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Shut Up and Mangia!, Issue #001 -- teaser here
June 01, 2007
"There is no love sincerer than the love of food"
- George Bernard Shaw
Benvenuto

This is the first issue of "Shut Up and Mangia!" with many more to come.

My enthusiasm for Italian food and tradition has given me much enjoyment throughout my life and sharing my recipes and experiences with you and your family makes me even happier.

Included in this issue are a few great Italian recipes you can make on the grill that are not included on my site. Since it’s that time of the year I thought it best to include a few of my favorites.

Site News

  • First of all I hope everyone has noticed, new recipes are being added everyday or at least every other day. I keep trying new recipes at home before placing them on the site while giving you some of my old family favorites. Yes, I experiment on my family. Some days it works out other days we order out.

  • I’m slowly working to bring you more sections on the site. I’ve been working on the “Italian Wines” category for some time now but it should be up by the end of this month.

  • More "Restaurant Reviews" are on the way. I finally had the chance to have lunch at "The "Italian Village" and dinners at "Vinci" and "Quartino". Those reviews should be up by the end of this week.

  • Also I will soon be featuring some great kitchen cookware, appliances and gadgets for you to use in preparing my delicious Italian recipes.

    New Restaurants

    Here are a few new Italian restaurants openings here in Chicago.

    200 East Supper Club is now serving comforting Italian cuisine. Formerly the “Chestnut Grill” located at 200 East Chestnut in the Seneca Hotel, also features a downstairs lounge and live entertainment. For reservations call 312-266-4500

    Baccala at 1540 N. Milwaukee Ave. is serving Italian food exclusively from the Piedmont region. For reservations for this new restaurant call 773-277-1400

    Anteprima is own and operated by Marty Fosse who was once the general manager of “Spiaggia”. The menu focuses on regional Italian cuisine with family style portions. Anteprima is located at 5316 N. Clark. For reservations call 773-506-9990

    Il Fiasco is being opened by Michael and Natalie Moore the former owners of “Pasta Palazzo”. This Italian restaurant is focusing on an authentic Tuscan menu. Il Fiasco is located at 5101 N. Clark and is scheduled to open in late July

    Fest Pasta Vino

    June is a great month to be Italian and even if your not you can’t miss "Festa Pasta Vino” here in Chicago.

    Festa Pasta Vino” has been Chicago’s largest celebration of Italian culture for the last sixteen years. Brought to you byOnesti Entertainment Corporation , this four day festival features live entertainment, plenty of food and tons of fun for the whole family. The event begins June 14th and continues through the 17th. Like every year I’ll be there, only this time I’ll be wearing my"Shut Up and Mangia!" t-shirt. For more information visit Festa Pasta Vino. What a better way to spend Father’s day weekend.

    How Does your Garden Grow?

    As I’m sure everybody knows by now, I can’t stress it enough how important it is to use fresh ingredients when making any meal. Every year it’s a great feeling to go into my backyard and pick my own herbs and vegetables.

    Gardening isn’t for everybody but you seem to appreciate the meal a little more when you grow everything yourself.

    I know I’ve mentioned these two sites in a previous recipe but they are worth mentioning again. The first is the Garden Guide.com and the other is The Garden Helper.com. Both of these sites helped me quite a bit when I started my garden.

    Great Grilling Recipes

    Here are a few Italian Grilling Recipes reserved for subscribers only. We’ll start off easy with some “Grilled Portobello Mushrooms” and end with a nice dessert. Enjoy! Mangia Italiano!

    Final Thoughts

    I would like to take this time to Thank each and every one of you for subscribing to my newsletter.

    Also I would like to Thank everyone for making The Italian Grocer a great success. If you need any more Italian specialty items here’s the place to be.

    If you have any question on any recipe or any site suggestions or would like to share a recipe please contact me at any time or join our Great Chicago Italian Recipes Forum.

    Thanks Again,

    Phillip J. Speciale

    That's a discovery! That's Italian! That's
    Great Chicago Italian Recipes.com
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