Restaurants: Block Party | Trattoria Stefano - Sheboygan, Wisconsin

When Stefano Viglietti opened Trattoria Stefano in 1994 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the city was known more for bratwurst than bruschetta. But Viglietti, who taught himself how to cook during his family's annual trips to Italy, challenged that tradition with such dishes as osso buco with saffron risotto and veal rib chop stuffed with prosciutto. In 2000, he opened Il Ritrovo across the street; it's now one of nine pizzerias in the U.S. that have been certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana in Naples, Italy. Viglietti's next move is figuring out what to do with the space he bought next door: "It could be a bakery, a risotteria, a food shop...Maybe we'll just keep filling up the block!" (Trattoria Stefano, 522 S. Eighth St.; 920-452-8455)
--Jessica Blatt

Published April 2003