Month: January 2024

The Big Game will be here before you know it! The food is always an important part of any watch party. People go all out with their game day spreads, eating the classic football watching foods. If you’re hosting, but have too much to do to think about what food to prep, we have you covered! 

Our catering department has tons of party trays and dishes that are great to feed a crowd. Let us help you take care of your game day food!

Here are 5 catering trays that are sure to leave all the fans fed and happy!

Spinach Dip Bowl

This platter includes a Hawaiian Round Bread cut open and filled with our homemade spinach dip. The tray comes with veggies and pita chips for dipping. The best part? The bowl is edible!

Mini Bouchon Sandwich Platter

This platter is a great addition to any feast! A pre-game snack, 4th quarter pick-me-up, or post game … these sandwiches are a perfect size. Plus, if there are any sandwiches leftover, they are easy to pack in your kid’s lunchbox the next day. This platter includes a mix & match of Various Mini Sandwiches– Prosciutto & Provolone, Mortadella & Mozzarella, Ham & Swiss, Turkey & American Cheese. Plus, there are 3 different size trays so you can get the amount of sandwiches that works best for you.

American Classic Meat Platter

What’s more American than football? That’s why this deli tray is a must! With 5 different lunch meats on the platter, this is great for everyone. This tray comes with Smoked Ham, Honey Ham, Krakus Ham, Hard Salami, and La Bella Romana Oven Browned Turkey and is available in 3 different sizes

Mini Chicken Caesar Wrap

Another great option is our mini chicken Caesar wraps! Flour Tortilla Wraps, Rolled with Breaded Chicken Strips, Fresh Lettuce, Caesar Dressing & Fresh Parmesan… it’s a delicious and different platter to serve your guests!

Dip-n-Snack Platter

Everyone loves chips and dip! With so many dips to choose from, our dip-n-snack platter is a great option because there is something for everyone. This tray includes Homemade Fresh Pico De Gallo, Homemade Fresh Guacamole, Homemade Fresh Spinach Dip, Homemade Fresh Artichoke Dip, Homemade Fresh BLT Dip, Refried Beans, and Cheese Salsa.

These are just a few of the many options. Browse our catering menu to order whatever you need and stop in for all your gameday needs!

From Our Family To Yours

When it comes to comfort food, chili is one of the top favorites. The fresh ingredients and mixes of spices make it so unique and filling! If you’re looking for a homemade chili to fill this craving, our La Bella Romana Chili is a must try! 

Award winning, our La Bella Romana Chili is made from scratch daily in our kitchen commissary. We use fresh ground beef and ground pork from our meat department. Our veggies come straight from our produce department. We use strictly california tomatoes and a special, hand mixed blend of herbs and spices that make it different than any chili you’ve had before! It is soothing for the soul and sure to warm you up on a cold day.

There are so many ways you can enjoy chili other than just eating it on its own and with the NFL playoffs going on and the Big Game right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to experiment with this classic game day food! If you want to change it up and bit and get creative, here are 5 ways to enjoy chili other than by itself

As a salad topper

You can use chili to replace dressing! Take a scoop of chili and put it on top of your salad. It adds a lot of flavor and the meat and beans in the chili even adds protein (it sounds strange, but don’t knock it until you try it)

Chili Nachos

Who doesn’t love nachos? Add some chili, cheese, guacamole, and jalapenos to take it to the next level! Use our homemade tortilla chips for an even better plate of nachos. Our chips are made in-house by hand cutting and frying our homemade tortillas which are made in our Addison store daily! 

• 

• 

In Mac and Cheese

Adding chili to mac and cheese is quick and easy. The pasta and cheese from the mac and cheese adds a delicious cheesy gooey-ness to the already delicious chili

As a burger topping

We all know about chili hot dogs, but have you ever had chili on a burger? Using chili as a topping adds a delicious flavor and makes it a meat lover’s dream!

Tex Mex Pizza

You can replace pizza sauce with chili for a tex mex pizza! Grab our homemade dough or plain crust and go crazy. All you have to do is add the chili and cheese. The chili already has ground meat and pork, so you get a little bit of everything in every bite!

We hope you stay warm and enjoy our La Bella Romana chili!

From Our Family To Yours

As 2024 begins, we reflect on last year which marked our 65th year in business. We hit a lot of milestones last year and now we take a minute to look ahead and think of what 2024, our 66th year in business, will bring. No matter what, we make sure to stay true to what our business was founded on. We never move forward without acknowledging all the sacrifice, dedication, and lessons it took to get us to where we are now.

If you’re new to Caputo’s or want to know more about us, allow us to introduce ourselves because we are more than just your average grocery store.

Our story dates back to the 1950s when an italian immigrant, Angelo Caputo, with a strong work ethic and desire to make something of himself came to America. He was born in Mola di Bari, Italy and immigrated to America at the age of 18. To gain entry into the country, he enlisted in the US army. His goal was to live out the American Dream.

He put everything he had towards accomplishing his goal and his hard work paid off. In 1958, on the corner of Harlem and Wrightwood in Elmwood Park, Angelo opened Caputo’s New Farm Produce. That is what started it all. 

Angelo is synonymous with Romana. Angelo fell in love with Romana at a young age when he was still in Italy and their love story is very special. When he was in the army, he asked for a leave and went straight back to Mola di Bari to check on the love of his life and a few weeks later, they were married! They shared a beautiful story together. Romana was always a pillar of strength for Angelo. She supported him through every obstacle and challenge. 

In 1984, they were back in Italy visiting family and looking at product manufacturers in hopes of launching a private label. When thinking of a name for this upcoming private label, Angelo decided this was the perfect opportunity to honor the beauty of his wife. He named the new brand, La Bella Romana which translates to The Beautiful Romana. Anyone who knew Romana knew that she was the most incredible woman. She had a heart bigger than anyone could imagine. She was selfless, humble, and was known for her self taught skills in the kitchen.

Anyone lucky enough to have a meal prepared by Romana Caputo can attest that it was probably one of the best meals they’ve ever had. Her skills inspired our La Bella Romana Cucina and kitchen. We have a full kitchen in our warehouse where we make prepared foods and catering items from scratch.

She also inspired our La Bella Romana Bakery. Every item is made from scratch out of our central bakery in our Carol Stream location and sent to all our stores daily. Many of the cookie recipes even adapted from Romana’s very own recipes.

The most important thing to Angelo and Romana both was their family. We are now being run by Angelo and Romana’s daughter Antonella, son-in-law Robertino, and their children. We now have 4 generations of Caputo family members. Though we grow, we never forget the lessons Angelo and Romana taught us and we take those with us in every aspect of our business.

   Sadly, both Angelo and Romana have passed. Our family takes comfort in knowing they are together in heaven, probably dancing and enjoying the many feasts Romana is preparing. Not a day goes by where we don’t think of them and remember their sacrifices and all they had to overcome to accomplish what they did. Our family is committed to making sure their legacy lives on.

We want to thank our extended family of customers for their loyalty throughout the past 65+ years and we look forward to continuing to make more memories in the years to come!

From Our Family To Yours