Food

Nando Milano Trattoria in Champaign, Illinois, was the only Italian restaurant named among the “Best in Central Illinois” by Eater Chicago. “Guests can expect to pay $100 per person for dinner before drinks and tip, and yes, lest you think your eyes deceive you, that is a $600 bottle of wine on the list,” Eater writes. However, the high prices are not a deterrent to the restaurant’s popularity in town. Chef-owner Alessio Vullo, who first opened Nando Milano in Chicago, launched the second location after moving with his wife, who embarked on her medical internship in Champaign. Appetizers include beef, …

Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani opened his new restaurant, Giostra, in October in suburban Chicago’s South Barrington. Located in The Arboretum shopping center, the restaurant is named after the carousel that anchors Piazza della Repubblica in Viviani’s hometown of Florence, Italy, the Daily Herald reported. Giostra’s menu centers around classic Italian dishes crafted from recipes passed down from Viviani’s mother and grandmother, blending tradition with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Viviani, who lives in Barrington Hills, also co-launched Jars, a gourmet-dessert franchise, and Lago Italian in Lake Zurich. For more, click here.

The owners of Il Girasole Trattoria, which opened in July in Chicago, may be from Mexico but have extensive experience and deep appreciation for Italian cuisine. The restaurant at 2700 N. Western Ave. is owned by Christian Hernandez and Rodolfo Hernandez (no relation) and aims to serve “high-quality, northern Italian comfort food,” Block Club Chicago reported. Christian Hernandez and his family spent more than 20 years working front of house at Italian restaurants in Chicago, including Piccolo Sogno and Riccardo Trattoria in Lincoln Park. Chef Rodolfo Hernandez has been cooking in Italian restaurants for 34 years, including at Riccardo’s. Christian …

The first ice cream establishment in the world to earn a Michelin star is located in Taichung, Taiwan. Minimal is sister to the contemporary restaurant Sur, which also has one star. Founded by chef Arwin Wan, former pastry chef at Sur, Minimal offers a seven-course tasting menu for about $37. The menu changes seasonally, featuring, for example, flavors with pine needles, green plums and sorghum wine. “Focusing on ice and ice cream, the restaurant skillfully layers flavors and textures through temperature variations and creative combinations, using unique local ingredients,” Michelin says.

Anna Maria Pasteria, at 4400 N. Clark St. in Chicago since 1989, closed in October. Owner Anna Maria Picciolini wrote on Facebook that she decided to retire “with a heart full of gratitude and a few bittersweet tears.” Originally from Italy’s Basilicata region, Picciolini opened the restaurant with her sister, Maria Spinelli, who died in 2017. The restaurant closed briefly in June after a driver crashed into it. The Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce raised about $20,000 through a GoFundMe that helped cover repairs and assist employees during the closure.

Buona Companies brought its “dual concept” dining experience to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, this summer with the side-by-side opening of Buona and The Original Rainbow Cone. Owned by the Buonavolanto family, which opened the first Buona Beef location in Berwyn in 1981, Buona Companies now also include Beyond Catering and Authentic Brands of Chicago in addition to Buona and Original Rainbow Cone. It all started when Joe and Peggy Buonavolanto took out a $10,000 second mortgage on their house to start the business. “Their dream was to have their kids work side by side to create a business that could someday …

Chicago’s La Gondola restaurant closed after 40 years, but its staple dishes live on. Chef Jose Rivera, who worked at La Gondola for 10 years, incorporated much of the Italian restaurant’s menu at his own restaurant, Mirella’s Tavern, 2056 W. Division St. “I am very good friends with the La Gondola owner, and he asked me if I wanted to take over the brand,” Rivera said. “I said, ‘Why not?’ I know the food very well. I created part of the menu.” La Gondola’s owner’s plan to reopen the restaurant in suburban Tinley Park never came to fruition, Rivera said.

Roberto Linguanotto, the pastry chef credited by many for inventing the Italian dessert tiramisù, died at age 81 in June. Linguanotto is said to have created the dish in the 1970s in the kitchen of the restaurant Le Beccherie in Treviso, in the Veneto region, in collaboration with Alba Campeol, the restaurant owner’s wife, The Washington Post reported. Linguanotto claimed he “accidentally dropped mascarpone in a bowl of eggs and sugar, liked the taste, and the pair worked from there, adding coffee and ladyfingers.” Tiramisù was added to the restaurant’s menu in 1972, eventually spreading across Italy and the world. …

The family-style Italian restaurant chain Buca di Beppo filed for bankruptcy in August after having closed 30 restaurants nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic. The chain’s local outlet in Orland Park was among 13 locations that closed in late July, leaving the company with 44 locations, including only one Chicago-area restaurant, in suburban Lombard. The company was founded in Minneapolis in 1993 and is now headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It attributed its problems to rising labor and food costs and lower demand from consumers, but had experienced declining sales and unit count since 2014, according to Restaurant Business.

Pompei Restaurant, a mainstay on Chicago’s Taylor Street, now offers its very own Italian-style Pilsner beer: the Pompei Pizza Pilsner. The restaurant collaborated with Marz Community Brewing Co. in Chicago to come up with the beer, available on draft and in cans, including four-packs. “This dry-hopped Italian Pilsner is balanced in its subtle complexity, crisp and delicious,” the restaurant posted on its Facebook page. “This Pils will pair well with more than just pizza! Our goal was to create a beer that complements our entire menu.” Pompei was established in 1909 by Luigi Davino, who gave the restaurant its name …