NEWS FROM : Food & Wine  

In the sometimes snobbish, often ostentatious world of gourmet food, there are seared foie gras with rhubarb tart, hamachi with sea urchin vinaigrette, and kumamoto oysters with mango sorbet.  And then there’s Italian salami. Italian salami? How does this processed meat with a gnarly chub, fermented tang, and winelike aroma belong in the élite comp...

Cecilia Casarini still remembers the long line that formed outside Ilary Biondo’s gelato store in Sicily when the couple first met in the summer of 2021. “The line was from the door to two blocks away every single day,” Casarini, Biondo’s wife, recalled. “She was just doing everything, making the gelato, serving people.” Now, Biondo, 36, the Italia...

The chef/owner behind San Diego's popular Cocina de Barrio Mexican restaurants has opened a new modern Italian concept in Hillcrest named Esca Blu. In November 2019, Chef Jose J. Flores teamed up with Swami's Cafe founder Jaime Osuna to open the first Cocina de Barrio restaurant in San Diego's Hillcrest community. In its nearly two year tenure, the...

Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the year-old Capri inside Eataly has decided it wants to stay. When Eataly first opened in 2017, the food emporium’s on-site dining area felt a bit like a food hall serving classics like pizza and pasta. Providence chef Michael Cimarusti had a seafood menu called Il Pesce Cucina while eventually, Terra ope...

Aromi held its grand opening in La Mesa on May 22. A new Italian restaurant, Aromi combines the rich traditions of Italian cuisine with a modern twist. One of Aromi’s highlights is its tableside presentations of selected dishes, adding an interactive element to the dining experience. “At Aromi, we are passionate about bringing the essence of Italy...

Prepare you tastebuds and Taste Passport for a day full of fresh, authentic Italian cuisine at the annual Taste of Little Italy on June 20th and 21st. Foodies will eat, sip and stroll their way through the neighborhood sampling culinary delights from more than 30 of San Diego’s top chefs and restaurants.  “Taste of Little Italy has drawn hundreds o...

Think about some of the best Italian restaurants in town and chances are, the LaRocca family had something to do with them. The family will be honored Monday with a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Best of the Valley Restaurant Awards. The event is hosted by the Fresno chapter of the California Restaurant Association. While all sorts of re...

AnniVenti La Trattoria, the Italian restaurant owned and operated by three brothers, is now open in Lemon Grove. The restaurant is named after their family’s original restaurant located just 10 miles from Palermo in Italy, where the brothers grew up working. Emanuele Gagliano, one of the brothers, says, “It’s been our lifelong dream to bring the au...

Alessio Casagrande was born and raised in Santa Margarita on the Italian Riviera. He comes from a long line of pastry chefs, butchers and cooks, so the kitchen was always his family’s gathering place; as a kid, Casagrande helped his mom and grandma make dinner every Sunday. In 2013, Casagrande moved to Santa Cruz, where he and his business partner,...

Talking wine and food with America’s most revered grocer, it is hard to keep up. A spry 81, Darrell Corti has an athletically agile mind. His knowledge is encyclopedic. His curiosity, voracious. Want to know the profile of an obscure olive cultivar or rare European cheese? Or perhaps about the flavors and shelf price of the first Conterno Barolo Mo...

Marchesi Antinori is solidifying its foothold in Napa Valley, buying complete control of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. The two companies announced today that Antinori, which has been a minority partner at the iconic Napa winery since Ste. Michelle purchased it from founder Warren Winiarksi in 2007, is buying Ste. Michell...

It’s a sandwich, salad and coffee café drenched in Italian folklore. A small space with an abundance of personality. Take some time to read the extensive sandwich menu board. It’s entertainment itself. All the Sandwiches are named after characters from the Godfather movies, The Soprano’s T.V. series as well as the actors and directors. I usually pi...