Food

  What began as a low-key competition with a handful of entries has blossomed into a winemaking extravaganza with nearly three dozen competitors vying for top prizes in two categories: red and white. Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets held its 2015 Battle of the Vino at the grocery chain’s Carol Stream store. Among the winners chosen by a panel of four judges were the Mike Scarlatti Group (pictured), Frank Manfredi, Michael Cozzi and Ken Gross. (caputomarkets.com)  

You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted true Mozzarella di Bufala. Just ask Lara Postiglione. “This isn’t your garden variety mozzarella,” she asserts. “It’s a protected trade name in Italy that applies only to cheese made from the milk of water buffaloes raised in the Campania and Lazio regions of Italy and produced to very exacting standards.” Lara first experienced this sublime dairy product while teaching English as a second language in the Port of Naples. It was a life-changing experience. “It was the most amazing thing I had ever tasted,” she recalls with unabated delight. “I was absolutely crazy about …

Calling the gelato con brioche at Freddy’s Pizza in Cicero an ice cream sandwich is like calling the Mona Lisa a pretty good portrait. Owners Joe and Ann Marie Quercia drop a scoop of their heavenly gelato between the halves of a soft, golden bun, heat-sealing it with a special press imported from Sicily and then drizzling it with chocolate sauce. Warm on the outside, frozen in the center, it’s a masterpiece through and through. “In Sicily, they have it for breakfast!” Joe assures. Goodbye, Good Humor. Hello, Freddy’s! http://freddyspizza.com

Jonathan Goldsmith of Spacca Napoli Pizzeria in Chicago may be one of the best Neapolitan-style pizzaiulo around, but he’s never one to hog the spotlight. In early August, he yielded his brick oven to third-generation pizza maestro Attilio Bachetti. “Pizzeria Trattoria da Attilio was founded in 1938 and is located in the Pignasecca neighborhood of Napoli,” Jonathan explains. “Attilio’s artistry embraces the time-honored traditions of ‘la vera pizza.’ We were so proud to showcase him.” http://spaccanapolipizzeria.com

Sure, the lasagna at Frankie’s Deli in Lombard was recently rated the best in the western suburbs. But the Conforti family hasn’t stayed in business for half a century by resting on its laurels. They recently added a small butcher shop that packs a mighty protein punch. In addition to top-of-the-line beef, pork and poultry, the display case features Frankie’s famous handcrafted sausages. “We offer mild, medium and hot Italian sausage, Barese and Sicilian,” Frank Conforti notes. “And every week, we feature different specialty sausages like rapini, giardiniera, and red pepper and provolone.” http://frankiesdeliyorktown.com

Zucchini blossoms pop up on menus across the area each summer, but Amore Mio in Palatine has a leg up on the competition. “They come straight from my father’s garden,” says Chef Tony Barbanente, who lightly breads them; fills them with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil; and pan fries them to perfection. And the bounty of Nicola Barbanente’s garden doesn’t end there. In season, he and his wife, Francesca, cart eggplants, cucumbers, long beans, Melrose peppers and host of other veggies and herbs from their home in Inverness directly to Tony’s kitchen. http://amoremioil.com/wp/

One of the best Italian restaurants in the Chicago area closed its doors in July. Owner Frances Fiorentino and her son and business manager Stephen poured their hearts and souls into Fiorentino’s Cucina Italiana on Ashland Avenue in Chicago for nine years, earning accolades and a loyal customer base with their inviting atmosphere, attentive staff, and delightfully conceived and impeccably crafted dishes. “We are proud of our employees for their dedication and kindness. They are family to us,” Frances wrote in a heartfelt farewell. “We will be forever grateful to everyone who ever walked through our front doors and introduced …

  How good is your homemade wine? To find out, sign up for the fourth annual Battle of the Vino. Hosted by Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, the event will be staged on Aug. 29 at the grocery chain’s new Carol Stream store, 520 E. North Ave. Home winemakers are invited to vie for a $250 Caputo’s gift card and other prizes; learn new tricks from Caputo’s resident wine experts; and sample wines, cheeses and deli meats as they put their own wine to the test. (630-620-4444, ext. 1034; www.caputomarkets.com)  

Terlato Wines has added several new labels to its luxury wine portfolio in recent months. Late last year, the Lake Bluff, Ill.-based wine producer and distributor began importing Epsilon, a new Italian sparkling rosé wine from the Veneto region. And effective Jan. 1, Terlato took over the U.S. sales and marketing of Cecchi, a leading producer of Chianti Classico and other Tuscan wines. Most recently, the company became the exclusive U.S. importer for the Burgundy Domaines of Château de Meursault and Château de Marsannay. The long-term agreement marks the addition of some of the most respected wines of the Côte …

  Alert Fra Noi reader Walter Santi unearthed some pretty remarkable statistics on the internet that portray pizza making as a powerhouse industry that’s on the rise. According to PMQ Pizza Magazine’s 2013 State of the Industry Report, the U.S. pizza industry rang up a staggering $36 billion in sales for the year ending 2012, with more than 60 percent of pizzeria operators reporting increasing sales over the previous year. The total pizzeria store count for September 2012 was an equally mind-boggling 71,856 nationwide, with nearly 40 percent of the stores owned and operated independently of national and regional chains. …