Lucca Osteria & Bar in suburban Oak Brook is the vision of Italian chef and veteran restaurateur Claudio Ulivieri, who co-founded the eatery with Steve Hartenstein on May 1, 2021. Located at 1415 W. 22nd St., across from Oakbrook Center mall, Lucca features a broad menu of authentic Italian dishes including pizza, antipasti, soups, salads, pasta, seafood, meat dishes and sides. Ulivieri was born in Lucca, Italy, and raised on a farm in the town of Altopascio, a small village outside the city. “He learned winemaking from his father and helped him harvest the crop every year,” Lucca’s website recounts. …
Read More »An Italian American Heritage Month to remember
The Chicago-area Italian American community and its supporters pulled out all the stops in October, with celebrations taking place across the metropolitan area and throughout the month. As always, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans led the way, starting with an Oct. 10 flag-raising ceremony in Daley Plaza, followed by a reception at the office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Next came a glittering Presidents’ Ball on Oct. 12 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Club presidents joined forces with elected officials from every level of government to officially welcome delegations from Sicily and Italy to the festivities, with …
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Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian