Food

As you walk up to the gleaming new storefront on North Avenue in Galewood, a large automatic sliding door sweeps open and you hear, “Welcome to Serrelli’s. It’s our grand re-opening today.” And grand it truly is. For nearly 80 years, Serrelli’s Finer Foods has been a grand name in the industry that’s guaranteed to bring a smile. From the first grocery store that Louis Serrelli opened at Western and Huron in 1934, the Serrelli family has been all about great products and friendly service. “When my grandfather came over from Calabria in the 1930s, he had the philosophy that …

by Jim DiStasio, Joe Stella and Paul Basile Even though the Turano Baking Co. is one of the largest bread makers in the nation, its heart still beats with the warmth and generosity of a small family business. For the last half century, La Famiglia Turano has steadily built a world-class company firmly rooted in values that can be traced to its founder. Launched in a storefront shop in Chicago in 1962 by Mariano Turano, the company has blossomed under the stewardship of sons Renato, Tony and Giancarlo into a national powerhouse with more than 750 employees who create more …

Sergio Lazzara is proud to be Italian, of course, but he takes a special pride in his Sicilian heritage. “If you ask for directions in Rome, folks are friendly and efficient. You’re on your way in a minute or two,” he explains. “In Sicily, you’re talking for 20 minutes because they want to know your life story.” That warm embrace can be felt in every menu item and decorative touch at Affresco, the pizzeria and lounge in Park Ridge that Lazzara opened in 2006. A veteran of the restaurant business at only 35 years old, Lazzara began his culinary journey …

Take a tantalizing culinary tour of Italy’s Lazio Region with Casa language instructor and amateur chef Giovanna Dimetros. Your adventure will include a cooking class, recipes, information about the region, and mini-language class with the spellings and pronunciations of Italian words and phrases related to food. Typical dishes from Sardegna will be prepared and enjoyed by the students with Italian music playing in the background. The session will run from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on March 25 in the Mentesana Weber Room of the Community Center at Casa Italia in Stone Park. Admission is $65 per person. This is a BYOB event. …

Gene & Georgetti received the inaugural Chicago Classic Award at this year Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Grand Chefs. The evening featured three-dozen Chicago’s chefs preparing and presenting their signature dishes to more than 750 guests. By the end of the night, more than half a million dollars was raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event took place on Jan. 30 at the Fairmont Hotels and Resort. geneandgeorgetti.com

There is an old saying in Italian culture: “Families are like a fortress.” Tucked away in west suburban River Forest are two small businesses started by an Italian immigrant who wanted to create a fortress for his family and a business for his five children. Frank Bertolli is the proud owner of Bertolli’s River Pizza and Frank’s Deli, located at 7973 and 7971 Lake Street respectively. All five of his children — Carlo, Tony, John, Nora and Marilda — have had a hand in Bertolli’s success. Bertolli was born in 1949 in Mola di Bari. He came to the United …

When a young man works behind a deli at age 15, does he dream one day of owning it? Pat Roberto did. Most high schoolers work evenings, weekend and summers mowing lawns, babysitting or painting homes. But Roberto’s part-time job blended his Italian heritage with his quest for the future. “I had jobs here and there at Calabria Imports,” describes Roberto. “I always had the time in the summer to work at the store behind the deli, as a stock boy or a cashier. I grew up in it.” Spending the majority of his extracurricular life at Calabria Imports set …

Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.” Michael Mangini wholeheartedly agrees. When you’re sipping a Chianti at your favorite local ristorante, chances are good that it was made available by Mangini’s company, Tuscany Distributors of Illinois. After all, Mangini’s company distributes about 200,000 bottles of wine a year in the Chicago area alone. “We are the exclusive distributor for 230 different Italian wines,” Mangini explains. “Our wines come from all over Italy: Sicily, Lombardia, Venice, Naples, Bari and, of course, Tuscany.” Mangini was introduced to the wine business by a friend who owns Tuscany …

Italians aren’t really known for baking pies. When it comes to sweets, things like cannoli or biscotti are what usually come out of an Italian kitchen. But Peter Fasano’s family must be doing something right. Fasano Pies has been in business in the Chicago area for four generations. Our story begins in 1927, when Italian immigrant Joseph Fasano Sr. started loading trucks for Wagner Pie Co. As a dedicated employee, he worked his way up to driving and selling pies on a route he started from scratch. “Why pies? My grandfather just loved, loved, loved the pie business,” says Peter …

  It’s hard to grow a family business growing without completely transforming it, but third-generation meat packing exec Angelo Brooks Carmignani is keeping 75-year-old Randolph Packing Co. in a strong growth mode by sticking to one simple ingredient, loyal employees. Randolph was started in 1928 by Angelo Carmignani, an immigrant from Lucca who came to the United States with a skill for making Italian sausage, and scraped up enough money to start a business that played to his strengths. “Everything was based around the family,” says the 43-year Brooks, who currently served vice president at Randolph. “And my grandfather had …