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!
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!
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.
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
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!
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!
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!
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!
The New Year is right around the corner. One thing you may know is that some Italians can be superstitious and like to stay true to their traditions. Many traditions involve some type of food and the New Year’s Eve traditions are no exception! Italians like to enjoy hearty foods that will symbolize good fortune and prosperity in the New Year!
Lentils
Lentils have many symbols for this holiday meal. They are round like coins. Lentils are eaten for the hope of prosperity and good luck. This tradition can be linked back to the early days of Rome. In our family, my mother picked up the tradition from her mother and the matriarch of Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, Romana Caputo. Nonna Romana would make lentil soup to be eaten after the clock strikes midnight as a sign of good luck and prosperity for the New Year.
Many people also eat sausage with their lentils. This is said to symbolize abundance. When sausage and lentils are eaten together, it means that the New Year will be even better than the last!
We offer dry lentils for you to make yourself or pick up one of our homemade lentil soups from our prepared foods section!
Grapes
Another way to ring in the New Year is by eating grapes! At midnight you eat 12 grapes, one for each month. When you eat each grape, you are supposed to make a wish for that month.
Eat Abundantly
Many people think what you eat represents what will happen in the New Year. People like to have a feast and eat abundantly on New Year’s Eve in hopes it will bring them abundance!
Don’t forget the panettone, nuts, and fruit– more traditions to ensure good luck and good fortune.
At Christmastime, there is always a main focus on the meal. Especially on Christmas eve with all the fish! Need some help getting dessert covered? We have tons of festive and traditional items available for your Christmas desserts tables that children and adults alike will enjoy!
Here are 6 items we will be offering this year that are great for all your holiday parties.
Cream Puff Tree
Our homemade cream puffs stacked in the shape of a tree and festively decorated! These can feed a variety of crowds as we have them in 3 different sizes
Shortbread Cookie Tree
Who doesn’t love cookies on Christmas? This tree is made by stacking shortbread cookies and decorating with green to resemble a tree as well as ornaments and more! There are tons of cookies for everyone and it looks beautiful on a table!
Cannoli Dipper
Cannoli are a classic dessert. If you’re looking for a spin on this classic, then the cannoli dipper is for you! It comes with a container of our homemade cannoli filling and then smaller pieces of our homemade cannoli shells around it. That way guests can dunk the shells in the dip! Pro tip: cut up some strawberries and top them with some cannoli filling!
Candy Cane Cupcake Cake
Festive, fun, easy for sharing, and delicious. Our cupcake cake pulls apart simply so there is no hassle about cutting the cake (or kids arguing about who got the bigger piece). The candy cane shape and bright colors adds a fun look to the dessert table!
Cookie Cake
This is a 12” chocolate chip cookie that we decorate with Christmas decorations! It serves about 6-10 people
Brownie Tree Platter
Our homemade, decadent brownies are cut and placed in a Christmas tree platter. It serves roughly 16 people.
Limited quantities of these items will be available in store. To guarantee yours, make sure you order ahead! You can email lbrbakery@caputomarkets.com to get everything you need for your sweets table!
We know this time of year may be stressful. Getting tons of presents, doing plenty of Christmas activities, and now it’s about that time to start thinking about meal prep for what may be the biggest holiday of the year. Sharing a meal on Christmas Eve and Christmas is sure to help you make some happy memories. At Caputo’s, we want you to have a hassle free holiday, so we will do the work for you! Our Homemade Holiday Feast is perfect for the holiday season and will allow you to spend quality time with the family! This homemade feast features a main entree, multiple side dishes, condiments, and dessert!
We offer a full feast that will make your holidays much easier! Our homemade feast feeds 10-12 people and is made with all natural foods and no preservatives. You get a completely homemade meal, but without all the work! This meal will help to create some core memories for your family that you will be able to enjoy because you’re not stuck in the kitchen prepping. For the main entrée, there is a choice between an oven roasted turkey that comes with our homemade gravy or an oven baked ham that comes with our signature pineapple apricot glaze. Both items are holiday classics so you can’t go wrong with either one of them!
You will get sides–vegetables, potatoes, a salad, and dinner rolls. There are different options to pick from to make your dinner perfect for your guests. To go along with your meal are condiments– you will get two cans of either jelly or cranberry sauce.
Can’t forget dessert! The feast comes with a fresh 8” La Bella Romana apple or pumpkin pie!
The feast is available hot for Christmas Eve or you can request it cold and warm it up to enjoy on Christmas Day!
Ordering is simple! You can call (630) 620-4444 ext 1040 or simply place your order online here and your feast is taken care of in a matter of minutes!
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it’s time to get into gift giving mode! Whether you have tons of people on your list or just a few, it can be hard to find that perfect gift. That’s where we can come in because what’s better than the gift of food! We have something for everyone! Here is a gift giving guide for you… Caputo’s style
Here are some ideas for all the different foodies in your life!
Dolce & Gabbana Panettone
Panettone is a staple Christmas gift. It is a sweet bread that Italians enjoy around the holidays. It is a tall, dome-like shaped sweet bread that comes in multiple flavors. The baking process is long and involves curing the dough, then proofing the cake to give it the fluffy texture. There are then extras added into the dry mix like dried candies, raisins, or chocolate chips! This dolce and Gabbana one adds the perfect special touch to this traditional gift. Imported from Sicily, it comes in a beautiful metal tin that has the signature D&G style and has a matching bag that the recipient can keep all year round
Oil and Vinegar
Every cook can use oil and vinegar! At Caputo’s, we have more than just the basics! We have tons of oils and vinegars imported from Italy– classic and infused. You can gift a line of infused olive oils that bring delicious flavors into dishes– infused with chili, garlic, basil, lemon, truffle… so many options. We also have a wide range of vinegars. Balsamic glazes, raspberry infused, fig infused, imported balsamic, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, prosecco vinegar, and so many more. These are great gifts because it might not be something you pick out for yourself, but this gift could be the recipient’s new household staple!
Cheese
Is there someone in your life who loves cheese? Then head to our cheese department and pick out a selection of some of our cheeses! We have cheese from all over the world and tons of different items that pair perfectly with cheese– fig spreads, infused honeys, imported nuts– everything you can think of! This is another great gift that allows someone to taste a variety of items they may not choose for themselves. Picking out a few items and putting them in a festive basket makes for a great gift. Need some ideas? Then check out our holiday cheese guide
Cookies
If you know someone who has a sweet tooth, stop by our La Bella Romana Bakery! We have a variety of homemade Italian cookies and butter cookies. People won’t be able to resist! If you want to take it one step further, you can buy a nice plate or dish and put the cookies on there! Sprinkle some wrapped gianduia or torrone on top and you have 2 different gifts– the dish and the cookies!
Italian Candies and imports
If you have someone from Italy or someone who loves the Italian culture in your life, you’ve found the right place! We have tons of imports in our store, including the hard to find Italian candies. A goodie bag full of the candies or cookies is a simple and thoughtful gift! Limoncello candies or Nutella biscuits anyone?
Coffee
Who doesn’t know a coffee lover? We have tons of coffee— pods, grounds, beans… you name it! We even have some of the hard to find ones that we import from Italy. Pair that with a moka espresso maker, some mugs, or even some coffee flavors or syrups for a coffee lovers dream gift. You can even throw in some la Bella romana chocolate covered espresso beans, some cappuccino hard candies, or some biscotti for dunking.
Fruit Baskets
Who doesn’t love fresh fruit? That’s why our La Bella Romana fruit baskets are another perfect gift. In 3 different sizes, these baskets filled with fresh fruits are a delightful and delicious gift to get during the holiday season!
Need a bag to put the gifts in? Don’t forget to pick up a Buon Natale Caputo’s Bag! It makes for the perfect gift bag and shopping bag! Of course a Caputo’s gift card pairs well with any gift! Pick up one in store or email events@caputomarkets.com and we can help you out!
The holidays are here! This means tons of parties, get-togethers, and food! What party is complete without a cheese board? Charcuterie boards are great for a crowd because there is a little bit of everything to munch on and it gives you the opportunity to try new items!
We have an extensive cheese department, so how do you choose what to put on your board?? We are breaking down some of our new items, seasonal items, and some classic must tries! Here is our holiday charcuterie guide!
Tête de Moine
This is a delicate cheese from the Swiss Alps. This gets its unique and beautiful look by hand shaving the cheese on a tool called a girolle or a cheese curler. The cheese has a natural rind and they put it down on the girolle and you shave the cheese which turns it into rosette. It is called Tete de Moine which translates to head of the monk because the shaving process is supposed to resemble the shaving of a monk’s head. Normally, a person would have to purchase the girolle and the wheel of cheese, but we’re excited to be carrying the rosettes already created! The beautiful design makes for a great touch on a charcuterie board! When you open the package you are hit with a rich, dense, and funky flavor, but because how delicate the cheese is, as soon as oxygen touches it, it changes into a mild cheese that melts in your mouth
Partufo al Tartufo
This is a young parmigiano blended with Italian truffles and imported from Italy. It is naturally lactose free. If you like black truffles, you will love this cheese! There is a hint of pepper and a delicious taste of truffle with this parmigiano which is available only while supplies last
Auricchio Provolone Dolce
This provolone is great for people who don’t like provolone because it’s not as strong or sharp as a typical provolone. It is more mild, but still incredibly flavorful which makes it an enjoyable cheese. In each bite, you can taste the butter coming through which adds to its more mild taste and makes it different than your typical provolone. On the board, we cut the pieces thin to allow more oxygen to get to the cheese and the flavor to come through even more.
Amanti Limoncello
This vibrant table cheese is its own category of cheese and you can smell the limoncello as soon as you open it! It is a semi-soft cheese that is creamy and buttery, but full of zest. You can truly taste the lemon coming through. Plus the beautiful yellow color makes it great for any charcuterie board! When cutting it, be sure to take the rind and all the texture off– you want to get to the smooth part of the cheese!
This cheese pairs great with The Fine Cheese Co’s lemon, salt, and EVOO cracker. The cracker has sea salt on it which cuts some of the tang from the limoncello cheese, but the hints of olive oil and lemon in the cracker brings out the best flavor of the cheese itself!
Two Sisters Isabella Aged Gouda
This 12-15 month aged gouda from Holland. It is a balanced gouda– it is sweet and creamy, but savory at the same time due to salt crystals you can taste throughout the cheese.
Le Crémeux de Bourgogne Brie
This is a decadent triple cream Brie. It is smooth and buttery, you can even see the butter line where it meets the cream. It is very spreadable which makes it delicious with a plain cracker. Don’t like the rind on a brie? This one has a simple solution! You can turn it on it’s side and carve the cheese out or butterfly it to get right to the middle.
Delice Papaya Lincet
This incredibly sweet creamed cheese is imported from France and it almost tastes like a dessert! It is a soft, spreadable cheese that is covered in papaya chunks. It is super sweet. The bright chunks make it stand out on a charcuterie board. You can keep it whole or even cut it in half. We only get this one a couple times a year, so you need to get it while you can!
Sartori Black Pepper BellaVitano
A favorite of ours– this creamy BellaVitano cheese wheel is hand rubbed with pepper which gives it a subtle spice and adds a balance to some of the sweeter cheeses on the board. Don’t forget– the rind is meant to be eaten on this cheese!
Valencia almonds
This Spanish almond does not have a hull. They are coated in oil and sea salt.
Mitica Moka Pecans
From Spain, these caramelized pecans are dusted in a cocoa and coffee mix. These typically go great with any goat cheese as well!
Can Bech Jams
In tons of different flavors, these smaller jams are great for a cheese board! There are so many flavors that you can choose whatever works best for your board. For a limited time only, we also have 3pks available! These packs are great if you can’t choose just one for a board or they make for a great gift for the foodie in your life! We used the black fig on this board!
Raincoast
We currently have seasonal, must try flavors of these crackers! Gingerbread and spiced pear or pumpkin crackers, they add a fun, seasonal flare to your boards! These are only available while supplies last!
La Panzanella crackers
These classic charcuterie crackers now come in mini packs which make the perfect amount for groups of 4-6 people and are great with anything! We used the half pack and it was a perfect amount of crackers
Tressors French crisp
This waffle crisp is durable, yet delicate. The waffle shape allows the cracker to hold the cheese perfectly. They’re durable in the weight and shape, but neutral so they go with anything.
More Seasonal Must Tries
The great thing about holiday season is that we get tons of new items to try out! Here are some more seasonal items you need to try before they’re gone! Try it yourself, put it on a charcuterie board, or get a little gift basket together as a gift that keeps on giving for the foodies in your life!
Cheeses
Le Roule Pineapple
A gift that we look forward to at the end of the year is this cheese! It is a creamed cheeses from France hand rolled with fresh pineapple in it. While we have other flavors throughout the year, the pineapple is only available once a year. You can smell the fresh pineapple as soon as you open it and that delicious aroma instantly brings you on a tropical vacation somewhere.
Carvalley glacier point
This blue cheese infused with black truffle is available only for the holidays
Mirfoma Switzerland Fondue
Infused with black truffles, this ready to go fondue kit makes great fondue or even pasta sauce too. All you have to do is just heat and eat! Available while supplies last
Locatelli Crema Cacio e Pepe
Back by popular demand this is a pecorino with whole black pepper corns, It is a high end spreadable cheese from Cremona, Italy. This is their most popular flavor and even has recipes in the lid. This is great with pasta and mixed into mashed potatoes
La gruta del sol brandy
A brandy infused sheep’s milk from Spain! Pairs great with breads, nuts, honey etc.
Carr valley
Boozin Billy— Carr Valley’s Cardona goat milk cheese is aged and then soaked in Wollersheim Winery Port for a vibrant purple rind and slightly sweet flavor.
Boozin Ewe— a sheep’s milk cheese soaked in a local Wisconsin Wollersheim Winery Port for a beautiful purple rind and sweet flavor.
Point Reyes Toma and Toma Truffle
This woman owned company from California produces artisan table cheese. These cheeses are produced in cave which makes it subtly earthy. They are semi hard, but extremely creamy.
Grand Marnier Pâté
This holiday blend only comes out once a year. It is a mix of pork, duck, and chicken then blended with Grand Marnier instead of cognac.
Jams/Spreads
Deca & Otto Dulce de Leche Spread
Imported from Columbia and made with whole pasteurized, buffalo milk and caramel– this milk caramel spread is such a treat!
Acacia con tartufo
Truffles are a delicacy and seasonal– so we have to enjoy them while we can! This is a honey packed in Italy with Italian black truffle.
Divina date spread
Different from the typical fig spreads, this plain date spread takes the same idea, but uses only date! It is naturally sweetened from the dates. It is great on a blue cheese or baked Brie.
Crackers
Olinas variety pack
The delicious Olinas crackers are currently available in 3 packs!
Christmas Tree Crackers
We know shapes are always important on a charcuterie board and what’s better than seasonal shapes? These Christmas tree crackers are neutral which make it great for any cheese or jam and the shape adds to the festivities!
With activities picking up, the days getting shorter, and the holidays coming up quickly, we know you have a lot on your plate. We can help you out by doing your grocery shopping for you!
Our team of pickers is ready to make your life a little easier. All you have to do is go to shopcaputos.com and click shop now to place your grocery order. We can have it delivered to your door or ready for curbside pickup– in as little as just a few hours. Then just like that, you have one thing checked off your to do list!
You can place your whole order or just a part of it so that you can shop for the rest. Need cooking help? We can do that too! You can easily shop our catering menu online too. Have you seen our Thanksgiving Feast? You can order your whole feast, individual menu items, or just a turkey online too! Click here to order
Our goal is always to make our customer’s shopping journey simple and enjoyable– whether shopping in store or online. With that in mind, we have recently updated our website in an effort to make your online shopping experience more user friendly! The new and improved shopcaputos.com is live and ready to use! Here are some things you can look forward to
Ease of searching products
Wider variety of our products online
Ability to make notes on individual items as well as the whole order– like marking which items are ok for substitutions and which aren’t!
No minimum order value for pickup orders
And so much more!
Have more questions? Here is a list of some frequently asked questions for you to take a look at https://shop.shopcaputos.com/faq
We hope these resources make the upcoming holiday season a little bit easier for you!
Holiday season is quickly approaching! The season starts off with a food lover’s favorite holiday– Thanksgiving! The prep for this day is long and tedious, it means the host will likely spend all day in the kitchen. There is another way though, you can order our homemade Thanksgiving Feast! Our team will be in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning so that you don’t have to!
We want you to enjoy all the aspects of Thanksgiving, so we will do the cooking for you! We offer a full feast that will make your guests full and make your Thanksgiving easier! Our homemade feast feeds 10-12 people. Our feast is made the same way you would at home! We use all natural foods, no preservatives, and the special touch that only comes with homemade food. The feast includes all the fixings for a homemade dinner!
Your meal comes with a 14-16lb turkey, three sides, and a dozen dinner rolls. There are a variety of sides to choose from, but three categories– a vegetable, a potato, and stuffing! You can choose from our variety of options in each category. You can also upgrade your stuffing and try out our Italian sausage stuffing!
You will get cranberry sauce or cranberry jelly and gravy to go with your turkey.
No meal is complete without dessert and Thanksgiving calls for pie! You will get a fresh baked 8-inch La Bella Romana pie, your choice of apple or pumpkin!
All items come hot, fully cooked, and ready to serve. We are in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning so that you don’t have to be.
You can get all of this for only $249! We also offer just the turkey without the full meal!
Come see for yourself! Stop by any of our stores on 11/11 from 12pm-6pm for our holiday showcase to see some of our offerings.
