Move over, Giants’ Tommy DeVito. Another ‘insane’ N.J. QB is lighting up NFL (and he’s Italian, too)
Turns out, all of that New Jersey smog is actually pixie dust, and it’s landing on NFL quarterbacks. Oh, sure, we have Superfunds sites all right — super funds, as in what Tommy DeVito and Joe Flacco will be earning in bonuses and (in Flacco’s case) playoff money this season. The NFL’s most unlikely heroes have the Italian Sons and Daughters of Ame...
New Fiori/True BBQ combines high-end traditional Italian cuisine with barbecue whiskey bar in Munster
The new Fiori/True BBQ serves traditional Italian cuisine crafted with top-shelf ingredients, such as lamb from Elysian Fields, a farm owned by the legendary James Beard Award-winning chef Thomas Keller. Keller has penned several cookbooks and owns acclaimed restaurants like The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon and Ad Hoc. Progressive Dining Group b...
Nationals’ Rizzo joins DiMaggio, Marciano, Lombardi in Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo grew up in Chicago hearing stories from his father, the legendary scout Phil Rizzo, about Italian sports icons like Joe DiMaggio and Rocky Marciano. Now the younger Rizzo will take his place alongside DiMaggio, Marciano and other greats from his ethnic heritage when he is inducted Friday night into th...
Army Sergeant Edward Malatesta
Edward Malatesta was born on Nov. 8, 1924, the youngest of five children and the only son of Alessandro and Gulia (Ragnetti) Malatesta. His parents immigrated to the United States from Senigallia, Italy, as a young married couple, first to Philadelphia and then to the Taylor Street Little Italy in Chicago. The family settled on the Northwest Side a...
Lorain Italian American Veterans post holds pancake breakfast
Santa came to town two weeks ahead of schedule Sunday as he made his first appearance at the Italian American Veterans Post No. 1 in Lorain during its all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. Organized by Ladies Auxiliary President Bambi Dillon, the breakfast has become a staple for the post alongside its spaghetti dinners. However, Dillon decided to add...
A Romantic Outpost of a New York City Italian Restaurant Arrives in River North
An East Coast hospitality group will kick off its ambitious three-restaurant plan for the Windy City this week with the debut of its first restaurant in Downtown Chicago. Olio e Più, an expansive trattoria and enoteca featuring Italy’s many regional cuisines, debuts Wednesday at 445 N. Dearborn Street in River North, aiming to win over local diners...
Taste of Chicago: Italian Beef in Grand Rapids
Italian beef sandwiches are the past, the present, and the future. While this iconic dish has been a household name in Chicago for nearly a century, the popularity exploded with the success of The Bear, a Hulu show centered on an Italian beef shop. Even before the show, fans of the sandwich were frequently passionate enough to spread the love by op...
Lake Orion’s Palazzo di Bocce Offers Bocce Fun and Italian Eats
If you had to guess the second most played game in the world, chances are you wouldn’t come up with bocce. But an 81-year-old former contractor, who also happens to be a U.S. national bocce champion, knows its appeal, especially when it comes to building community. Located just off Lapeer Road in Lake Orion, Palazzo di Bocce is an upscale Italian r...
Call for Writers: Literary Night
The Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, in collaboration with Northwestern University cordially invites emerging and established literary authors working in the Chicago area and Midwest to showcase their talent at an event taking place on April 5 at 6pm at the Italian Cultural Institute. This celebration of contemporary artists will be dedicated...
A Modern Italian Restaurant Debuts Where Cactus Bar & Grill Stood For Three Decades
Cactus Bar & Grill stood in the South Loop financial district for more than three decades before the pandemic forced the neighborhood institution to close in 2020. Now, a veteran Chicago chef hopes to tempt visitors with comforting piles of delicate orecchiette and plump raviolo stuffed with pecorino and guanciale. Cristian Mendoza and Petros Papat...
Holiday Market at Troy Italian eatery features handmade cookies, cakes and specialty items
Elisabetta Balzola describes Cucina Lab Torino not as a restaurant, but as a “little corner of Italy” in Michigan. The chef and owner recently marked the third anniversary of the almost hidden place on Crooks at Wattles in Troy that's housed in the same building and behind the Troy Dental School. Balzola’s annual holiday market is set for 11 a.m.-...
Russo Ristorante-Mercato opens at Tanger Outlets
Russo Ristorante-Mercato has opened at the Tanger Outlets near Grand Rapids. The Russo family, with a long history of running restaurants in the Grand Rapids area, opened up the spot, which offers an Italian fine dining restaurant and an Italian grocery store. Guests can find items like gourmet meats, fresh bread and cheese at the grocery store. Th...