Salamone’s Italian Restaurant in Cherry Valley to Shine on Food Network Show

Salamone's Italian Restaurant in Cherry Valley, Illinois has been beloved by the Rockford area community since it began in 1999, and soon the entire nation will know what makes this restaurant so special.

Best Pizza Places in the Rockford Area

Growing up, Friday or Saturday nights were usually pizza nights in our house, and it's a tradition I continue with my own family today. Our go-to pizza places have varied over the years, but two long-term favorites remain staples: Lino's, Salamone's in Cherry Valley.

History of Salamone's Restaurant

I grew up in the Cherry Valley area, so I spent many nights picking up pizza from Salamone's, back when it was just a tiny carryout and delivery place located on the corner of Cherry and Elgin Streets.

I may have eaten more Salamone's pizza, pasta, and salads than I could ever start to count, but the one thing I never knew about it was how the restaurant's owners, Benny and Rosalie Salamone, combined two family sauce recipes to create their signature, and unforgettable, sauce.

Salamone's website says:

We both grew up in our family restaurants. When we got married, we took the leap and opened our own very tiny carryout and delivery pizzeria down the street from our current location. It was the size of a garage, but it was ours.  It was fun trying to figure out which one of our families marinara sauce to use.  We decided to combine the two and came up with our own signature sauce.

In 2006, Salamone's opened a new, much larger location on S Cherry Street in Cherry Valley, and since then the restaurant has continued to grow and thrive, and soon they will be featured on a national tv show!

Salamone's Italian Restaurant on 'America's Best Restaurants'

America's Best Restaurants Roadshow is a national TV show that airs on the Food Network and showcases hidden gem, locally loved restaurants from all over the United States.

@americasbestrestaurants This hot dog from The Family Dog is a faithful classic! Chicago style from the top to the bottom, it's got the poppy seed bun, peppers, onions, pickle, tomato wedges, and of course, 100% natural beef dog! #chicagodog #oronomaine ♬ original sound - America’s Best Restaurants

Ready for the good news? On September 15, 2025, the ABR crew will be at Salamone's in Cherry Valley filming footage for an upcoming episode, and the restaurant needs our help deciding what foods they should highlight:

Obviously, I think Salamone's has to highlight their delicious pizza, but what other dish do you get there every time? Make sure to head over to Salamone's Cherry Valley on Facebook to let them know!