Marisa Palese plans to write a book about what the Chicago Tribune called “the long-disputed story behind the most controversial of all the Chicago-style pizzas.” That’s the stuffed pizza, invented in 1971 by her father, Rocco Palese, who with her mother, Annunziata Palese, opened the original Nancy’s Pizza in 1974. The franchise now has 25 locations, including 18 in Illinois and the rest in Georgia, Missouri and North Carolina. Marisa Palese owns the last pizzeria remaining in the family at 8706 W. Golf Road in Niles. She is looking for a publisher for her book, which will be “a saga …

LAGO Italian restaurant, which opened earlier this year in Lake Zurich, Illinois, is the latest venture from Italian-born celebrity chef Fabio Viviani. Viviani appeared on the reality TV series “Top Chef” in 2008, when he was voted “Fan Favorite.” Through his group, Fabio Viviani Hospitality, he’s opened three dozen food establishments, restaurants, bars and event spaces, according to his website. The Lake Zurich restaurant, however, is special. Viviani, a resident of nearby Barrington Hills, told the Daily Herald, “This is in my neighborhood, so it’s personal. We got a good turnout, it feels great.” Steak is the main attraction at …

IA Literati 2024, Casa Italia’s 20th annual celebration of local Italian-American authors, will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 13 in the Florentine Room of the Italian Cultural Center of Casa Italia. The event will begin with a meet-and-greet with the writers, followed by presentations. Additional activities include book sales, book signings and raffles, and a light lunch. Admission is free, but freewill donations are encouraged and reservations are required. Several new authors, including Louis Rosati, Jeffrey Gentile, Eric Dregni, Albert DeGenova and Emilie Lucchesi, will take part in the event, along with veteran literati Christina Marrocco …

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society will install Dr. Jessica Mattern as president on April 23 at Toscana Restaurant, 1859 W. Central Road, Arlington Heights. Cocktails will be served at 6:30 p.m. with the dinner and presentation starting at 7:30 p.m. Mattern is a board-certified pediatric dentist with more than 15 years of experience serving children and individuals with special needs. Her fellow officers for 2024-25 will be Dr. Lauren Allegretti, president-elect; Dr. Charles Martello, vice president; Dr. Megan Ratliff, treasurer; Dr. Robin Gallardi, secretary; and Dr. Dominique Bertucci, dinner chair. Mattern will be accepting the gavel from outgoing president Dr. …

  Bernard Ghilarducci will be installed as president of the Mazzini Verdi Club and Giovanna Carlino will be installed as president of the Mazzini Verdi Ladies Club at an installation dinner on April 27 at the club, 9230 Belmont Ave., Franklin Park. Ghilarducci and Carlino will be accepting their gavels from outgoing presidents Luigi Banducci and Lydia Arnstein. Reservations are required by April 21. (630-443-8722)

Super Lawyers magazine has named 13 attorneys at Chicago-based Romanucci & Blandin to its 2024 Top 100 Super Lawyers, Illinois Super Lawyers and Illinois Rising Stars. Among them are several Italian-American attorneys, among them founding partner Antonio Romanucci, who ranked among the top 10 on the Illinois list. 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 only …

Poetic contemplation To mark the recent release of the collected poems of Italian writer Antonella Anedda the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago and the Department of French and Italian at Northwestern University will present a conversation with the poet and her translator, Patrizio Ceccagnoli, moderated by Massimiliano Delfino. Scheduled for 4 p.m. on April 29 at Northwestern University, the event will begin with a bilingual poetry reading of the author’s work, followed by a round table discussion on poetry, languages and translation. For more, click here. Blues legend Legendary Italian singer-songwriter Zucchero will bring his Overdose D’Amore World Tour to …

Stefani’s Bottega Italiana, a fast-casual restaurant at 6075 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, specializes in homemade pasta, Roman-style pizza and Italian sandwiches. It also features a “pasta lab” and a retail area with imported Italian ingredients, Block Club Chicago reported. Leading the kitchen is Vincenzo Vottero, a Michelin-starred chef from Bologna, Italy, who also has been tapped as Stefani Group’s culinary director. Vottero’s signature dishes are Bolognese tortellini stuffed with meat and Parmigiano-Reggiano, and lasagna made with seven layers of spinach-infused noodles with Bolognese sauce. In addition to Vottero’s handmade pastas, Bottega offers additional pastas made in-house, along with a …

Chef and restaurateur Rick Tramonto, who was behind the acclaimed, now-closed Tru in Chicago, is at the helm of Nisos Prime, a Mediterranean steakhouse in Chicago’s West Loop. The author of several books and cookbooks, Tramonto is executive chef and director of food and beverage for Parker Hospitality in Chicago. Tramonto and Parker Hospitality launched Nisos Prime at 802 W. Randolph St., the location that housed Nisos, a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant that closed last year. “What was exciting about the project was the fact that I could take all of this Mediterranean influence from Italy and France, Greece and Spain, and …

When Lauren McLaughlin found out she was allergic to gluten and about 30 other foods, she soon discovered that a lot of gluten-free food wasn’t very good, and some even “legitimately terrible,” she told the Daily Herald. McLaughlin, who used to make homemade pasta with her grandmother, decided to start her own brand of gluten- and allergen-free pasta. She first sold her pasta at farmers markets and in December opened a retail store, Ugly Noodle, at 2600 Keslinger Road, Suite 15, in Geneva, Illinois. The store sells fresh, gluten-free pastas, dried pastas and a curated selection of mostly gluten- and …