Tenuta's,Kenosha
My good friend, Pat, who passed away this summer, was a native of Kenosha ; it was he who introduced me to Tenuta's and over the past few years I've shopped there a few times.
Tenuta's is really quite an impressive store, indeed, it is more like two or three stores in one. First, as a salumeria, it has an impressive array of Italian deli offerings: cheeses, salume, fresh sausages, prepared salads, olives. And the Italian grocery offererings are more extensive than one can find in any of the Chicagoland salumeria; their selections of dry pasta, olive oil, vinegar, spices, canned goods etc. etc. are on a scale that surpasses, I believe, even those of the Chicagoland Italian grocery I visit on occasion, Caputo's (Harlem Ave.).
In addition to the very extensive food offerings, Tenuta's also offers a great selection of beers at good prices (domestic, German, Czech, Polish, Dutch, Italian -- no Belgian beers though) and they also have a fairly large wine department. Many or most of the wines are offered at 2-for-the price-of-one deals, with the basic price a bit high for one but really a pretty darn good bargain for two, at least when compared with the prices I see for the same wines down here in the big burgh.
Here are some random further notes on particular strengths and weaknesses of Tenuta's:
1) the selection of dried pasta is magnificent; just about every shape made is available, most in multiple brands. The prices are not bad but not particularly low either. I think, though, that they usually have some good stuff on sale.
2) their prepared salads and such, e.g., giardiniera, are reputed to be very good. I would personally say that their hot-pepper spread is 'kick-ass' and very tasty.
3) The house bread ('Tenuta's) I find weird: very crisp crust but the interior has a character more like Wonder Bread than I can handle. The other local bakeries (and Chicagoland, e.g. Gonnella) whose goods are sold at their deli counter all pale compared to the better stuff one can find around here (D'Amato's, Ferrara's, Masi's).
4) Of their home-made pasta, I've tried two sorts. I've had their jumbo cheese ravioli (which I served with a simple tomato and basil sauce) and I will not make a point of getting them again. They were overstuffed (and thus prone to breaking), the dough was too thick and tough (presumably on account of the breakage problem), and the ricotta filling was too salty and was flavoured with garlic, which is to my mind anathema. I won't say they're bad, but I wasn't fond of them and can purchase ravioli that please me more elsewhere.
On the otherhand, I also got some frozen cavetelli at Tenuta's and I thought they were really quite good.
5) The olive oil selction is fun; they offer a number of brands which one rarely or never sees in the shops here in Chicago. The last time I was there I got a reasonably priced bottle of San Giuliano, an oil from the town of Alghero, the Catalan enclave on the northwest coast of Sardinia.
If you are an inveterate visitor of Italian stores, Tenuta's is a must; it's a fun store to poke around and you will surely find interesting things to eat and drink. The wine and beer deals are pretty attractive too. On the other hand, the collective offerings of Chicago's Italian stores are not surpassed by the Kenosha institution. If you're up that way, stop in; if you're passing by and really like Italian stuff, get off the highway and check it out.
Antonius
Alle Nerven exzitiert von dem gewürzten Wein -- Anwandlung von Todesahndungen -- Doppeltgänger --
- aus dem Tagebuch E.T.A. Hoffmanns, 6. Januar 1804.
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Na sir is na seachain an cath.