American Italian Cultural Society: You Won't Recognize This Building

CREST HILL — The American Italian Cultural Society is best known for its monthly spaghetti dinners and for throwing one of the Joliet area's biggest weekend summer festivals every August. But now there's even more news to share.

In recent weeks, the Italian club underwent its most extensive remodeling project since it opened back in 1988. The new bar and new dining room are intended to give the club a modern look. Club leaders want to see the hall and bar used more by the community.

These days, John Mauzer is club president, and his son, Matt Mauzer, serves as bar manager.

According to the Mauzers, back in February, the American Italian Cultural Society embarked on the large-scale renovation of the bar and dining room. For the unfamiliar, the club is located off Plainfield Road/Route 30, but it's hidden from the busy four-lane highway, tucked in the front of the Crest Hill neighborhood at 1918 Donmaur Drive.

"Our goal was to update the club, keeping in mind the culture and traditions in place," John Mauzer explained. The American-Italian club's prayer proclaims, "So we may leave the legacy to our children, grandchildren and great-children."

Spaghetti Dinners Now Offer Online Ordering

"Everything was built by our members. From cabinets, liquor shelves to the bar itself," John Mauzer said.

He said that repurposed wine barrels were installed for the front of the bar to keep with Italian wine making traditions. Now that the remodeling is done, photos from various regions of Italy where the club's members came from are now displayed throughout the club.

The bar offers several wines including glasses and bottles of Carletto Montepulciano, Remole Toscana, Donini Montepulciano, Oliver Moscato, Oliver Sweet Red, Oyster Ray sauvignon blanc and Ecco Domani pinot grigio. About a dozen different beers are available, including Peroni and Miller Lite on draft and in bottle.

Spaghetti Dinner This Thursday

The Italian Cultural Society holds its popular spaghetti dinners the second Thursday of every month from September through May. New this year, the club has added online ordering for pickup.

People can visit the website for americanitalian.org to select their menu options and order.

As for this Thursday's spaghetti dinner, the Mauzers said the meal goes from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The regular dinner costs $12 for spaghetti, meat sauce, bread and salad. For $15, people also receive two meatballs.

In March, the club dished up 1,380 spaghetti dinners.

"Best spaghetti in town, and you get a lot of food with it," John Mauzer remarked.

Grand Reopening Event Set for April 25

The club will have its grand re-opening open to members and the public at 5 p.m. on April 25, a Friday. There will be a live band, "Don't Matter To Me," which played last summer during the Taste of Joliet, and food available for purchase. The club is now open to the public Mondays for the Queen of Hearts drawing from 5 to 10 p.m. and open to the public starting April 25, Friday and Saturdays, also 5 to 10 p.m.

"We're going to start opening to the public more," John Mauzer said. "And we still have the bocci ball court in the back. And anybody can rent the hall, whether it's for weddings, birthdays, wedding showers and we also do catering for family events, Easter and Christmas."

At the moment, the club has about 410 members and the club has added about 80 new members to start 2025.

Queen Of Hearts Drawing At $23,000

He said the Queen of Hearts drawing heading into this week was at more than $23,000. Food is served at the Queen of Hearts, and the Monday night drawing is at 8 p.m. The Italian club has been selling individual slices of pizza from Maurie's Table for the Queen of Hearts nights, and the pizza has been a huge hit, the Mauzers said.

"The menu will change periodically. Our goal is to try to get more traffic and more of the younger generation to come here and be members," John Mauzer said.

The club is also in the process of replacing its video slot machines with new machines. "And the dart boards are coming," Matt Mauzer pointed out. "We will be putting outdoor seating in this summer so you can eat outside and have a drink outside."

As for the Festa Italiana, the American Italian Cultural Society will host the three-day festival Aug. 8-10. The festival typically draws 4,000 to 5,000 people per day and 15,000 to 16,000 over the entire festival. Festa Italiana is also used by the club to make charitable donations to help area food pantries and homeless shelters.

To rent the hall for private events, people can call Vanessa at 815-274-9235 or call the club at 815-725-7450.