“Next to music there is nothing that lifts the spirits and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili.” Harry James (1916-1983) band leader and trumpeter
There is something about chili that inspires a passion in people which few other foods can claim. It’s ironic that this common comfort food, made of simple ingredients, using basic methods, seems to provoke a certain culinary snobbishness. You never hear folks debating the proper method for making potato soup, or insisting that the beef stew found in their region is …

One of the best stories about the many incarnations of St. Mary’s Supper Club originates in the 1960s. The then-owner wanted to make the rustic roadside structure just west of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College into a full-fledged restaurant and bar. That, of course, required all manner of special permits and tweaked zoning. According to the current co-owner, Chuck Stevenson, the Sisters of Providence volunteered to publicly support their neighbors in the supper club effort — on one condition: “None of the girls from the college were ever to be allowed in,” …

After 13 years, passion for food, dedicated staff, and loyal patrons keep Bella Rossa a staple of diets and downtown.