The Italian-American restaurant Void, located at 2937 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, was among the Chicago Tribune’s 2026 Critic’s Choice winners. Void is best known on social media for its Spaghetti Uh-O’s, which comes in a can with a custom label, and is made with imported pasta topped with house-made sauce that’s been slowly cooked for six hours, the Chicago Tribune reported. “There’s a ‘Wow’ every time somebody gets the Spaghetti Uh-O’s for the first time, and it doesn’t get old,” co-owner and chef Tyler Hudec told the newspaper. For more, click here.  

One hundred years after the bestselling cookbook “The Talisman of Happiness” was first published in Italy, the full English translation of its nearly 1,700 recipes is now available. Its author was chef, cooking instructor and magazine writer Ada Boni (1891-1973), who unified the culinary traditions of Italy’s 20 regions for the first time. In 1915, she and her husband founded the food magazine Preziosa, and a few years later Boni opened a cooking school for aristocratic Roman women. In 1925 she crowdsourced her readers and students, telling them that if 500 committed to buying her cookbook, she would create it. …

The Global Penitent, a Substack blog focused on Catholic history and traditions, has ranked the Feast of Maria SS. Lauretana among the top 10 Italian feasts in the country. “A distinctive feature is the ‘Flight of the Angels,’ a tradition brought from Sicily dating back centuries,” the post notes. “This dramatic ceremony has become the feast’s signature event. This feast is one of two that still maintain this tradition.” During the flight, young girls dressed as angels are suspended above an enthroned painting of the Madonna and Child, where they sing a song of praise to her in Italian. Celebrating …

U.S. Forest Service veteran Adam Bianchi has been appointed general superintendent of the Forest Preserves of Cook County following nomination by Forest Preserves President Toni Preckwinkle and approval by the Board of Commissioners. “Over the last 15 years, the Cook County forest preserves has transformed as an institution, becoming a leader in ecological restoration in a highly developed landscape, in connecting a diverse population to the wonders of nature, and in operations and transparency,” Preckwinkle said. “Adam Bianchi’s experience, energy and perspective are an outstanding fit as general superintendent for the next chapter of the preserves.” Prior to his current …

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society board unanimously voted to hold most of its 2026-2027 meetings at Casa Italia in Stone Park. “It’s conveniently located for our membership, but more significantly, we feel it’s important to support the Casa by having our meetings at this historic venue, our cultural center,” says Arcolian President Dr. Charles Martello. “The room is wonderful and it fits our membership perfectly, and the Casa offers four fantastic caterers to choose from, so it’s a win-win situation.” For more, click here.

Michelle DiSilvestro has been named senior attorney at the Chicago-based law firm of Romanucci & Blandin. In that role, she focuses her practice on medical malpractice and other complex catastrophic-injury matters, including wrongful death and serious personal-injury cases. An attorney at the firm since 2021, DiSilvestro has served as a co-chair of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Young Lawyers’ Division for the past three years and is a member of the Justinian Society of Lawyers Executive Committee, where she has served a three-year term. She earned her juris doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois Chicago School of …

Café Pisolino, a new Italian espresso bar on the ground floor of Italian Village in downtown Chicago, opened in June. A venture of Italian Village Restaurants, Café Pisolino is part of a multilevel establishment that also houses The Village, Vivere, Sotto and Bar Sotto. “Café Pisolino is our way of reimagining how Italian Village can serve the city throughout the day,” said Jonathan Capitanini, president of Italian Village Restaurants. “As the Loop continues to evolve, we saw an opportunity to create something that feels both timeless and new, a place where people can step away, even briefly, and reconnect. It’s …

Ovvio Italian Taverna, which opened in December in Glenview, in suburban Chicago, features New York-style pizzas along with a Neapolitan-focused menu and a taste of central Italy and Italian-American-style influences, according to the Chicago Tribune. Formerly an abandoned automotive repair shop, the space has a contemporary feel with earthy wooden architectural details and warm, overhead open-light fixtures, the Tribune reports. “We draw food from different parts of Italy,” Ovvio co-owner Nick Philippas told the newspaper. “But our main focus was creating a community place where you can bring your kids, you can come in for a drink, you can do …

Strapoli Pizza, deemed “excellent” by the Italian review site 50 Top Pizza, now has two locations in Chicago. The pizzeria debuted at 545 W. Diversey Parkway in 2023, followed by a second location earlier this year at 2054 W. Roscoe St. The original eatery has a fast-casual, BYOB style, while the new one is a sit-down restaurant. “The focus is on round pizzas with long-fermented dough, designed to be light and satisfying. The menu features a mix of classic recipes and more popular combinations, such as the Soppressata with hot honey or the Pistachina with pistachio pesto, fior di latte, …

JJ Vitale was named executive director of the Jacksonville, Florida-based American Culinary Federation, the largest professional association for culinarians and hospitality professionals in North America. Vitale had served as acting executive director since December 2025 after initially joining the nonprofit in September 2024 as director of communication strategy. She previously worked as director of communications and member relations for the National Association for Proton Therapy, marketing manager for the North Florida School of Special Education, director of marketing for the Ackerman Cancer Center, and PR and membership manager for the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Founded in 1929, the American …