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.
Fall is in the air and can you believe Halloween is already next week?! As we continue to enjoy the best of fall activities– hayrides, haunted houses, seasonal drinks– we can’t forget an October must… pumpkin carving!
An annual tradition amongst our family revolved around pumpkin carving. However, it was not your typical pumpkin carving. Our family always had a unique way of carving pumpkins. We wouldn’t carve pictures into the pumpkin or make it a Jack O’Lantern, we had a different way of doing it which involved goodies from all around the store!
Every year, there was one day in October that my grandpa would anxiously await for us to get home from school. He would take us to Caputo’s and let us pick a pumpkin. There were so many to choose from and Nonno Angelo would help us pick the perfect one, then load it into the cart. After we picked out our pumpkins, we would go around and find different foods and props for our pumpkins to make faces! We would get things like chestnuts or olives for the eyes, a gourd or a pepper for the nose, smaller pumpkins or corn husks for the ears, hay for the hair, and no pumpkin was complete without a carrot as a pipe! We could come up with any crazy idea and Nonno Angelo would do it for us.
When we got home from picking up our pumpkins and all the fixings, my parents and Nonna Romana were waiting for us with the kitchen ready! The first thing we would do is cut open the top and clean the insides of the pumpkins. We would separate all the seeds and give them to Nonna Romana so that she could roast the pumpkin seeds. We would let them soak in some water so that all the pulp would come off. Then Nonna would salt them, put some olive oil, and put them in the oven! While she was doing this, we would direct the carving! The adults would cut the holes and we would put the food where we wanted. After that, we would draw or paint all the finishing touches on our pumpkins!
We have a fun Halloween tradition, what are yours? Stop by Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, pick out your perfect pumpkin and start your creation!
For the third week of Italian Heritage month, we want to highlight another big piece of our company heritage and our Italian heritage– our private label, La Bella Romana.
Our private label was established in 1984 by Angelo. The name is a tribute to the matriarch of our family, Romana Caputo. “La Bella Romana” translates to “the beautiful Romana.” The logo features a picture of Romana feeding pigeons in Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy during Angelo and Romana’s honeymoon.
The brand started with California grown tomatoes. We canned the tomatoes and it was the start of the brand. When Angelo was ready to add more products to the line, he knew that his expansion should be Italian staples. Angelo and Romana went to Italy and sourced suppliers who could offer the highest quality products and ingredients. The result of this trip was the addition of pasta and olive oil to La Bella Romana! Pasta and olive oil are traditional components of every Italian meal. These items can be used or prepared in a variety of different ways to satisfy anybody’s hunger. These foundational items of the La Bella Romana line embody simplicity, diversity, and deliciousness.
Since those beginning items, the La Bella Romana brand has grown exponentially. The private label now includes bakery items, deli meats, catering and prepared foods, grocery products, and more. There are about 400 items that all have the La Bella Romana name on them.
We have a variety of canned tomatoes– sauce, puree, paste. We know that sauce is a staple in any Italian household. Canned tomatoes are the perfect start to sauce on a Sunday, pizza night, and more. We also import many of our items from Italy in order to bring some traditional items and staples here.
We have spent time sourcing the highest quality ingredients for our products. The rich flavor and delightful smell will make your own kitchen feel like Italy.
All of our private label items are made using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. The core of our products today is the same as 1984 when it started– bringing the freshest and healthiest foods to you and your family.
As Italian Heritage Month continues, we take a look at a huge part of our business and our heritage– food!
When Angelo, our founder, started, the store was just a fruit market– selling fresh produce in a tiny little store. Angelo, like so many others, immigrated to America and while the promise of a new life was there, it meant leaving behind pieces of home. Angelo recognized the need to bring pieces of Italy here and began importing specialty items. Soon, our product line and business was able to grow and now even include homemade items!
So in addition to our plethora of imports– taralli, pasta, oil, cookies, drinks, tomatoes (just to name a few,) we also have a lot of products we make in house that are hand crafted to bring out memories and appreciation of Italy!
Here are 3 Must Try Caputo’s products if you’re looking for a taste of Italy
Italian Cookies
One stop should definitely be to our La Bella Romana Bakery. La Bella Romana is the name of our private label which translates to “The Beautiful Romana.” It was named by Angelo for our matriarch and his wife, Romana Caputo. She was known for her incredible skills in the kitchen and this included baking! Many of our Italian cookie recipes were adapted from her own recipes. The amaretti cookies, lemon cookies, fig cookies, and chocolate spice cookies are a must! They may even remind you of your nonna’s very own traditional cookies. One of our family’s favorites are the horseshoe amaretti cookies
In fact, many of our products in our bakery are made in house daily by our talented bakery team! We make our own cannoli shells and filling, eclairs, cream puffs, breads, and so much more. Take a closer look into our bakery here
Homemade Bocconcini
Cheese is a significant part of Italian culture and our homemade bocconcini lives up to it. Boconcini is hand stretched, hand tied mozzarella. Made using fresh mozzarella which is watched over slowly, then stretched and tied carefully to ensure easy, not chewy or stringy, bites of delicious! It is great on its own, in a panino, in pasta, and more!
Homemade Sausage
We make our own sausage in house daily. It was a long process to perfectly craft our homemade sausage– making and tweaking our recipes until we reached recipes we are extremely proud of! We use local and fresh ingredients as well as a custom blend of spices. Everything is sourced carefully and created strategically! Some of our varietals include classic italian, hot, barese, sicilian, provolone and giardiniera, and more. It makes for a great dinner or even in a sandwich!
These are just a few of the offerings we have that keep Italian tradition alive. Just like Angelo did, our goal is to help the Italian culture remain steadfast through the generations.
October is Italian National Heritage Month. This month is used to honor the achievements of Italian immigrants in the United States. As a company founded by an Italian immigrant, we are proud to celebrate this month!
Throughout the month, our family will be highlighting some parts of our Italian culture that our extended family of customers can see throughout our stores. From products we carry, to photos hanging in our stores, to little details you may not know– we’ll be taking you through bits of our history throughout the month!
What better place to start than with our newest location whose design was heavily influenced by our past! If you have seen our Norridge store, you may have noticed the unique design. It resembles our recently remodeled Bloomingdale location with its rounded, modern look. Did you know that this look was not just for its unique design, but designed with an ode to our founders and their beginning? These locations were carefully designed after many meetings with an architect who listened to our family’s story and wanted to incorporate.
The architect of these locations, Peter Theodore, explains the reason for the design of our Norridge store
“From the rolling hills of Italy to the waves kissing the shores of Mola di Bari, inspiration for this unique store design took shape.
Mindful of Angelo and Romana Caputo’s vision of treating their customers like family, the architect builds upon that simple principle. This unique store embraces the founders’ vibrancy and energy with forms creating the shell of the structure that seems to defy gravity… stretching upwards to the sky, forcing us to stop and wonder- how is this even possible?
Just as the waves move across the sea, the flowing forms mimic a similar fluidity. The building pays respect to Angelo and Romana by honoring their vision of creating a great experience before, during, and after your journey into the markets. Buoyed by a love of family and a unique customer experience, nuanced into the design, the canopies stretch towards the heavens welcoming Angelo and Romana back, spiritually, to share in the delight of how their daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren have kept the tradition alive.
Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets builds upon a legacy started over six decades ago. This building has created a link between the past and the future, and stands as an example that anything is possible if you believe in your dreams.”
So as we enter Italian heritage month, we always keep in mind where and how we started– by a hard working Italian immigrant who started because he wanted to give his future family a better life. We always keep with us the principles instilled in us by Angelo as we grow and continue his legacy.
Stay tuned throughout the month for more Caputo’s Italian-American history!
