The Grapevine

It’s National Sauce month! The sauce you use can change a whole meal. We have a whole line of La Bella Romana sauces that can be your sous chef and truly enhance a meal without you having to sacrifice quality or taste.

 As a family owned and operated company, we know how important what you feed your family is and we take pride in offering our extended family of customers great meal options. We go to great lengths to prepare high quality foods using the freshest and healthiest ingredients. 

Did you know that in our warehouse, located in Carol Stream, we have a kitchen where we prepare the foods that you see in-store? We make everything from scratch, exactly how you would at home… just without all the mess! We use fresh food and produce straight from our shelves to prepare these meals and dishes so you can trust what you’re getting. 

We also have state of the art technology which aids in our cooking process. Because of this equipment, we are able to extend the shelf life of our products without adding any preservatives or additives. All of the items in our prepared foods section are all natural and made from scratch using only high quality ingredients. 

So this National Sauce Month, stop by and give our sauces a try. Here are 4 of our homemade sauces and ways to enjoy them

Supreme Sauce

Our very own supreme sauce is a creamy sauce, bursting with flavor. It tastes like a pink tomato sauce.

• A breaded chicken and melted bocconcini or mozzarella sandwich (think chicken parm, but with with supreme sauce)
•  Your favorite pasta with crumbled sausage 
• As a pizza sauce 

Marinara sauce

Made with real ingredients, our homemade marinara sauce is an easy way to get your homemade Sunday sauce in, but without the time or the work!

• Your favorite pasta
• Over chicken for an easy chicken parm
• Over our homemade breaded eggplant or breaded zucchini with mozzarella for a veggie alternative to chicken parmesan
• A shortcut to your homemade lasagna
• With stuffed peppers

Vesuvio Sauce

A Chicago classic, vesuvio sauce is a white wine sauce with notes of fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon. It is light, flavorful, and can go with almost anything! While the classic dish is a juicy chicken and potatoes with peas, there are tons of other ways to enjoy it too

• Over fish
• Grilled steak and carmelized onions sandwich with vesuvio sauce
• A breaded chicken sandwich with vesuvio sauce
• Add some pepperoncini for a spicy twist

Limone Sauce

A light and tangy sauce that is versatile so it can go well with so much! It really is an all purpose, bright sauce!

• Over fish
• Over chicken
• Over vegetables
• Over sauteed shrimp and linguine
• With cheese over your favorite pasta cut

From Our Family To Yours

March 8th is International Women’s Day. It is the day to honor and celebrate the achievements of women. 

In thinking about the meaning of this day, I cannot help but to think of two incredible women who deserve so much praise– Romana Caputo and Antonella Caputo Presta. Both women have led a life of sacrifice and are foundational pillars of our company.

Our matriarch and my grandmother, Romana Caputo, was one of the best women there was. Any person who has crossed her path is sure to tell you a memory centered around her cooking skills, generosity, or classiness. A self taught cook, she spent hours in the kitchen–  preparing feasts, cookies for weddings or parties, or a simple dinner which was probably the best meal you’ve had. No one who encountered my nonna was left hungry. She loved her family and did everything she could for them, no questions asked. It was her mission to make sure all of her loved ones were happy. She did everything she could to lift others up. She was always there for her husband, Angelo Caputo, as his biggest support and his rock through the grueling hours of his hard work. She had the biggest heart and the kindest soul. The picture of class, she made everyone in her presence feel like a part of her family.  It is inspired by her beauty and exceptional cooking skills that we get the name of our private label, La Bella Romana. Translated to the Beautiful Romana,  Angelo created our private label as a way to acknowledge all she did for our family and company. Although gone too soon, she has left a beautiful legacy and we continue to honor her in every way that we can. Her spirit and her mission lives on through her daughter, Antonella.

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My mother, Antonella Caputo Presta, is the rock of our family and an incredibly important part of our company. She has made it her mission to make sure the legacy and work of her parents do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. She proudly tells anyone with tears in her eyes about all her parents did in their lives. What she doesn’t realize is that the same traits that she so proudly uses to describe my grandparents are the very same traits that she embodies. Strong, smart, hard working and protective like Angelo and generous, dedicated, humble, and classy like Romana… Just to name a few. She has spent her whole life (and continues to) honoring her parents and I know they were so proud of her. She will never look for credit or draw attention to anything she does, but we would not be where we were today without her. She started working at a very young age . She would take early morning trips to Michigan with Angelo to pick up fresh produce at the age of about 9 years old. She can tell you about the freezing days at the original store on Harlem and Wrightwood, the distinct smell of the store that brings tears to her eyes at just the thought of it, or her exceptional skills in the front end (she could beat anybody in a bagging groceries competition.) She will sacrifice her happiness and wants to make sure that her kids or grandkids are happy. As you get older, you look back and start to realize all the sacrifices your mom made for you and as we reflect, the list of sacrifices our mom made for us, for her parents, and for her loved ones is endless.She has taught us the importance of family, which I am so grateful for as my siblings are my best friends. She is always there for advice, a story, a prayer, a hug, a meal, and anything else you may need. 

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I am blessed to have such strong, beautiful women in my life and am so grateful to be able to call Romana Caputo and Antonella Caputo Presta my role models.

Don’t forget to honor the women in your life on March 8th by picking up mimosa cakes and cupcakes. If you order ahead, you will receive a free Caputo’s cake server! Also on March 8th, female shoppers will receive a yellow rose while supplies last.

Happy International Women’s Day to all the beautiful women ❤️

From Our Family To Yours

A very important date globally, and especially in Italy, is March 8th– International Women’s Day! International Women’s Day is the day to celebrate the achievements of women across all areas of life and to show your love and appreciation for all the women in your life. It has become an important yearly celebration and there are many ways to honor this date.

In Italy, this celebration is referred to as La Festa della Donna. Many people celebrate by giving their loved ones flowers, specifically the mimosa flower. The beautiful, bright yellow coloring of the mimosa flower represents the sun and the flower itself is a symbol of strength and sensibility. They are given out as a sign of respect. The flower looks delicate, but in reality it can withstand a lot, just like women.

The appreciation for this flower is what inspired the cake traditionally enjoyed on this day– a Mimosa Cake! 

The mimosa cake or torta mimosa is beautiful outside with a delicious and simple inside. The outside is yellow sponge cake that has been cut into squares and arranged on the outside of the cake to resemble a mimosa flower. The inside is yellow sponge cake and we offer two options. One is simply filled with our homemade custard. The second option is our yellow sponge cake with a pineapple filling since some of the cakes traditionally have a touch of citrus flavor. Both flavors are delicately light, airy, and simply delicious!

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If you’re not looking for a whole cake, we also offer mimosa cupcakes!

Honor the strong women in your life by ordering a mimosa cake or cupcakes for them! You can even get the cake customized to say their names or wish a special message! 

 All orders placed through the bakery ahead of time will receive a free Caputo’s cake server with their order! Limited amounts of cakes and cupcakes will be available in store on March 8th, so secure yours by ordering in advance! 

Did you grow up with mimosa cakes, but remember it a little differently? Our bakery team is happy to work with you and make your cake dreams come to life! Email us at lbrbakery@caputomarkets.com or call us at (630) 620-4444 ext 1036

On March 8th, all women will get a yellow rose when they arrive in our stores to shop (while supplies last)!

From Our Family to Yours

Did you know we make our own tortillas and tortilla chips? 2/24 is National Tortilla Day so it’s the perfect chance to try them out if you haven’t already!

In 2018, we remodeled our Addison store. Part of this remodel was bringing in a brand new tortilla machine from Mexico. This machine allows us to make our very own, homemade corn tortillas in-house every day. 

Like all of our other prepared foods, our tortillas are all natural and have no preservatives. We offer yellow or white corn tortillas that are made from scratch in this machine daily. The tortillas are made in our Addison location and then sent to each of our stores from there. 

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Once you have tortillas, our meat department is the next stop. We have a variety of pre-marinated taco and fajita meats and poultry ready to go at our meat counter. All you have to do is cook and enjoy! 

We also turn our homemade tortillas into tortilla chips! While making our tortillas, we make extra specifically for making chips. We cut the tortillas into triangles and fry them to perfection. They are salted, cooled, and packaged in brown paper bags. 

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These chips pair wonderfully with items from different departments, especially our homemade guacamole and salsas. Made fresh daily, our guac and salsas are made using items right from our produce section! Guacamole, classic salsa, pineapple salsa, mango salsa, and more! You can also try our chips with our homemade chili. They are great for dipping in the chili on its own or making chili nachos.

From Our Family To Yours

The Lenten Season has begun. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter recognized in the Christian calendar. Those who partake in Lent may follow a number of different rules. One of those rules is fasting from meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday until Easter. Although this sounds simple, sometimes you don’t realize how difficult it may be and how easy it is to forget. We’ve got all the perfect meatless options to make Friday meals easy, delicious, and something to look forward to!

If you want some fun ways to mix it up while keeping away from meat, check out these 6 ideas:

Eggplant Parmigiana

A classic and delicious meal idea! Layers of eggplant, marinara sauce, and mozzarella, it’s full of flavor and one of the best comfort foods! Pick up a pre-made one in our prepared foods section or make your own!

Want to make your own, but in a time crunch? Grab our homemade marinara sauce, some of our breaded eggplant from our prepared foods section, a bag of Caputo shredded Mozzarella, then layer, bake in the oven, and enjoy!

Pizza or Panzerotti

Get the whole family involved and make your own pizza or panzerotti! We offer all the ingredients you need for a homemade pizza night. You can stop by our prepared foods section for homemade dough, sauce, veggies, toppings, and more! You can even use our dough to make your own panzerotti which are delicious baked or fried. It’s great bonding and just a fun night… especially if you make a nutella pizza for dessert!

Don’t have time to make it yourself? Grab one of our 16” take and bake pizzas or a few of our homemade panzerotti for dinner. It’s an easy dinner that everyone will love.

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Pasta

Versatile, easy, and delicious– three words we love to hear when it comes to meal time! While pasta seems like a basic dish, you can get creative with it! Our aisles are full of different pasta options- short or long, fresh or frozen, imported or domestic. Once you choose what pasta cut, then you move on to the sauce- our homemade supreme sauce, classic tomato sauce, arrabiata, and so many more. Looking for extra flavor? You can easily add veggies to any pasta dish or a protein like shrimp.  With so many different combinations to try, pasta dishes will never get boring! 

A Caprese

A caprese is a simple, yet customizable sandwich! A simple caprese is basil, tomato, and mozarella in a sandwich. What’s great is you can make it customizable through the bread and by adding different toppings. You can add an olive tapenade or spread, sub sandwich dressing, pesto sauce, or even a flavored olive oil!

Seafood

Not only is seafood a good meatless option, there are plenty of health benefits! Fish is filled with omega 3s and different nutrients that your body craves. Our extensive fish department will help you find just what you’re looking for.Fish can be eaten as meals or can be added to different dishes for great flavors– seafood risotto, pasta with clams, or just a simply grilled salmon are all great dishes with lots of flavor!

Fish can be intimidating to cook, but we can make it easy! We offer a variety of pre-marinated seafood options. They are full of flavor and all you have to do is put it in the oven and pick your sides. Try out 

 Pro tip: try one of our pre-marinated salmon choices in the air fryer!

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Pepper and Egg

This Lenten classic is back! Scrambled eggs, sautéed sweet peppers, and melted cheese makes for this incredible and limited time only dish. We will have Pepper and Egg sandwiches available in our hot foods on Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent! In addition to our pepper and egg, there will be a meatless special and a fish special every Friday in hot foods!.

From Our Family To Yours

Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Tradition has it that you are supposed to eat rich, fatty foods before Lent. Lent starts a period of fasting and reflecting, so many people take the day before as an opportunity to indulge and give into your cravings! 

This celebration is adapted from many different cultures– Carnivale, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, and more. One of our favorite ways to celebrate has been adapted from Polish culture.

A must have on Fat Tuesday– Paczki! Paczki are a Polish donut usually with some kind of sweet filling in the middle. In the month of February there are two days dedicated to enjoying Paczki– Fat Tuesday and National Paczki Day. Fat Tuesday is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent) and National Paczki Day is the Thursday before that. This is because in Poland many people indulge in Paczki on the Thursday before Lent, known as Fat Thursday or Tlusty Czwartek. It can be dated back to centuries ago when people would use up all the ingredients in their house before fasting for Lent. The use of eggs, milk, sugar, etc. would result in a delicious treat with a sweet filling. 

Many people believe that not enjoying a Paczki on these days can lead to bad luck… and who would want to risk that?

Looking to indulge on this Fat Tuesday? You’ve come to the right place!

We have a full line of standard and gourmet paczki!  

Standard

The classics that you can never go wrong with! There is a flavor for everyone.

• Raspberry
• Strawberry
• Lemon
• Bavarian Cream
• Apple

Gourmet

Love the standard ones, but want to spice it up a bit? These fillings made in house take our paczki to the next level. 

• Boston Cream
• Nutella Mousse
• Strawberry & Whipped Cream
• Orchard Apple
• Cannoli
• Banana Custard

We will also have kings cakes available!

Orders yours today to secure them or stop into one of our locations on 2/13! Available while supplies last

From Our Family To Yours

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! 

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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

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.

Buona Fortuna e Buon Anno a tutti!

From Our Family To Yours