Overlooked no longer The fifth season of Opera Festival of Chicago will conclude with full performances of “I Pagliacci” on June 27 and 29 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. Founded and directed by Emanuele Andrizzi, OFC specializes in staging neglected Italian masterpieces. For more, click here. Yet another opera option Fra Noi is always on the hunt for performances of Italian opera in the Windy City and environs, and we’ve gladly shared upcoming offerings by the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Festival of Chicago and Chicago Opera Theatre. So imagine our delight when we …

The Italian restaurant Tortello, whose owner Dario Monni is from Venice, was named by Eater Chicago among the city’s best outdoor dining spots. Monni and his wife, Jill Gray, a native Chicagoan, opened the neighborhood counter-service restaurant and handcrafted pastificio in 2019. “Locals are known to frequently swing by for fresh pasta and jarred sauces, including a stellar cacio e pepe, to cook at home, but there’s a lot to be said for slurping freshly made pappardelle on its Division Street patio for lunch or dinner (or both),” Eater wrote. For more, click here.

After 54 years in business, My Pi Pizza — among Chicago’s most iconic pizzerias — announced it was closing in June. “From our first location on Sheridan Road in 1971 to our Bucktown home since 2000, My Pi has been a labor of love,” the restaurant wrote on Instagram. “We introduced deep-dish beyond Illinois, opened 25 locations across nine states and shared our family recipe with generations of pizza lovers.” Founder Larry Aronson, whose family came from Belarus, perfected his recipe using lower-acid tomatoes, a top-secret “spice pack” and dough built on generations of baking knowledge, Time Out reported. The …

Italian candy giant Ferrero plans to launch its first new flavor variety of Nutella next year, right from the Chicago area, the Chicago Tribune reported. Nutella Peanut was developed by Ferrero’s food scientists and will be made exclusively at the company’s factory in suburban Franklin Park. “We think it’s going to be big,” Seth Gonzalez, senior director of marketing for Nutella, told the newspaper. “We do plan on it becoming a significant part of the portfolio going forward, and so we hope that consumers will get behind it and come try it out.” The plant — which also makes peanut-packed …

Seven-time James Beard-nominated chef Cathy Whims published her first cookbook, “The Italian Summer Kitchen: Timeless Recipes for La Dolce Vita,” in the spring. Whims owns Nostrana, an Italian restaurant that celebrated its 20th anniversary this year in Portland, Oregon. Her cookbook features some of the restaurant’s most beloved dishes, along with some of her own from travels abroad, Axios reported. Recipes include fluffy potato gnocchi, zucchini Parmigiana, tuna-caper pâté, grilled shrimp with herbed remoulade, fennel Alfredo pasta, eggplant caponata and Nostrana’s famous Caesar salad. All are focused on “simple, veggie-forward Italian cooking.” “I think that’s a real tenet of Italian …

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. Say hello to the true voice behind “Hey Hey Goodbye” After “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” was cut in 1969, composer, singer and producer Gary De Carlo opted out of touring so he could continue to write. In response, Mercury Records quickly threw together the band Steam, which became the public face of the song. “You can tell …

The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish will celebrate the 132nd anniversary of its devotion to the Blessed Mother on July 13. Festivities will begin with a 7:30 a.m. Mass in English and a 9 a.m. solemn Mass in Italian, followed by a procession with the statue of the Blessed Mother to a noon field Mass. A procession through the streets of the parish afterward will culminate in a 4 p.m. benediction, followed by a 5 p.m. Mass in Spanish. The Sicilian Band of Chicago and Caliendo’s Banda Napoletana will perform during both processions, and food and beverages will be …

One of the most thrilling and glamorous events in the Chicago-area Italian American community is the contest to determine who will reign as La Bella Regina of the Columbus Day Parade. “Few events in the community can match the pageantry of the annual Columbus Day Queen pageant,” says Ron Onesti, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. “The queen will be the star of the Italian community for a year’s reign.” Sponsored by the JCCIA, this year’s pageant will be held at 1 p.m. on July 26 at the Des Plaines Theatre. The event will be chaired by …

Roselle Sister Cities Italian Committee will host a tour of the region of Puglia from Sept. 7-16. “Puglia is known for its history-rich cities, vibrant culture, dramatic seaside cliffs, crystal-clear waters and rustic cuisine,” tour creator Pat Capriati notes. “We’ve put together a trip that will showcase all those qualities.” The itinerary will include Bari, Mola di Bari, Alberobello, Martina Franca, Lecce, Otranto, Martina Franca, Torre dell’Orso, Santa Maria di Leuca, Polignano a Mare, San Vito, Rutigliano and Manduria. Along the way, participants will witness the pageantry of the Feast of Maria SS Addolorata; explore the ancient trulli of Alberobello …

The Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization will host its fourth annual Festa della Famiglia e Amici from 1-5 p.m. on July 13 in the Festival Center at Casa Italia in Stone Park. The event features a family feast and performances by Tony Ocean, Daniela Croco and The Jersey Girls. Scholarships and grants to families of veterans in need will be bestowed. Tickets are $100 and include entry in a raffle with a $5,000 grand prize. Children under 18 may attend for $20. Sponsorship packets are available. (630-440-9908)