A photographer by training, Mark Guglielmo now uses his background as a springboard to explore a range of themes. A native of New York City, Mark Guglielmo started taking pictures at age 12 with a Kodak Instamatic he purchased with profits from his paper route. Transfixed by the magic of making images, he studied photography at Hastings High School and Haverford College, often sneaking into the darkroom on weekends and after hours to hone his craft. Initially inspired by British artist David Hockney’s “Pearblossom Hwy.,” Guglielmo, now based Northampton, Massachusetts, creates layered figurative works exploring themes of identity, migration and …

Comedic comet Comedian Laura Ramoso will bring her “Calm Down” tour to the Chicago Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25. An American comedian of Italian and German descent, she is best known for her live sketch specials and viral impressions on social media. She has amassed over 3.5 million followers with hit characters like “German Mom,” “Italian Dad” and “Chiara.” Ramoso was named a 2023 Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy. In 2024, she embarked on her first international tour with her third special, “Sit Up Straight,” performing to sold-out venues throughout Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the United Kingdom …

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. Saxman Bergonzi turns up the heat on laid-back track Veteran saxman Jerry Bergonzi once again leads a quartet of younger musicians, this time Phil Grenadier, Dan Pappas and Sean Farias. They unite on “Yonder,” which showcases Bergonzi’s masterful style of easy swing alternating with short bop outbursts. While Grenadier’s trumpet lends a mellower vibe, Bergonzi’s sax fire and intensity. In …

Sapori Napoletani at 8235 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago opened in July. The fledgling eatery features Italian cuisine, Neapolitan pizza and craft cocktails across two floors, two bars and a rooftop. The menu is rooted in tradition and in recipes passed down through generations to owner Antonio Vitiello, who was born and raised in Naples, Italy. Vitiello runs the restaurant with his wife, Ewelina, a native of Poland who met her husband after she moved to Italy. “His journey began at just 8 years old, working alongside his family in their pizzeria, where he learned the art of Neapolitan …

Bucktown Pizza opened in July at 1912 N. Western Ave. as a casual, counter-service spot serving thin-crust slices and pies, Block Club Chicago reported. Owner Joe Smith moved to the Chicago area, where his wife grew up, a few years ago. This is his first restaurant in the city, after previously working at and running pizzerias in the Chicago suburbs and in several locations on the East Coast, including his native Newark, New Jersey. Smith said his focus is on quality ingredients. “Everything we do is by hand, hand-roll the dough, hand-stretch the dough, homemade sauces, personalized service,” Smith told …

Two Italian wine cooperatives are the best in the world, according to an article in WineNews. They are “Cantina Terlano, a jewel of South Tyrol and among the first wineries to recognize the aging potential of great white wines, and Cavit, the Trentino giant which, with 5,250 winegrowers, manages more than 6,000 hectares of vineyards, representing 60% of the region’s total vineyard area,” according to the news site, which cited the 2026 competition organized by the German magazine Weinwirtschaft. In the global ranking among the top 20 cooperatives, the French cooperative Plaimont follows Cantina Terlano and Cavit on the podium, …

After 24 years in suburban Ingleside, Zaza’s Steakhouse & Italian Eatery closed its doors in July. In a Facebook post, the owners attributed their decision to the yearlong closure of Washington Street, which they said resulted in a 75% customer loss. The road reopened in spring 2025 after a realignment project by the Lake County Division of Transportation. “To every guest who walked through our doors, shared a meal, recommended us to a friend, left a generous tip, celebrated a milestone or simply made us part of your routine: thank you,” the post said.

Pelago Cafe, an Italian spot that recently opened at 325 Waukegan Ave. in north suburban Highwood, celebrates a family’s heritage and culinary traditions based in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. The cafe is owned by cousins Mada Ugolini-Hitchmough and Ruthie Amidei, and its name honors two neighboring towns, Sant’Anna Pelago and Pievepelago, “where generations of family, food and tradition shaped the values carried forward today,” the business’ website states. “When our families emigrated from Italy, they planted their roots in Highwood. We both live here today and love this community deeply,” Hitchmough and Amidei told Patch. “Highwood has such a rich appreciation …

Founded in 2022 by a former McDonald’s executive and his family, Lantern Pizza Co. at 1420 Ogden Ave. in Downers Grove has developed such a following that it expanded over the summer, enclosing a patio to add 65 more seats to the 38-seat eatery, the Daily Herald reported. Former McDonald’s Executive Chef and Vice President of Culinary Innovation Dan Coudreaut said he embarked on his pizza venture because he missed the immediacy of making food for people in front of him. The menu features handcrafted 12-inch pizzas made with fresh ingredients and cooked in a brick oven For more, click …

  The Italian-American restaurant Void, located at 2937 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, was among the Chicago Tribune’s 2026 Critic’s Choice winners. Void is best known on social media for its Spaghetti Uh-O’s, which comes in a can with a custom label, and is made with imported pasta topped with house-made sauce that’s been slowly cooked for six hours, the Chicago Tribune reported. “There’s a ‘Wow’ every time somebody gets the Spaghetti Uh-O’s for the first time, and it doesn’t get old,” co-owner and chef Tyler Hudec told the newspaper. For more, click here.