The Grapevine

These past few days have been rainy, but as the saying says “April showers bring May flowers!” and our garden centers are open for business! 

Flowers have the ability to brighten a persona’s day or put them in a better mood. The beautiful colors, the enticing smells, and more make flowers a wonderful addition to your home. 

For decades now, our family has been buying from the same family run greenhouse. They grow many staple Italian garden items special for us– melrose peppers, swissh chard, cicorie, and other classics! Despite many new greenhouses using automation, this greenhouse still grows their plants the old fashion way. This means that each plant is hand plugged– meaning they are grown in one pot and then hand moved into a bigger pot to continue growing. 

If you’re looking to add some color to your house, we have a variety of different plants. From hanging baskets to potted plants, even the tiniest flower can make things better. We can’t help but appreciate the beauty a flower can create. 

If you want your garden to be full of fruits and veggies just like your Nonno’s garden, we’re here to help! We have tons of different vegetables, plants, and herbs for you to plant. There is nothing like the smell of fresh mint from your garden. From the infamous Melrose Pepper to different varieties of tomatoes– come pick out all the veggies you want to grow from home!

We also have some really cool and exciting things for kids this year! We are featuring some of Chef Jeff’s plants which are plants for children. The individual plants are a great way to teach responsibility and watch things grow! These include things like corn, pumpkins, and strawberries!

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From Our Family To Yours

You may find yourself looking in your pantry or fridge a little more often these days. The countless trips to the kitchen for another snack throughout the day have become a given. We usually have our go-to items that we know we love. Here are some of our pantry staples that we need to have on hand at all times. 

Taralli

Our La Bella Romana Taralli are imported from Italy and an addictive snack! They are small, breadstick-like snacks that are formed into little circles. This Italian cracker comes in many different flavors– olive oil, red pepper, rosemary, and more! There is a variety for any craving you may have. We love to keep a package of taralli (or two) ready for a salty snack!

Granola

With health in mind, granola is something we love to have on hand! Our favorites are the La Bella Romana vanilla granola or La Bella Romana honey n nut granola in our bulk section. It is great to snack on when you’re looking for something crunchy. Whether you’re eating it on it’s own, mixing it into yogurt, or something else, granola is a pantry essential! 

Castelvetrano Olives

Our favorite snacking olives, castelvetranos are great to have on hand! These olives are buttery and smooth. They pair well with almost every meal, or to even sneak one from the deli container each time you look in the fridge. These olives are imported from Italy 

Giardiniera 

Giardiniera is a very important item to have in your house at all times. You never know when it might take your meal to the next level! We love to keep giardiniera on hand for things like sandwiches, pizza, and more. It has the unique ability to elevate the flavors of whatever you put it on!

What do you need to have in your house all the time? Let us know in the comments!

From Our Family To Yours

This weekend is when the Irish comes out in everybody, even if you aren’t Irish. It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and in Chicago, that’s a big deal! You might kick off the celebrations this weekend and what you eat can be a big part of that!

Here are some foods to bring out the Irish in you. 

Soda Bread

Soda bread is a scone like bread. This bread is made with simple ingredients and enjoyed by people all over the world!

Corned Beef

Corned beef was used as a bacon substitute for many Irish- American immigrants looking for some comfort foods from their homeland. Corned beef had a similar taste to boiled bacon that was usually enjoyed on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, which is why it is mainly eaten by Americans to celebrate this holiday. 

Irish Cream Cannoli 

We can’t completely stray from our Italian roots, and our Irish Cream Cannoli are an ode to this. Our March Cannoli flavor of the month is Irish Cream in honor of St. Patrick’s Day! Come pick some up in our bakery for your upcoming festivities! They will be available now through the end of March.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day!

From Our Family To Yours

March is National Nutrition Month. Focusing on your nutrition can be difficult, but one way to do this is by forming healthy habits, like eating fruits and vegetables. You can use different approaches to create healthy habits that last. One thing you need to form a habit is repetition and consistency. If you’re looking to eat better, it is good to have those good foods right in front of your face. You can do this by having a fruit bowl in your house!

Besides looking beautiful in your kitchen, dining room or office, fruit bowls keep satisfying fruit front and center. Intuitive eating is also a growing trend and a full-to-the-brim fruit bowl is well-suited to this eating pattern! 

The great thing about having a fruit bowl is that you can get creative with it! You can out whatever fruit best fits your taste. Fruits come in an array of colors which can really brighten up a room. Here are some of the fruits you can find in our kitchen fruit bowl

Apples

With different varieties that are good in each season, apples are a staple in fruit bowls. They are nutritious 

Oranges

These citrus fruits are another good way to add some color into your fruit bowl and some nutrition into your everyday life. Oranges are known for their high vitamin c content as well as antioxidants, vitamins, and more!

Plums

Plums are an incredibly nutritious food. They contain antioxidants that can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. They are a high source of vitamins and minerals, and contain fiber. 

Kiwi

Kiwi is another fruit that has many health benefits. They are low-fat, high in fiber, high in vitamin C, a good source of vitamin E, and a good source of potassium amongst other benefits!

Pears

There are many varieties of pears and all are good to add into your diet for more nutrients! They are good sources of fiber and vitamin C. 

USA Pears wants to help create a supportive community that encourages healthy habits and daily fruit consumption. Share photos of your fruit bowl and your favorite ways to enjoy fruit using #WhatsInYourFruitBowl. 

From Our Family To Yours

We know that finding meatless meal options can start to become repetitive. For this Lenten Season, we have created two new sandwiches in addition to our numerous other meatless options! Our two new sandwiches are a pepper and egg and a cod fillet sandwich. 

Pepper and Egg sandwich 

This is a classic lent sandwich good for everyone! Peppers and eggs scrambled together, seasoned with various spices, and put on a bun. No meat and full of flavor!

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Cod Fillet Sandwich

This is a new sandwich this year! It is a beer battered cod fish fillet. It comes with homemade tartar sauce, lettuce, and tomato on a fresh baked turano bun.

In addition to these new sandwiches, we have plenty of other meatless choices available everyday! This includes plenty of fish options! Our seafood department is full of different fish. We even have pre-marinated fish options so that all you have to do is pick one out and cook it! 

Another meatless option is pizza and you can’t beat our Pizza Friday deals. You can get a 16” take and bake cheese pizza for only $6! Each topping is an additional $1. 

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The pepper and egg sandwich and the cod fillet sandwich are only available for a limited time. They will be in-store throughout Lent!

From Our Family To Yours

The Lenten Season starts next week. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter recognized in the Christian calendar. Lent is usually a somber time spent in preparation for the death and resurrection of Jesus. But before it starts, we celebrate! The day before Ash Wednesday is commonly referred to as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras  is French for “Fat Tuesday”. Tradition has it that you are supposed to eat rich. fatty foods before fasting during Lent. This is the day to indulge and give into your cravings! 

Are you ready to eat, but not sure what you want yet? Here are 4 things you may want to eat on Fat Tuesday!

Beef Sandwich 

Something juicy, full of flavor, and sure to leave you satisfied? A beef sandwich! A piece of bread loaded with thinly sliced meat and soaked in juice is a delicious way to celebrate Mardi Gras! Top it with some giardiniera or giardiniera relish and you have a winner!
Plus, our dinner for two this week is Beef Sandwiches! Pick up the complete meal in our grab and go section.

Stuffed Burger

Burgers are always a good idea, but our stuffed burgers take it to a whole new level! A classic burger that is stuffed with different items. In three different varieties, our stuffed burgers are full of flavor. They are sure to make your

Marinated Jerk Chicken

When you think of Mardi Gras, you may think of New Orleans. New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras celebrations. New Orleans is famous for its cajun flare on foods. To embody this part of the culture, try out our marinated jerk chicken! Available in our meat department, it is already marinated and is a great way to embrace Mardi Gras!

Paczki 

Fat Tuesday and Paczki go hand in hand. It’s a tradition to have a donut or paczki on Fat Tuesday. We have a variety of different paczki available in our bakery including three new specialty flavors! Our gourmet paczki add some fun flavor to the classic treat. Our specialty flavors are strawberry, banana custard, and cannoli! 

If you’re planning to cook on Fat Tuesday and want to make a traditional New Orleans meal, try Chipotle Shrimp Gumbo! It is a rich and hearty gumbo loaded with a savory combination of tender shrimp, onions, okra, and diced tomatoes, all seasoned to perfection with a homemade creole spice blend. It is a perfect recipe to bring New Orleans to your kitchen! Get the recipe here!

Let us know what you’re eating or cooking up this Fat Tuesday!

From Our Family To Yours

Busy schedules mean a shorter amount of time for things like meals. You need food on the table quickly so everyone can eat and go to their meetings, practices, or another obligation that comes up. We’ve been there and we believe that you should never have to sacrifice a quality meal for the sake of time. Our rotisserie chicken is a go-to on hectic days like these!

Rotisserie chicken is a chicken cooked on a rotisserie, using direct heat to cook because the chicken is placed next to the heat source.The chickens are put onto rods that rotate to ensure optimal juiciness and cooking. 

You can feel good about feeding it to your family. Our chickens are always fresh and never frozen. There are no added hormones or steroids and they are MSG free. In addition to these benefits, the taste is incredible!

Our chicken is known for its outstanding flavor and juiciness. We season it with a special herb rub. The special seasoning is made with a variety of different herbs and spices to give the chicken a unique and delicious flavor. It is our homemade blend that we took the time to test and develop until we got it to the special blend we were proud to feed you and your families!

You don’t have to just take our word for it!

Chicago Magazine recently did a ranking of the top 10 rotisserie chickens in Chicago and we ranked in the Top 3! The chicken was tested in 6 categories on a scale of 1-10; the categories were skin, flavor, wing texture, juiciness, appearance, and  freshness.

Here are our scores: 

Skin- 8 | Flavor- 10 | Wing texture- 9 | Juiciness- 9 | Appearance- 8 | Freshness- 8

We love using rotisserie chicken in recipes that call for shredded or pulled chicken. Because the chicken is already cooked, it is one less step for you! Plus, you never have to sacrifice taste for convenience because our rotisserie chicken gives you both!

Pick one up and let us know what you think!

From Our Family To Yours

February is National Heart Month. This is a month used to generate awareness for heart disease and risks. We are taking the opportunity this February to recognize Cesco’s Heart. 

Cesco’s Heart is a local, non-profit organization in honor of Francesco Vavalle who was born with a rare and severe heart defect. Francesco had congenital heart defect that meant he was born with half a heart and would require multiple open heart surgeries, the first one when he was just days old.

Francesco was called home only a few years into his life, but his memory lives on. Cesco’s Heart is a non-profit organization whose proceeds go to support the research and advanced treatments for pediatric cardiology. This organization was created by his family to continue his fight. The funds go directly to Advocate Children’s Hospital where Francesco received multiple treatments including open-heart surgeries, procedures, and care.  

We want to help in honoring the legacy of this beautiful boy and his incredibly strong family. 

Throughout the month of February, a portion of all sales of Wonderful Pistachios will go to Cesco’s Heart. Come to any of our seven stores and purchase Wonderful Pistachios to join us in supporting Francesco and the entire Vavalle family.

For more information on Francesco and the mission of Cesco’s Heart click here. 

From Our Family To Yours

I don’t know what’s crazier, the fact that January is almost over or the fact the Big Game is Sunday! Whether you’re excited for the game, the commercials, or the performances, tons of people will be tuned into the same program. It’s the Sunday for parties which means food! 

Whether you’re hosting or bringing a dish to someone’s house, here are 4 items you need at your party and some ideas if you want to cook!

Wings

Boneless or bone-in, wings are a must! We offer wings in buffalo, barbecue, and teriyaki. 

Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is another crowd pleaser. Grab a half pan of our La Bella Romana mac and cheese, bake, and serve! Try topping it with some bread crumbs or buffalo sauce for some extra flavor. Don’t want mac & cheese, but still want pasta? We have an array of half-pans of different pasta cuts with different sauces to choose from!

Chips & Dip

You need chips and dip to snack on and we have plenty to choose from. All of our La Bella Romana dips and salsa and made in-house daily. Some of these include guacamole, BLT dip, corn salsa, mango salsa, and more- you can’t go wrong with any of them. They pair perfectly with our tortilla chips too. 

Sub Sandwiches

Check out our grab and go case for some 3ft sub sandwiches. Available in American or Italian, they are fresh baguettes loaded with an array of meats and cheese. These also include lettuce, tomatoes, and dressing on the side. Cut them into smaller sandwiches, put them on a platter, and enjoy!

Check out our prepared foods case for some delicious items to bring with.

If you’re in the mood to cook, check out the Big Game section on The Recipe Rack. There are some great and simple recipes for you to choose from like pulled buffalo chicken sliders or sheet pan nachos!

Here are some more of our Big Game Favorites

From Our Family To Yours