Our Good Vibes feature spotlights websites, blogs, videos and podcast from around the world that celebrate Italy’s inimitable spirit. If you have a favorite online offering you’d like to share, send it to info@franoi.com. For more, follow us on Facebook. Guitar phenom delivers searing version of rock classic Sicilian guitar ace Matteo Mancuso “shreds” on his version of the rock classic “You Really Got Me.” First recorded by The Kinks in 1964, it was later covered by Van Halen in their debut album. In the latter version Eddie Van Halen introduced his multi-speed tapping style. Backed by La Propaganda Orkestra …

Surprising pairing Rising jazz star Jimmy Farace will celebrate the release of his album “Hours Fly, Flowers Die” with two sets on March 29 at Constellation in Chicago. The show and album both feature Farace’s velvety baritone sax backed by the distinctive combination of a jazz rhythm section and a classical string quartet. Based on Henry Van Dyke’s poem “For Katrina’s Sundial,” the eight compositions are bound together “by themes of nostalgia and the passage of time,” Farace says. Joining Farace on stage will be pianist Julius Tucker, drummer Dana Hall, Grammy Award-winning bassist Clark Sommers and the KAIA String …

The North American Pizza & Culinary Academy in Lisle, in suburban Chicago, is hosting its fifth annual Festa della Sopressata on April 12. The competition pits local sopressata makers in a battle for first, second and third place. Attended by more than 80 people last year, the event is hosted by NAPCA founder Chef Anthony Iannone, and co-sponsored by Hardcore Italians and Pastorelli Food Products. Judges will include Frank “The Sodfather” Balestri, a past winner and now instructor of sopressata classes at NAPCA. “I’m honored to be selected and humbled by the passion every contestant shows for maintaining this great …

This year, Anichini Brothers celebrates 100 years of their family-operated business. The company has grown from a small grocery store with prime cuts of meat and high-quality sausages to a wholesale food-distribution company based at 545 N. Wells St. in Chicago. Silvio Anichini started the business with his brothers after emigrating from Lucca, in Tuscany. Anichini’s son-in-law, Salvatore Gaddini, recognized the importance of the pizza market and expanded the business to include sausage made in-house. The company offers six types of Italian sausage: Premium Italian Rope Sausage with Fennel; Premium Italian Rope Sausage with Garlic; Premium “Spicy” Italian Rope Sausage; …

A couple who had their first date at Italian mainstay Club Lucky in Chicago about 20 years ago once again left a massive tip the Friday before Valentine’s Day. The generous tippers wish to remain anonymous, executive general manager Thomas Kleiner told Block Club Chicago. In 2021, 2022 and 2024, the couple left $2,000 tips. This year, the couple tipped $3,000 on a $120.38 check. At the couple’s request, the tip was split among the staff that night, some of whom have worked at the restaurant for decades. For more, click here.

Boasting a family-friendly and garden-inspired atmosphere, Giardino Trattoria & Pizzeria opened late last year at 12 N. River St. in the historic Hobbs Building in Aurora, the Daily Herald reported. The menu features wood-fired pizza and a wide range of Italian dishes, including handmade pasta. Chef Ruben de la Cruz previously worked at Hugo’s Frog Bar and specializes in seafood and Italian cooking. Chef Martin Balderas focuses on innovative Italian dishes with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and sustainable practices. For more, click here.

Holy Week is central to the spiritual lives of Italians on both sides of the Atlantic. The shrines of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Pompeii and St. Frances Cabrini will play their parts from Palm Sunday (April 13) to Easter Sunday (April 20). OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL (Melrose Park) will celebrate Mass with the distribution of palms at 7:45 a.m. and noon in English and at 10:30 a.m. in Italian on Palm Sunday; Mass of the Last Supper in English and Italian and the washing of feet at 6 p.m. and adoration of the Altar of …

Spring has sprung, and one of the first signs of it in our community is the annual dance hosted by the Lucchesi nel Mondo. Slated for April 12 at the Mazzini Verdi Club in Franklin Park, the event kicks off with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:30, with music and entertainment provided by Francesco Marino. The menu includes risotto al fungo, spaghetti alla Bolognese, cotolette alla Milanese, chicken Vesuvio, red and white wine, and gelato for dessert. Tickets are $55 per person with a cash bar. For reservations, call Maria Banducci at 630-443-8722 or Elena Onesti at 773-908-1004. …

The Italian American Executives of Transportation held its second annual Augustus Caesar Awards on Feb. 1 at Ashton Place in Willowbrook. This year’s event honored nine young professionals who are excelling in their fields and exhibit potential for future success. The honorees were Nicky Amore (financial planning), Alex Corbo (law enforcement), Stephanie Corona (educational services), Rachel Matug (special education), Gianni Morrone (restaurant services), Anthony Palladino (medical marketing), Philip J. Sasso (audiovisual technology/entertainment), Nicole Sisco (food and beverage, planning/aviation) and Valerie Timpone (government services/judicial system). “These awards showcase young talent in our community who have made a significant impact in their …

Super Lawyers magazine has named 11 attorneys at Chicago-based Romanucci & Blandin to its 2025 Top 100 Super Lawyers, Illinois Super Lawyers and Illinois Rising Stars. Founding partner Antonio Romanucci ranked No. 3 on the Illinois list and senior partner Frank Sommario was among the Top 100 Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers relies on peer selection and review, third-party research and professional achievement to curate its lists. Candidates are eligible as Rising Stars if they are 40 or younger or have been in practice for 10 years or less. Only 5% of attorneys in Illinois earned the Super Lawyer title and …