Dining

La Scarola Italian restaurant at 721 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago has at least two celebrity fans: actor Jeremy Allen White of the FX’s hit show “The Bear” and Guy Fieri, the Emmy award-winning restaurateur and TV personality. Fieri is said to never skip a visit to La Scarola — which appeared twice on his show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” — while in town, Chowhound reported. White also pointed to La Scarola, which opened in 1998 and is owned by Joey Mondelli and Armando Vasquez, as a favorite, according to Chicago Star media.  

Restaurant industry veteran Brett Patterson was appointed president and CEO of Portillo’s in February. He also joined the board of directors of the Chicago-based fast-casual restaurant known for its Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs and decadent chocolate cake. Patterson brings extensive leadership experience across large, national restaurant brands, with a strong background in operations, team development and driving sustainable growth, according to GlobeNewswire. “This is a tremendous brand with a powerful culture, an incredibly passionate fan base, a long runway for growth, and a team that truly cares about delivering great experiences,” Patterson said.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill, which operated more than 200 restaurants at its peak in the early 2000s, is now down to fewer than 10 locations, TheStreet reported. The casual Italian restaurant chain’s website lists 17 locations, but many of those have closed, according to media reports. One location remains operational in Illinois, at O’Hare International Airport. Founded in Texas in 1988, Romano’s peaked in 2006 with nearly 250 restaurants but filed for bankruptcy in 2017, with closures bringing it down to 91 restaurants, Restaurant Business reported. The chain is currently owned by RMG Acquisition Co.

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 …