It's Italian Heritage Month, and tucked away in Rochester with minimal signage sits a hidden gem that's been serving authentic Italian cuisine for more than a decade.

Silver Spoon restaurant is the product of a chance meeting between two Italian men at London's airport almost 30 years ago. Chef Daniele Dell'Acqua and owner Rito Lisi crossed paths while leaving their homeland and have been working together ever since.

Watch Jeffrey Lindbom's video report below: Local Rochester restaurant brings authentic Italian flavors to Michigan

"We met in the airport in London," Dell'Acqua said.

"The chef is from Milan. I am from the south," Lisi said.

Despite their different regional backgrounds, the two have built a lasting partnership, though they admit they don't always see eye to eye.

"Thirty years, we've been working together. I see more of him than my wife," Lisi said.

Their chance relationship has evolved into a long-lasting friendship over a shared passion for food. From the start, their goal has been authentic Italian dining.

"We just stick with what is the food in Italy," Lisi said.

"So you can have a nice dining experience without having to go to Italy," Dell'Acqua said.

The restaurant maintains its authenticity through traditional methods, including a manual prosciutto slicer that requires hand cranking to produce perfectly sliced meat.

"I'm happy when I make people happy," Dell'Acqua said.

"Make people feel like home when they're still at the table," Lisi said.

Lisi channels his Italian roots by making bread behind the scenes and has opened roughly 45,000 bottles of wine over the last five years. The corks now serve as keepsake decor throughout the restaurant.

"We are like a family," both men said.

Dell'Acqua describes his cooking philosophy as "easy food" nothing over the top, just a few quality ingredients with a menu mostly made from scratch. He prides himself on his steady hands while holding a pan and skills honed since his grandmother stood beside him long ago. He still carries some of her recipes today and believes she would be proud.

"It's good because everyone is happy. If everyone eats, it means she taught me something nice," Dell'Acqua said.

"I hope they leave super happy and say, 'wow. What a beautiful experience we had,'" Lisi said.

"That would make me very proud of my staff and to do the job that I'm doing," Dell'Acqua said.

Silver Spoon shared a recipe for Spaghetti ai frutti di mare:

Serving 4

Ingredients:

Spaghetti 0.7 lb

Mussels 2.25 lb

Optional 4 medium size sea scallops

Clams 2.2lb

Calamari (squid) 0.66 lb

Shrimp 8

Cherry tomatoes 0.66 lb

Extra virgin olive oil 4tbsp

Garlic 1 clove

Parsley 1 spig to be chopped

White wine 3 tbsp

Fine salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

To prepare the seafood spaghetti start cleaning the mussels and clams, than place a colander over a container so that it does not touch the bottom and fill it with cold running water leaving the clams to purge any sand. Pour out the water and repeat.

Next clean the mussels, remove any dirt from the shell with the back of a knife, if needed tear off the beard that comes out of the shell.

Heat 2 table spoon of olive oil in a large sauce and when is hot pour in the clams and the mussels, cover immediately with a lid and wait until they are all completely open, about 3 4 minutes, remove the lid an pour them in to a container. Do not discard the cooking liquid but strain it and keep it warm. Than shell both the clams and the mussels, set aside (keep some shells for decoration)

Cut the calamari in strips . Clean the scampi, and cutt the tomatoes in half.

Drizzle a pan with 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and add a clove of garlic

Once is golden, pour the squid and add a pinch of salt

Cook for 5 minute then sweat with the white wine.

Let the wine evaporate, remove the garlic

Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water.

Add the shrimp to the sauce, season with salt and pepper.

Drain the spaghetti directly in to the pan 4 minute before their cooking time is up

Continue cooking and pour the mussels and clams cooking water you had set aside

Lastly add the shelled mussels and clams

At the end of the cooking, turn off the heat, season with chopped Italian parsley and toss one last time. Serve it very hot.

BUON APPETITO FROM THE SILVER SPOON!

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Religious leaders across Detroit are mobilizing to boost voter turnout ahead of the upcoming mayoral election, following a disappointing 16.5% turnout during the primary election.

Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report: Faith leaders step up efforts to boost Detroit election turnout

Eight congregations banded together on Juneteenth and have been encouraging their followers to exercise their right to vote, with leaders expressing concern about widespread voter apathy in the city.

"If our voice is not heard, then our voice is not regarded. If our voice is not regarded, then people make decisions for our lives," said Bishop Edgar L. Vann.

Pastor Maurice Rudds, who leads one of the participating congregations, said he frequently hears from community members who don't believe their vote makes a difference.

"And I think that is so destructive. I think it's a flat-out lie," Rudds said.

"I believe the voter apathy comes from people believing their voice is not heard," Pastor Alonzo Bell said.

Detroit resident Christopher Graham acknowledges voting is important, but says his community remains dangerous and taxpayers feel underappreciated.

"You get to a place where you're like, 'I'm not going to vote because who am I going to vote for?'" Graham said.

"Sometimes when people feel like their lives aren't changing, it says to them that their vote didn't matter," Bell said.

Bell calls voting "the voice of the people" and said his congregation has been participating in the initiative to empower more voters. The group reports achieving turnout at more than double the rate of the rest of the city.

For Carol Jackson, voting is an emotional topic.

"People have died for the rights of people to vote," Jackson said. "If you want change You have to get the person in there that is going to change it for you."

The churches say that by uniting together, they've impacted more than 7,000 people by encouraging them to vote. As they move into what they describe as phase two and are getting more churches involved, they anticipate that number to rise.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Experts say the cost of dating is on the rise, with some studies suggesting single Americans are spending upwards of $2,000 a year searching for love.

Watch Jeffrey's story in the video player below Dating costs rise as cuffing season begins, with Americans spending over $2,000 yearly on romance

Right now, it's a very popular time to look for a romantic partner. It's the beginning of "cuffing season" in the dating world when one hopes to find a special someone to get through the lonelier, colder months. But will the cost of going out prevent the possibility of finding a match?

Although the digital world offers lots of options, dating apps have some singles feeling exhausted in their search for romance.

"So, for me the apps are out," one woman said.

Logging out presents an opportunity for finding a match in a real-world scenario. Dating experts recommend leaving yourself open and available while going about your day.

"I call it happy feet on the street," said Kurt Kazanowski.

Kazanowski has been in the dating business for 12 years through his dating agency, Dolce Vita, and admits it can be tricky to date while balancing a budget.

"It's two fold money and time," Kazanowski said.

Jeanie Mundy, who has been working at a flower shop since she was a girl, believes growing a bond goes beyond the bank.

"You never want to show up on a date empty-handed. You walk in with something flowers it says I want to get to know you and spend time with you," Mundy said.

Mundy says knowing your flowers really counts for something, because what you pick can be a reflection of what it is you're trying to say.

"If you really want to show a person you like them, show up with a dozen or two roses," Mundy said.

If you're lucky enough to find a potential love match to give flowers to whether online or in person if you're paying for the date, it could set you back.

According to a 2025 study by BMO Real Financial Progress Index, the "all in" price of a date from the pre-date grooming to the gas money is nearly $168.

On average, a single American spends $2,279 on dates in a year.

If you find that special loved one, a couple married for over 40 years has this advice.

"Whatever she says, I just say 'I understand,'" said Ed and Marie Newcomb.

"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."

A Mount Clemens business owner is facing a double dose of challenges as the city's grant-funded $6.4 million downtown beautification project enters its final months.

Watch Jeffery's video report below Mount Clemens business owner weathers flood, construction chaos during downtown beautification

Diane Kubic, who has owned Max & Ollie's for 20 years, found herself dealing with both construction-related business slowdowns and a separate flooding crisis that left 2 inches of standing water in her shop.

"This was like, boom! You're putting this back together today," Kubic said.

The flooding wasn't caused by the construction project that has been ongoing since March, but by plumbing issues from the business next door.

"Oof, that's bad," Kubic said. "Just oh my goodness."

The combination of challenges proved overwhelming for the longtime business owner.

"Just not realizing what it would take, it's been a lot," Kubic said.

With help from the community, Kubic packed up her entire shop and moved everything off-site a career first she hopes never to repeat.

"And I don't want to do it again. It was enough," Kubic said.

Despite the difficulties, Kubic has maintained her sense of humor, decorating construction cones and putting mannequins in beach towels with a sign reading 'pardon us while we dry out' after the flood.

"This community is amazing," Kubic said.

She plans to keep her doors closed until the street reopens on Nov. 1, skipping ahead to Christmas sales when she reopens.

"I think once it's all done, it's going to be fabulous," Kubic said.

Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp, who has served for 6 years, calls the project a much-needed transformation for the downtown area.

"We had a really hard time during the recession and never really got our footing back as a downtown," Kropp said. "And so I say hold on, because it's going to be a fun time in the next few months with all of the unveilings going on."

Michelle Weiss, coordinator for the Downtown Development Authority, says the project represents the first major changes to the downtown area since 1982. The improvements include curbless streets to even out the groundscape, and updated lighting and parking.

"Everything about it is going to be so fresh and new," Weiss said.

While the street is scheduled to reopen Nov. 1, the complete beautification project won't be finished until next fall.

"We're almost to the end," Kubic said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.