90-year-old Illinois Italian restaurant to be featured on 'America's Best Restaurants'
Cassidy Waigand
Another restaurant in central Illinois is set to be highlighted on "America's Best Restaurants."
The online show announced it will visit Mona's Italian Foods on June 16.
The 90-year-old Italian restaurant was founded by Nildo “Mona” Arthur Bernardi and is located in Toluca. In 2001, the family business opened Bernardi's in Washington.
Tony Bernardi and Stephanie Bernardi-Brott, who are siblings and third-generation owners, will sit down for an interview during the show. Both have worked at the restaurant since they were teenagers.
“It was in my heart, my blood; we just grew up in it,” Bernardi said in a press release.
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Various staples from the restaurant will also be highlighted in the video. According to "America's Best Restaurants," Mona's family-style fried chicken may be featured in the completed episode.
Fried chicken is also included on Bernardi's menu, and the restaurant was a finalist in the fried chicken category for the Journal Star's 2022 "Best of the Best" list.
The video will be shared on the online show's website and social media channels at a later date. The company aims to highlight "the unique food of locally owned independent restaurants" and has filmed over 800 episodes.
Pekin restaurant Ashers Bar & Grill was visited by the Kentucky-based media and marketing company in late 2022. The completed episode featured Asher bombs and the record tenderloin, along with an interview with co-owners Russell and Ashley Spencer.
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Visit Mona's Italian Foods
Address: 202 N. Main St., Toluca
Phone: (815) 452-2303