Rex Italian Foods on North Harlem Avenue in Norridge has been a Chicago area Italian deli and market institution since it opened, serving Sicilian-style prepared foods, house-made pasta, and the Italian deli counter experience that earns a suburban Chicago community its go-to source for authentic Italian food. It appeared in Season 15, Episode 1 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Unconventional Comforts,” which aired August 5, 2012. Guy Fieri found a Norridge Italian kitchen doing Sicilian cooking from scratch with the family commitment to authenticity that makes a suburban deli into a destination — arancini, house-made sausage, and the prepared foods that reflect the Italian immigrant food traditions of the Chicago area.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Rex Italian Foods
City: Norridge, Illinois
Cuisine: Italian Deli / Sicilian
DDD Season: 15
DDD Episode: 1
Episode Title: Unconventional Comforts
Original Air Date: August 5, 2012
Address: 4431 N. Harlem Ave., Norridge, IL 60706
Phone: 708-457-0177
Website: https://rexitalianfoods.com
Status: Open
What to Eat
The Arancini — Sicilian rice balls stuffed with meat ragu and mozzarella, breaded and fried — are the signature that earns Rex Italian its Chicago area reputation and the item most first-timers order on the recommendation of anyone who has been before. The House-Made Italian Sausage, fresh and spiced to the family recipe, is the deli counter item most regulars take home by the pound. The Eggplant Parmigiana prepared fresh daily is the Sicilian classic done with the quality of a kitchen that has been making it the same way for decades. The Prepared Food Counter with rotating daily Italian dishes is the reason the local community makes Rex Italian their weekly stop. Find a Chicago area hotel on Trivago.
Plan Your Visit
Check the website for current hours.
Address: 4431 N. Harlem Ave., Norridge, IL 60706
Phone: 708-457-0177
Website: https://rexitalianfoods.com
Status: Open
Triple D Essentials
Stream the Unconventional Comforts episode on Amazon and bring Sicilian cooking home with Guy Fieri Cookware.
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Rex Italian Foods appeared in Season 15, Episode 1 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Unconventional Comforts,” originally aired August 5, 2012.