Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and The Evanston Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors attended the Ribbon Cutting of La Macchina Café on Wednesday, Jan.15.
In celebrations of its grand opening, La Macchina Café, 1620 Orrington Ave., hosted a week-long “Italian Festival of Food” early in January. Open daily for coffee, lunch and dinner, and weekends for brunch, dinner and late-night eats, LMC’s one-page menu of Italian and European-inspired dishes will change regularly with the availability of fresh meats, cheeses and produce. While a few favorite items will remain from week to week, patrons will always find something new.
Co-owner Christopher Casas shares that “we’ve worked hard with the custom-built 100-year-old barn wood tables and benches and our collection of industrial machinery and antiques, to create a unique, comfortable atmosphere that seems to appeal to Evanston. We’re really trying to be as authentic an Italian experience as we can by bringing our own meats, cheeses and wines over from Italy and Europe,” Mr. Casas said. “As much as we can do in house, we’re going to do.” For other items, he shares that LMC is “big on dealing local and knowing where our food comes from.” LMC uses Isola Imports to obtain the freshest and best products available. LMC also serves Coffee Speed Shop Coffee, which he says, is the highest-quality bean, roasted locally in Evanston.
Co-owner Marco Ferrarini, a native Italian, had long-dreamed of sharing his family recipes with friends outside of his hometown of Reggio Emilia, Italy. LMC, he says, is a culmination of years of effort, menu exploration and his mastery of wines. He is always ready to help patrons find just the right wine for their meal and to share the secrets that “make my mother’s recipes so flavorful – if you speak Italian, that is!”