Matranga vineyard brings notes of the Old County to La Center
When your family is from Italy, it’s nearly a rite of passage to preside over your own vineyard. Although Brian Matranga waited until later in life to do just that, he and his wife, Hope, have planted a little bit of the “Old Country” in La Center, Washington. With strong family roots that trace back to Sicily, Brian began life in Roseville, Calif...
Pasta Mia perfect stop for hungry WSOP players
As I have been doing for the past few articles, I’m reviewing places that are close to the Rio where the World Series of Poker is going on thru mid-July. The WSOP brings so many poker players to Las Vegas and when there are thousands of players in a tournament and everyone gets their dinner break at the same time it’s tough for everyone to get in a...
Italian spot Ada's brings new energy to Tivoli Village
Tivoli Village got a needed jolt when Ada’s, a bustling Italian eatery, recently opened there. Created by James Trees, the mind behind the stellar Esther’s Kitchen in Downtown’s Arts District, Ada’s (and its outdoor patio) has been brimming with bodies during lunch and dinner hours—and even in between. Meals usually start with crusty, flavor-dense ...
A Meat-Centric Italian Restaurant Debuts Near Mountain’s Edge
Nicole Brisson, the former executive chef at Eataly at the Park MGM, departed her old job to open Locale Italian Kitchen, exploring the traditions of Italian cuisines with a meat-centric menu, with Andy Hooper, one of the partners in The Black Sheep. Red sauce Italian dishes mix with ingredients sourced from small American farms and others deliver...
Bella’s wine and pizza night delivers pure Italian magic
The corner of Southeast 91st Avenue and Woodstock Boulevard on a Thursday night is a dangerous place to be if you are on a diet. That’s when Bella’s Italian Bakery and Marketcasts its net to haul you in like a helpless Amalfi anchovy. Six days a week Bella’s is a superb Italian bakery serving the Lents neighborhood from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. You would t...
A tour of Italy: La Dolce Vita brings decades of delicious tradition to Provo
When the warm weather hits, it quickly begins to seem like the days get longer in more ways than one, with each day packed from dusk to dawn with things to do, regardless of what’s been scheduled. As if to prove that side-note hypothesis, last weekend somehow managed to be unbelievably busy, leaving us in desperate desire of a sanctuary of sustenan...
Summer wine tours of Italy takes flight at Tavolino
Tavolino Ristorante Italiano will launch the first of its Summer Wine Tours of Italy at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, June 20. This is just the beginning, too. The Summer Wine Tours are happening every third Thursday of the month. Whoever decides to take the journey can taste their way through one of five Italian wine regions. First on the road map is the s...
Park Place goes Italiano
Park Place is back, but not the same. New owners Daniel Cohanim and Norberto Corona have made subtle changes to Park Place’s look — not counting the exterior — but the restaurant is now an Italian bistro, at a lower price point and less fussy fare than its previous concept. Cohanim opened his Panini Grill Cafe in Seattle back in 1997, where he met...
Farrelli's Pizza is a classic Washington spot that serves Italian favorites
Farrelli's Pizza is a classic spot for Italian food- including wood-fire pizzas- in the South Sound. But there's a lot of history behind this local restaurant! Farrelli's was founded in 1995 in Lacey, Washington. They now have eight pizzerias around the South Puget Sound. Their newest location is at Point Ruston, which opened in 2017. One of Farrel...
Italian Restaurant Replaces La Bella Napoli at Town Square
An Italian dining switcheroo on the upper level at Town Square with the Neapolitan style of La Bella Napoli swiftly replaced by another Italian restaurant. Keeping the Naples-built, wood-fired Stefano Ferrara pizza oven, a central attraction of its three-year-old predecessor, Minchia’s Cibo Italiano is currently serving daily from 4 to 10 p.m, open...
Brooklyn V’s Pizza owner finds his New York-style Italian food travels well to Gilbert
Vito LoPiccolo knew exactly what the people of New York City expected from a pizza. He says it is why he was able to thrive in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens for 20 years with his classic and mastered menu. He did not have that same feel when he moved to Arizona and opened Brooklyn V’s in October 2014 at the northeast corner of Warner and Linds...
Massive New Italian Place With Star Chef and a Boat Lands In Kirkland Sunday
The Eastside is giving off some serious “La Dolce Vita” energy. On Sunday, a huge new Italian restaurant called Como will open at Carillon Point in Kirkland, featuring a pizza and pasta menu from star chef Gabriel Chavez. There is seating for 120 in the 3,700 square foot space heavy on the Mediterranean motif, with two lounges, additional seating o...