Our Good Vibes feature spotlights websites, blogs, videos and podcast from around the world that celebrate Italy’s inimitable spirit. If you have a favorite online offering you’d like to share, send it to info@franoi.com. For more, follow us on Facebook. Guitarist De Lorenzo a master of the unexpected Daniel De Lorenzo has never been inclined to perform within strict musical borders, and the performance warrants his wanderings. His rendition of “I’Ma Need It” on NPR’s Tiny Desk features the non-traditional ensemble of standup bass, cello and hollow-bodied guitar. Cellist Robbie Link leads with a beautiful and haunting melody that expresses …

Beloved opera buffa Can young love triumph over old money? Immerse yourself in the rococo grandeur of 19th-century Rome in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s upcoming production of “Don Pasquale.” The beloved comedy of errors returns to the Lyric stage for the first time in more than a decade with a colorful, period production directed by Mariame Clément. Gaetano Donizetti’s lively score animates the story of aging bachelor Don Pasquale, whose disowned nephew teams up with his clever fiancée and long-suffering doctor to orchestrate a complex series of dupes and double-crosses in a bid to reclaim his uncle’s inheritance — …

  Family-owned Marconi Foods in Des Plaines, Illinois has evolved into one of the largest manufacturers of giardiniera in the U.S. Marconi produces 2 million pounds a year, with Portillo’s topping its client list, the Chicago Tribune reported. Founded in 1898 as an Italian foods importer, V. Formusa (the parent company of Marconi Foods) moved in 2014 from its longtime home on Grand Avenue in Chicago to a 25,000-square-foot red-brick factory in suburban Des Plaines, where 20 employees work the floor in a single shift six days a week. The breakthrough restaurant that established Marconi giardiniera as an essential condiment …

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, celebrating its 50th anniversary, opened 12 new restaurants and awarded development rights for 30 additional locations earlier this year. The year’s development activity has introduced Capriotti’s into several new market Founded in 1976, Capriotti’s has more than 150 locations across the U.S. Its menu features sandwiches including The Bobbie (a Thanksgiving-inspired cold sub with slow-roasted, hand-pulled turkey topped with cranberry sauce, handmade stuffing and mayo) and Capastrami (hot pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, crunchy coleslaw and zesty Russian dressing). Capriotti’s has two locations in Chicago: 850 W. Superior St. and 1730 W. Fullerton Ave. The company’s long-term goal …

  Betting that sustainability is important to coffee drinkers, Italian coffee giant Lavazza launched Tablì in the United States earlier this year, CNBC reported. Lavazza first unveiled the eco-friendly tablets in Italy last year. Made of compressed ground coffee without a coating, binder or gelatin, they can only be used with a Tablì coffee machine made by Lavazza. They come in five varieties: espresso, double espresso, decaf espresso, super crema and lungo. More than 130 years after its founding, the Italian company is still privately owned by the Lavazza family. For more, click here

The restaurant L’Angolo Italiano opened this summer at 1538 W. Jarvis Ave. as an extension of the Italian language and cultural center Sentieri Italiani, Block Club Chicago reported. L’Angolo is run by cousins Daniela Cavallero — who founded Sentieri Italiani in 1997 — and Paola Nervi. It offers a no-frills menu of small bites like zucchini fritters, stuffed tomatoes and sartú di riso as well as mocktails and other beverages. The restaurant posts on its social media page when there are surprise plates for the day, like biancomangiare, a lemon-infused Sicilian dessert. “Our dream has always been to create a …

There is strength in numbers, the adage goes, and nowhere is that more apparent than at Casa Italia in Stone Park, where numerous organizations will join forces to stage the Casa’s annual Christmas Village. The complimentary open house is slated for Dec. 6. The following organizations have signed on to participate at the time of publication: the Associazione Regionale Siciliana in America, Calabresi in America Organization, Associazione Regionale Pugliesi in America/San Nicola, Chicago West Suburban UNICO, Chicagoland Italian American Charitable Organization, Columbian Club of Chicago, Italian American Executives of Transportation, Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, Società San Francesco di …

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society will honor Dr. Russell S. Pollina as Arcolian of the Year at its annual Christmas dinner on Dec. 15 at Saranello’s in Wheeling. Donations will be distributed to schools, churches, needy families and various Italian organizations at the event, as well as scholarships to third- and fourth-year dental students of Italian lineage. Dr. Russ is a board-certified pediatric dentist with offices in Mount Prospect and Barrington. A graduate of Loyola University undergraduate and dental school, he was born in a little mountainside town in Sicily to Rosario and Serafina Pollina. He came to America when …

Fr. Tony Pizzo, OSA, is making his way back to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and Shrine in Melrose Park on Dec. 1. Pizzo, the past prior provincial of the Midwest Augustinians, will celebrate the beginning of Advent with a 6 p.m. Mass, followed by dinner and reflection. A seminary classmate of Pope Leo XIV, and a chaplain and celebrant of many Italian society masses, Fr. Pizzo is a well-respected motivational speaker and spiritual leader. The event will be hosted by the parish’s Altar and Rosary Society. The donation is $25. Call 708-344-4140 to make your reservation.

After three years in the McLaughlin Theater at St. Ignatius College Prep, Our Lady of Pompeii’s popular Mary and Christmas concert will hold forth, once again, at the recently transformed Shrine in Chicago. In another triumphant return, Maestro Paul French will wield the baton as conductor, leading the Shrine chorale and orchestra in a program of Yuletide favorites and classics on Dec. 5. The performance will begin at 7:45 p.m., preceded by a dinner at 6 p.m. and a champagne and pastry reception afterward. Complimentary valet parking will be available. Tickets are $175. (312-421-3757 or ourladyofpompeii.org)