Dining at Coletta’s Italian Restaurant on South Parkway is like reuniting with old friends. You’re happy to see them, and no matter how many years have passed, you quickly slide into comfortable familiarity. On a recent night at Coletta’s, folks enjoyed the famous lasagna, barbecue pizza, and other items. But so many aspects besides the food define...

Little Italy is expanding east. Known for its made-to-order New York-style pizza and homemade pastas, the original location is in Midtown at 1495 Union Ave. A second location opened about five years ago in Downtown Memphis at 106 GE Patterson Ave. There is also a Bartlett location at 7717 U.S. 70 that, like the Downtown restaurant, is independently...

Sandwiches bursting with dueling cheeses, a heaping bowl of piping-hot macaroni, crumbled feta scattered across a large pizza pie. After closing its doors in 2020 because of the pandemic, Ferraro’s Pizzeria and Cheesy Corner is back to reclaim its title as the ultimate comfort food spot, offering a take on New York-style pizza and Italian cuisine t...

Cocozza American Italian marked its “official” opening Wednesday with the unveiling of artwork by two Memphis artists — Stacy Kiehl and Emily LaForce. Deni Reilly, who owns Cocozza with her husband, Patrick, said the commissioned art features “bold colors, inspiration from a ‘found’ recipe book, and an imagining of ‘the dinner we wish happened.’” W...

It’s 9 a.m. and Rudi Grisanti has already been in the kitchen for an hour. “Gettin’ things prepped,” he says, “seeing what we need. Mario just went and got groceries. Mario is his son and the most recent owner of Dino’s Grill, which has occupied this storefront on the corner of Tutwiler and McLean in Midtown Memphis since 1973. Little has changed i...

It was great to be back at Italian Winterfest. This is the event where you can eat ravioli, spinach, and other Italian dishes while drinking vino and listening to the strains of Nino Rota’s “Love Theme from The Godfather.” Winterfest, held January 15th at St. Benedict at Auburndale, made its grand return in style. “First time in three years,” says...

Memphis has a diverse culinary scene and offers a variety of cultural festivals. Whatever your mood is, Memphis has food that’ll satisfy any craving. One of the standout festivals in the 901 includes the Italian Winterfest. After taking a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the festival is back and bigger than ever.  Tony Barrasso, founder of t...

Sicilian-American singer Michela Musolino has been internationally lauded for her unique ability to reimagine Sicilian folk and roots music, alchemized with renowned American musical genres, to mirror the history and movement of people and their musical traditions from the Old World to the New.Now, the  Italian South meets the American South in the...

The Majestic Grille owners Patrick and Deni Reilly will be opening a new restaurant in the fall. The couple signed a lease in Harbor Town to open a permanent location for Cocozza American Italian. What started as a temporary pop-up idea to reopen in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cocozza pop-up quickly became a beloved dining concept, whi...

It’s all about the gravy at Memphis Italian Festival. And don’t dare call it spaghetti sauce. That’s blasphemy at this event. “Sauce is a marinara, but when you add meat, it becomes a gravy,” explained defending Grand Champion Scott Manes, who has been the head cook of the team Mama Biondini's for the past seven years. The beloved festival "where e...