Dining

Pelago Cafe, an Italian spot that recently opened at 325 Waukegan Ave. in north suburban Highwood, celebrates a family’s heritage and culinary traditions based in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. The cafe is owned by cousins Mada Ugolini-Hitchmough and Ruthie Amidei, and its name honors two neighboring towns, Sant’Anna Pelago and Pievepelago, “where generations of family, food and tradition shaped the values carried forward today,” the business’ website states. “When our families emigrated from Italy, they planted their roots in Highwood. We both live here today and love this community deeply,” Hitchmough and Amidei told Patch. “Highwood has such a rich appreciation …

Founded in 2022 by a former McDonald’s executive and his family, Lantern Pizza Co. at 1420 Ogden Ave. in Downers Grove has developed such a following that it expanded over the summer, enclosing a patio to add 65 more seats to the 38-seat eatery, the Daily Herald reported. Former McDonald’s Executive Chef and Vice President of Culinary Innovation Dan Coudreaut said he embarked on his pizza venture because he missed the immediacy of making food for people in front of him. The menu features handcrafted 12-inch pizzas made with fresh ingredients and cooked in a brick oven For more, click …

  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. …

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 …

A small pizzeria in Galesburg, in central Illinois, made the list of “The Best Hole-In-The-Wall Pizza Joint in Every State” by The Takeout online publication. The pizzeria, named baked (with lowercase “b”), has a playful and creative approach featuring fun and innovative flavors, according to the review. “Inspired by Grandma’s kitchen, but anything but stuck in the past, this spot offers everything from classic pies to unexpected options, like goat cheese and herbs, or brisket with blue cheese. The crust leans bread-y, the ingredients are thoughtfully sourced and it’s perfection.”  

If you’re curious about the history of Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, you can delve into the memoir “Deep Dish” by Marc Malnati, the founder’s son and chairman of the company. “Malnati reveals the inside story of a chaotic family dynamic, and the healing and ultimate success that could only come because of a loyal team with an unrivaled work ethic, a willingness to embrace personal growth and a faith that wouldn’t die,” publisher Agate Midway says. Malnati graduated from Indiana University with a business degree in management. Under his leadership, Malnati’s experienced tremendous growth, going from two pizzerias to 52 throughout …