Capriccio Artisan Pizza & Coffee, a Roman-style pizza restaurant, opened in March at 4771 N. Lincoln Ave., in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. “I grew up in Italy and have been perfecting pizza, dough and fermentation techniques for years,” chef Guillermo Paolisso told Block Club Chicago. His dough goes through an extended fermentation process that allows for an airy, crisp and fluffy crust, explained Paolisso, previously executive chef at Artango Bar & Steakhouse, located next door to his new restaurant. “This has the culture of Italy wrapped up inside of it with fresh ingredients. It’s nostalgic, and brings me memories of …

Zarella, a neighborhood pizzeria and taverna from Boka Restaurant Group, opened in March in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Chef-partners Chris Pandel and Lee Wolen crafted a menu featuring a mix of tavern-style and artisan pizzas, an array of entrées and small bites, as well as fresh salads and rotating Italian specialties. “Growing up in Chicagoland, Friday nights meant pizza with my family — always tavern-style: thin, crispy and cut into squares. Now, I’m excited to create a place where people can make their own memories over great pizza, just like I did,” Pandel said. For more, click here.

  UNICO National held its midyear board of directors meeting in Chicago from March 7-9. The centerpiece of the weekend was an awards banquet at the Embassy Suites hotel in Rosemont on March 8, where two Italian Americans were honored for their outstanding contributions to their community and their respective fields. The Guglielmo Marconi Science Award was presented to Dr. Carl D. Marci, a Boston-based physician, scientist, entrepreneur and author. Marci is the chief clinical officer and managing director of mental health and neuroscience at OM1, a venture-backed health-data company that uses artificial intelligence to improve patient outcomes. A Special …

The new home of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is a beehive of activity, with Phase 1 of construction in the rearview mirror and Phase 2 well underway. Indoor demolition was completed in March on the building, located at 3417 N. Harlem Ave. in Chicago, with a mural on the north wall offering a taste of the pageantry and passion to come. “The Harlem Avenue location will be a multimedia experience focusing not only on athletic achievements, but also on the life lessons that go along with them,” says NIASHF President Ron Onesti. The Hall of Fame …

State Rep. Bob Rita has been honored again as a top legislator in Illinois, this time for his efforts to support the state’s park districts. Rita was named the Illinois Association of Park Districts Outstanding Legislator of the Year at the 2025 IAPD and Illinois Parks and Recreation Association Soaring to New Heights Conference in downtown Chicago in late January. Rita sponsored a law last year giving local governments such as park districts and forest preserves the power to control the flying of drones over public spaces. The award was presented by IAPD Board of Trustees Chairman Gary Gillis.  

The Triton College Alumni Association has inducted River Forest chocolatier Madonna Fantetti Slepicka and TV/radio journalist Michele Fiore into its Alumni Hall of Fame. The honor is awarded to individuals who have made a significant impact on their profession, community and beyond. The owner of River Forest Chocolates, Fantetti Slepicka returned to Triton to take culinary classes after earning a Bachelor of Science in business from Eastern Illinois University. A chocolate-making class with chef Uzma Sharif set her on her current career path. “Chef Uzma was a fantastic instructor and was a second-generation chocolatier,” Fantetti Slepicka says. “She sparked my …

Patronato Acli, an agency that provides a variety of services to Italian citizens, has made the leap from the Office Center at Casa Italia in Stone Park to the Italian Cultural Center. The move took place at the beginning of the year, when the Office Center was shuttered after the property was acquired by the village of Stone Park. The office handles pension claims; provides consular, immigration and notary services; offers citizenship consulting; and does translations, apostilles and transcriptions of change-of-status documents like birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates. To make an appointment, call 708-345-0522.  

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.