Food

The cacio e pepe at Chicago’s Rose Mary restaurant earned the distinction of being the most popular pasta dish in Illinois, according to Yelp Elite members, Business Insider reported. Owned by chef Joe Flamm and located at 932 W. Fulton Market, Rose Mary features a blend of Italian and Croatian cuisine reflective of Flamm’s Italian heritage and his wife’s Croatian heritage. The restaurant is named after Flamm’s grandmothers, Mary and Mary Rose, and the herb rosemary, which grows natively along the Italian and Croatian coastlines. “Rose Mary is the culmination of everything I have done with my career. But more …

Iconic Italian steakhouse Gene & Georgetti, now owned and operated by the third generation, was named among Chicago’s best family-owned restaurants by Eater Chicago. Gene Michelotti and Alfredo Federighi (nicknamed “Georgetti”) founded the restaurant at 500 N. Franklin Street in 1941. It was then purchased by Michelotti’s son-in-law, Anthony “Tony” Durpetti, who ran it with his wife, Marion. The restaurant unveiled an expansion in 1997, with two second-floor dining rooms and fire doors that separated the newly constructed building from the original erected in 1872. Durpetti died in September. Now, his daughter Michelle Durpetti keeps “the flame burning bright by …

For one week this month, Boka Restaurant Group will run a pop-up of Balena, a popular Italian restaurant in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood that closed after a fire in 2017. The transient dining experience will run from Jan. 19-26 at The Wellsley, a private-event venue at 504 N. Wells St. in Chicago, Time Out reported. According to an official press release, Balena’s temporary iteration will feature “many iconic dishes cherished by guests,” including the Kale Tonnato Caesar Salad, Tagliolini Nero with Uni and Crab, Grilled Hanger Steak with Salsa Verde, and the signature tiramisu. ⁠The five-course, family-style meal will cost …

Crust Fund Pizza is “like a pizzeria, but it’s kind of mythical, and mostly exists in my head, except for when it exists in an alley a couple nights a month.” That’s how John Carruthers described to the Chicago Tribune the charitable pizza-making project he launched in 2020. The project had raised more than $80,000 by October and was expected to raise more than $100,000 by the end of 2024. “Crust Fund Pizza is a way to share the love of tavern-style pizza,” he said about his Chicago-style, thin-crust, square-cut pies. “And to shine a light on the places doing …

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 …