Food

The North American Pizza & Culinary Academy in Lisle, in suburban Chicago, is hosting its fifth annual Festa della Sopressata on April 12. 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 NAPCA founder Chef Anthony Iannone, and co-sponsored by Hardcore Italians and Pastorelli Food Products. Judges will include Frank “The Sodfather” Balestri, a past winner and now instructor of sopressata classes at NAPCA. “I’m honored to be selected and humbled by the passion every contestant shows for maintaining this great …

This year, Anichini Brothers celebrates 100 years of their family-operated business. The company has grown from a small grocery store with prime cuts of meat and high-quality sausages to a wholesale food-distribution company based at 545 N. Wells St. in Chicago. Silvio Anichini started the business with his brothers after emigrating from Lucca, in Tuscany. Anichini’s son-in-law, Salvatore Gaddini, recognized the importance of the pizza market and expanded the business to include sausage made in-house. The company offers six types of Italian sausage: Premium Italian Rope Sausage with Fennel; Premium Italian Rope Sausage with Garlic; Premium “Spicy” Italian Rope Sausage; …

A couple who had their first date at Italian mainstay Club Lucky in Chicago about 20 years ago once again left a massive tip the Friday before Valentine’s Day. The generous tippers wish to remain anonymous, executive general manager Thomas Kleiner told Block Club Chicago. In 2021, 2022 and 2024, the couple left $2,000 tips. This year, the couple tipped $3,000 on a $120.38 check. At the couple’s request, the tip was split among the staff that night, some of whom have worked at the restaurant for decades. For more, click here.

Boasting a family-friendly and garden-inspired atmosphere, Giardino Trattoria & Pizzeria opened late last year at 12 N. River St. in the historic Hobbs Building in Aurora, the Daily Herald reported. The menu features wood-fired pizza and a wide range of Italian dishes, including handmade pasta. Chef Ruben de la Cruz previously worked at Hugo’s Frog Bar and specializes in seafood and Italian cooking. Chef Martin Balderas focuses on innovative Italian dishes with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and sustainable practices. For more, click here.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Labriola restaurant at 535 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago. Its menu features a variety of pasta and pizza, including thin-crust, deep-dish, thin deep-dish and gluten-free. Founder Rich Labriola, a native of Blue Island in south suburban Chicago, first established the Labriola Baking Company in 1993, which he eventually sold. Labriola’s Doughboy Restaurant Group also includes Labriola Ristorante in Oak Brook and LaBarra Ristorante, also in Oak Brook. In addition, Labriola owns and operates 16 Stan’s Donuts & Coffee locations in Chicago. For more, click here.    

In January, Prince Street Pizza opened its first location in the Midwest at 939 W. Randolph St. in Chicago. The eatery serves Sicilian-style, square slices, Neapolitan pizzas and signature sauces. This is the 16th location for Prince Street Pizza, which has locations on the East and West Coasts, and first opened in 2012 in New York City. The Chicago opening was spearheaded by Prince Street Pizza founder and CEO Lawrence Longo, along with restaurateur and chef David Choi, owner of Seoul Taco. “We are thrilled to open Prince Street Pizza in Chicago as it’s one of the greatest food cities …

Chef Joe Flamm’s latest venture, the Roman-inspired restaurant il Carciofo, opened in Chicago in December. The restaurant draws inspiration from the restaurants and markets of Rome, which is one of Flamm’s favorite cities. Its seasonal menu offers “elevated yet familiar Italian fare” with traditional antipasti, Roman-style pizzas, main courses and hand-rolled pastas produced daily in a dedicated pasta lab, according to its website. Located at 1045 W. Fulton St., the restaurant boasts decor featuring dark woods, handmade tiles, natural stones and deep saturated colors, along with an open kitchen with counter seating. The dining room has retractable windows looking onto …

Tony Volpentesta, owner of Tony Cannoli in Mundelein, learned the trade from his Italian grandmother after a trip to Japan inspired him to open a pastry shop. Volpentesta had studied business and was working in the running industry when he found himself in Japan for a marathon in 2012, the Lake County News-Sun reported. “Afterwards, we traveled around to a bunch of different places,” he told the newspaper. “I fell in love with Japanese food, Japanese culture and their culture through their food.” The experience sparked a connection in his mind between Japanese sushi and cannoli. “It’s a three-ingredient dish …

The fourth-generation owners of Italian Village Restaurants, a nearly century-old mainstay in downtown Chicago, launched their new dining concept, Sotto, in the basement of the restaurant at 71 W. Monroe St. The eatery has an “elevated menu and relaxed vibe that owners hope will attract a younger crowd,” Block Club Chicago reported. Started by immigrant Alfredo Capitanini in 1927, Italian Village has become a Chicago staple, serving classics such as chicken piccata, cannelloni, lasagna and more. It is now run by siblings Jonathan and Giovanna Capitanini, both in their 20s, who led the renovations of the basement that used to …

  Known for its flagship location in Chicago’s “Restaurant Row” on Randolph Street, Bar Siena unveiled its third location “without much fanfare” about a year ago at O’Hare International Airport, Eater Chicago reported. Located by Gate M34 in Terminal 5, the O’Hare eatery is open daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and until 8 p.m. Sundays. Travelers can order breakfast or dinner off a menu of crowd-pleasing pastas, pizzas and salads. “Boasting a menu that features an expansive Italian street food and pizza bar component, along with small plates constructed to share, Bar Siena literally raises the bar for culinary …