Mercadito, a classy-casual Mexican with locations in New York and Chicago, makes its South Florida debut at Midtown Miami, 3252 NE First Ave. Open from 5 to midnight daily, the restaurant features gourmet guacamoles, ceviches, salsas, tacos and such small plates as tostadas de hongos (corn tortillas with wild mushrooms, pinto bean hash, manchego cheese, tomatillo salsa and epazote crema fresca ...

Have you ever watched the furiously paced cooking on Top Chef, or another culinary competition, and wondered about some of the terms tossed about with such confidence and authority? What exactly is beurre blanc, or maybe even more perplexing, beurre noisette? Or maybe you've been at a restaurant and wanted to order the Italian appetizer bruschetta. You know what it is grilled bread drizzled with ...

The Watchdogs: When convicted mob bookmaker Carl Dote was interviewed on the popular WTTW-Channel 11 show "Check, Please!" about Danny's, the restaurant he runs in Melrose Park, there were a few things he made clear.

The Rosebud eatery in downtown Naperville has returned to its Italian roots. The restaurant, which has been in Naperville since 1993, revamped from Rosebud Burgers and Comfort Foods to Rosebud Italian Specialties and Pizzeria, said general manager Jay DeMarco.

When convicted mob bookmaker Carl Dote was interviewed on "Check, Please!" about Danny's, the restaurant he runs in Melrose Park, there were a few things he made clear: the food is delicious, the price is right and Dote owns the place. But on the liquor license forms, Dote a twice-convicted felon for illegal gambling isn't listed as owner. Video: Full "Check, Please!" interview

The Rosebud eatery in downtown Naperville has returned to its Italian roots.The restaurant, which has been in Naperville since 1993, revamped from Rosebud Burgers and Comfort Foods to Rosebud Italian Specialties and Pizzeria, said general manager Jay DeMarco. The new menu is full of Italian favorites and specialties, from the appetizers down through the entrees.

News from every state

The recent closure of a longtime business in Greeley may feel like another nail in Greeley's retail coffin, but that's the nature of the beast in a high-risk industry, restaurateurs say. Making a restaurant work and have staying power has as much to do with management and consistency as capitalization and the economic times of the day. The owners of Jackson's All-American Grill called it quits ...

Who: George Michael Cascone, 67, of North Kansas City. When and how he died: Feb. 22, of complications from diabetes.

What, you may well ask, is Irish food? "The Irish used to have a very rich, complex food culture, but that was hundreds of years ago," says writer Coleman Andrews. In The Country Cooking of Ireland (Chronicle Books, $50), he's collected and refined more than 225 recipes, documenting both a historic and an emerging Irish cuisine. Both are pretty far from Chicago Irish fare.