Food

“Outdoor” dining in the dead of winter? It shouldn’t be possible, but Jim & Pete’s has pulled it off. The iconic Elmwood Park eatery recently earned Outdoor Patio of the Year accolades after it bought a nearby building, demolished it and built a heated 1,000-square-foot addition that features a motorized, louvered roof and drop-shade windows that, at a touch of a button, can make the room comfortable in almost any weather. “This isn’t putting a tent up around a patio or unrolling canvas to block the rain; this is a completely convertible room,” says Jim Michael Bucchianeri, who co-owns the …

When you’re as passionate about Italy as Spacca Napoli owner Jonathan Goldsmith, frequent visits to the motherland are as gratifying as they are inevitable. “I go to conduct research or attend events with colleagues,” Goldsmith says, “and always to reconnect with people I care about and who have become family.” In October, he spent two weeks at the agriturismo Le Campestre outside of Naples, helping the Lombardi family pick olives and make wine. “I first met them in 2004,” he explains. “They are the producers of conciato romano, a pecorino that dates back 2,000 years.” As an executive producer of …

Chicago native Gianna Farago Tetrick recently was inducted into the Maggiano’s Hall of Fame for her philanthropic work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses celebrated its 15th year partnering with the restaurant for the Eat-A-Dish campaign. Spearheaded by Farago Tetrick during her time as marketing director and carried on by the Maggiano staff since her departure, the program has raised more than $8 million dollars to date, granting more than 1,100 wishes to children receiving treatment throughout the nation. Farago Tetrick, who says her desire to give back is driven by …

Some of my fondest holiday memories of my dad are of preparing dinner with him on Christmas Eve. We conjured up some pretty fabulous feasts, but a red sauce with perfectly tender calamari evaded us for years. We would sauté the squid first, soak it in milk, and simmer it in the sauce anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, but to no avail. Then I sampled the absolutely sublime calamari sauce at Freddy’s in Cicero and I had to know their secret. “Simmer it longer,” said Joe Quercia, who runs Freddy’s with his wife, Ann Marie, “and buy East Coast …

You wouldn’t know by its name, but House of Cakes in Park Ridge has deep Italian roots. Owned and operated by Gerardo and Marie Nigro since 1987, the tiny storefront is a cornucopia of cannoli, pizza, focaccia, sfogliatelle, cuccidati and more, as well as wedding cakes and a host of American pastries and baked goods. Tortes, coffee cakes, donuts, cookies, strudels and breads fill their shelves to capacity, and all of their butter cookies are made with real butter. Seasonal favorites include pumpkin, apple and cherry pie as well as pumpkin and apple slices. By far their most popular items …

Always on the lookout for unique Italian offerings, La Mozzarella has unearthed a cheese with a proud Pugliese pedigree. Hailing from the far southern region and dating back to the 14th century, the company’s caciocavallo is aged in caves for at least six months, emerging with a thin, light-brown rind and an interior the color of straw. Hard, compact and perfect for grating, it has an earthy flavor and a buttery, stony and slightly picante aftertaste. Natural, smoked and di grotta versions are available wholesale. (lamozzarella.com)

Never one to rest on its laurels, Volpi Foods has added Heritage Prosciutto to its already extensive list of artisan salumi and cured meats. The company is partnering with family farms throughout Missouri and Illinois to humanely raise and harvest high-quality heritage-breed pork. The product is aged for more than 18 months under the watchful eye of Volpi’s master salumiere, yielding a rustic flavor with a nutty finish that’s sure to stand out on any holiday charcuterie. Heritage Prosciutto is available for both wholesale and retail customers. (volpifoods.com)

  Chicago’s own Spacca Napoli was recently acknowledged by the Consorzio di Tutela Della Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP as the best Neapolitan Pizzeria outside of Italy at this year presentation of the Guida Top 50 in Naples. Earlier this year, the Chicago pizzeria was ranked among the top Italian restaurants in Chicago by Gambero Rosso. “(Owner) Jonathan Goldsmith trained under Enzo Coccia and other great pizza masters,” the Italian food and wine magazine notes. “In this way he managed to raise the palate of the Windy City to a higher level.” Non ce male, eh?

  Forza Pizza is a social network where pizza lovers can discover, share and browse pizza from anywhere in the world. The brainchild of Chicago-area native Alberto DeCicco, the website allows visitors to post favorite neighborhood spots, publish homemade creations and recipes, plan pizza vacations, and shop for “pizza swag.” Participants earn pizza points, badges and medals that could land them atop the Forza Pizza Leaderboard! Visit forzapizza.com and follow @forzapizza on Instagram.  

  Diners at the newly opened Alcentro Trattoria in Bloomingdale are in for a rare treat. Included among the restaurant’s hearty, exotic dishes are several that come straight from the hearts of owner Domenico Fronteddu and chef Daniele Sotgiu, both of whom were born and raised in Sardinia. Among the regional specialties are linguine vongole e bottarga (clams, garlic, parsley, white wine, fresh tomatoes and imported fish roe), and macarrones de punzu (semolina dumplings, lamb ragu and pecorino sardo) as well as desserts with eye-catching names like seada and pane carasau. (224-353-6047, www.alcentrotrattoria.com)