Dining

The North American Pizza & Culinary Academy in Lisle, in suburban Chicago, is hosting its sixth annual Festa della Sopressata on April 25. 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 chef Anthony Iannone, NAPCA founder, and co-sponsored by Pastorelli Food Products and Triaforni, an Italian manufacturer of pizza ovens and related products. Special hosts include Frank “The Sodfather” Balestri, a past winner and now instructor of sopressata classes at NAPCA. Judging will be led by past winner Lou Santilo. …

Carmine’s, one of Chicago’s most iconic Italian restaurants, reopened at 1037 N. Rush St. after a two-year, multimillion-dollar renovation that included major interior and exterior upgrades. The restaurant is owned by Alex Dana, founder and president of the Rosebud Restaurant Group, who first opened Rosebud on Taylor Street in 1976. Carmine’s originally opened in 1994, Block Club Chicago reported. “Carmine’s has always been about bringing people together around great food and genuine hospitality,” Dana said in a statement reported by the news site. “This reopening allows us to honor that history while creating something exciting and relevant for the next …

The Chicago-based restaurant group Ballyhoo Hospitality this winter opened its 14th location, DeNucci’s Hinsdale, located at 8 E. 1st Street in downtown Hinsdale. DeNucci’s has existing locations in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood and suburban Highland Park. Guests at the Hinsdale location can find familiar classics like Branzino Piccata, Eggplant Parmesan and Veal Marsala, alongside nightly specials such as Lasagna Bolognese. Leading the kitchen, chef Salvatore “Sal” Lo Cascio lends his signature touch to the restaurant’s Monday Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza Day. Gluten-free Sicilian-style pizza is also available. “Opening in Hinsdale is both a milestone and a natural next step for Ballyhoo,” …

Did you know that music can help you figure out how to cook pasta al dente? Barilla has nine playlists on Spotify designed for that purpose, with songs whose duration corresponds to the cooking time for various pasta shapes. The playlists are titled “Absolute Carbonara” (19 minutes), “Mixtape Spaghetti” (nine minutes), “Boom Bap Fusilli” (11 minutes), “Moody Day Linguine” (10 minutes), “Pleasant Melancholy Penne” (11 minutes), “Best Song Penne” (11 minutes), “Top Hits Spaghetti” (nine minutes), “Timeless Emotion Fusilli” (11 minutes) and “Simply Classics Linguine” (10 minutes). Dubbed “Playlist Timer,” the campaign was created by Publicis Italy in 2021. For …

The Italian dining chain Olive Garden recently rolled out changes at its 900 restaurant locations across the United States, including 33 in Illinois, the U.S. Sun reported. Its menu now includes a “lighter portions” section with seven entrees available for dinner and on weekends: Chicken Parmigiana, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Cheese Ravioli, Fettuccine Alfredo, Eggplant Parmigiana, Lasagna Classico and Five Cheese Ziti al Forno. Known for offering grated-on-the-spot cheese on entrees, Olive Garden now features cheese graters for $19.99 when customers order food online. Each grater purchased includes a free block of the chain’s Romano. For more, click here.  

In Chicago’s crowded steakhouse scene, Deliz Italian Steakhouse brings a lot of assets, including its location, Chicago Magazine reported. Deliz opened in December, in the spot formerly occupied by the restaurant Etta, at 1840 W. North Ave. “We wanted to bring something to Bucktown so people don’t have to go to River North or Gold Coast or the West Loop,” chef Jake Peterson told the magazine. “We wanted to give people something closer to home that could be that date-night spot or let them just come into the bar and get a pasta.” Peterson worked at Etta, famous for its …

In December, Italy’s cuisine was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — the first time a national cuisine received this honor. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni participated in a celebratory ceremony featuring a special illumination of the Colosseum in the nation’s red, white and green colors. “This recognition will give the Italian economy a decisive boost to reach new heights,” Meloni said. UNESCO describes Italian cuisine as a cultural and social blend of culinary traditions marked by the use of raw materials and artisanal food preparation techniques. “It is …

After tasting 2,874 wines from 26 countries last year, Bloomberg critic Elin McCoy has produced a list of her top 50 wines under $50, including 10 Italian varieties. Among whites, McCoy points to 2024 Aia Vecchia Vermentino ($15), 2024 Terra Alpina Chardonnay ($19) and 2022 Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Nozze d’Oro ($29). Her reds list features 2023 Avignonesi Rosso Da-Di ($23), 2024 Badia a Coltibuono Chill Ya Jolo ($19), 2023 Le Volte dell’Ornellaia ($30) and 2021 Le Ragnaie Rosso di Montalcino ($30). She lists one Italian rose, 2024 Istine Rosato ($24), and two Italian dessert wines, 2024 G.D. Vajra Moscato …

After being owned by three generations of an Italian family, Paterno’s Pizza at 5303 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago is under new ownership. “We are truly honored to continue running this locally loved pizza and sports bar,” the Patel family wrote on Facebook in January. “Our promise is simple: to respect everything that made Paterno’s special while slowly bringing in thoughtful improvements and a refreshed look over the coming months — without losing the heart and soul of this place.” The Paterno family emigrated from Italy in the 1930s and opened Paterno’s, which started as a liquor store, in 1954. …

The fourth location of Pronto Italian Sandwiches opened in the fall at 221 S. Washington St. in downtown Naperville, following eateries in Hinsdale and Des Plaines, and at O’Hare International Airport. The chain is owned by Peter and Dana Burdi, who first ventured into the culinary scene in 2009 with the Hinsdale restaurants Il Poggiolo, which closed last year, and Nabuki. Pronto Italian Sandwiches is all about its Tuscan schiacciata bread, Peter Burdi told the Naperville Sun. “It’s made with all products from Italy. All the flour is flown in from Italy, and the olive oil and things like that,” …