine glass in hand, surrounded by friends and family? The only thing more comforting, in my book, is the addition of Italian food. If that’s true for you, then you’ll find comfort at Mezzo, part of locally owned Taste Hospitality Group, which also operates Hubbard Grille and...
Shaved Ice, Italian Beef And Gelato Shop Opens In Wicker Park
True to their goal of opening the long anticipated Vinny D's by this weekend's Do-Division street fest, the DeTommaso and Czapla families behind the casual Italian restaurant have announced a grand opening celebration for Thursday. Located at 1709 W. Division St., Vinny D's offers several flavors of shaved ice, gelato, and soft serve ice cream, plu...
Chicago gets first Nutella Cafe, now open on Michigan Avenue
There goes that summer diet plan, Chicago. Nutella Café opens its doors today on the city’s bustling Michigan Avenue. The restaurant is the first Nutella Café to be owned and operated by parent company Ferrero, whose team picked a Second City opening for one big factor. “There’s an incredible dining culture in this city, and Nutella is all about th...