Giada De Laurentiis

By Jen Banowetz
July 2026 View more Spotlight

Dishing about her freshly opened restaurant at the new Hollywood Casino Aurora

Take classic Italian dining and add a splash of California and you have the cooking style of Giada De Laurentiis, an HGTV staple, cookbook author, and entrepreneur. The Emmy Award–winning chef, in fact, has penned 12 cookbooks and owns five restaurants bearing her name—including Sorella by Giada, which opened in June at the new Hollywood Casino Aurora, 2500 N. Farnsworth Ave. (Her first restaurant in the Chicago area, Sorellina, debuted at the Hollywood Casino Joliet last August.) Before her rise as a celebrity chef, De Laurentiis trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

Her brand-new 170-seat eatery in Aurora serves up a menu of pastas and proteins, including lemon spaghetti (one of her specialties), tableside chicken Parmesan, and bacon-wrapped dates. Thanks to the glass-enclosed pasta prep area on full display, guests can watch the timeless magic of fresh pasta being made in house. The restaurant space includes a main dining room, bar, private dining room, as well as outdoor seating. De Laurentiis shared a few thoughts about her career and new venture.

Q: What’s your background in the kitchen?
A: Cooking has always been a part of my family; food brought my family together and is the heart of our home. And then culinary school really shaped my technique and helped prepare for my future projects.

Q: What are your culinary inspirations?
A: I would say my inspiration comes from family recipes and traveling. It’s important to experience something new or exciting, outside of your daily routine.

Q: How would you describe your culinary style? How does Sorella reflect that?
A: My culinary style blends authentic southern Italian roots with a California influence. It’s important to me to use fresh, farm-to-table ingredients that promote wellness. We look for ways to tie into the local communities where my restaurants are, no two are exactly the same, and Sorella reflects that.

Q: What are you most excited about regarding Sorella? What’s unique?
A: This is a new concept for our team, with a focus on steak and wine in an upscale, contemporary environment. Our sister location, Sorellina, in Joliet is a more casual guest experience. We aim to bring something new to each location, and one item I am excited to feature at Sorella is my chicken piccata meatballs.

Q: What do you hope your guests take away from their dining experience? What’s your culinary mission?
A: I want guests to enjoy their entire experience, of course. My goal is for our guests to come for the food, love the quality, service, and experience, and take that joy home.

Photos: Hollywood Casino Aurora (portrait); Jen Banowetz (restaurant)