Bill's Bites: Springbrook Italian Bistro & Tap House scores with authentic flavors
Bill’s Bites has been to nearly 100 establishments during our run, but this was a first. We have now been around long enough to go to the same building -- but to try a new restaurant. A few years ago, for the start of golf season, Bill’s Bites stopped by the Ale House, a restaurant attached to the Springbrook Golf Course. Now we're back at the golf...
A Measure of Posterity - Gunnery Sgt. “Manila John” Basilone finally gets his due
Two of the many fond memories I had of my childhood in Corona, Queens: 1) Growing up in a predominantly (Southern) Italian area 2) Playing “War” in the streets with my neighborhood friends. My paisani need no explanation for the former. The sights, sounds and the smells (especially around dinner time) of the old neighborhood provide me with a lifet...
Milan is growing trees on skyscrapers
A short walk from Milan’s busy Garibaldi train station, a new library is springing up from the ground. But this library isn’t filled with books – it is a “Library of Trees”. Transforming the grey piazza in the heart of Milan’s Porta Nuova business district began with the planting of seeds in September, and will be followed by trees and plants in N...
New Italian restaurant, Mamma Mia, a dream come true for owner
A new restaurant owner in Abingdon is blending the flavors of Italy and the charm of New York City to create an authentic Italian eatery. Baset Aybb and his wife, both natives of Africa, opened Mamma Mia’s Italiano Restaurante in September after giving new life to a vacant building on Wall Street in downtown. The Italian restaurant is housed in the...
Genoa: Discover an Italian classic medieval city with a vibrant modern twist
Genoa once rivalled Venice for maritime importance and its huge intact medieval core, just a stroll inland from the port, is stuffed with vivid reminders of the past. The capital of Italy's Liguria province, Genoa's gritty charm permeates this network of narrow lanes and its historic centre that has been granted Unesco World Heritage status. Lined...
Caravaggio: Masterpieces from the Galleria Borghese
When: Upcoming, November 21, 2017 - February 18, 2018 - Where: East Pavilion, Upper Level - Free | No ticket required Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio (Italian, 1571–1610), is unquestionably one of the greatest painters of all time. His bold, naturalistic style, which emphasized the common humanity of the protagonists in his works, w...
Tupelo Owner to Open Italian Restaurant in Whitefish
There is no such thing as an easy day in the restaurant business. That is certainly true for Tupelo Grille owner Pat Carloss and his general manager Paul Abu-Taleb, who are not only keeping busy with day-to-day operations at the popular Southern-inspired restaurant in downtown Whitefish but are also launching two new eateries at the same time. Carl...
Author Edward G. Pizzella Pens a Memoir of Community Theatre and Developing Hidden Talents
The book, “The Versatility of Chairs: A Theatrical Memoir,” written by Edward G. Pizzella narrates the struggles of Italian Immigrants back in 1930’s in Hartford, Connecticut. It tells about a variety of things. One is about coping with poverty and surviving. It is also about family — the love they share, parenting, and instilling sound principles...
Federazioni Associazioni Abruzzesi-USA honors Medford High senior
Medford High School senior Sandra Figueroa was among four students in the Boston area to be honored recently by the Federazioni Associazioni Abruzzesi-USA. This organization, in the occasion of “October Italian Heritage Month” every year, selects students who distinguish themselves in the study of Italian, and awards them scholarships at their annu...
Chef Gino: a role model for American children
Many successful chefs have a secret ingredient. Chef Gino’s is a really great one: l’fun. Fun, excitement, and a little chaos. It’s always around: when he’s mixing eggs and flour to make pastry, putting a pan on the stove to cook a sauce, or spinning pizza dough around his head. All this explains why Chef Gino, real name Gino Campagna, has won over...
Fendi Studio tells of brand’s Hollywood connections via screenings, props
Italian fashion house Fendi is incorporating its cinematic ties into a temporary venture staged at its Rome headquarters. From Oct. 27 through March 25, 2018, fans of Fendi can drop by the interactive “Fendi Studios” exhibition at the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in Rome. Here, guests can enjoy daily film screenings and pose for Instagram-worthy...
A brief history of America’s hostility to a previous generation of Mediterranean migrants — Italians
It’s a trope to say America has a long tradition of welcoming immigrants. This is only partially true. It also has a long tradition of treating immigrants with open discrimination and even violent hostility. The current debate over whether to accept Syrian refugees has echoes of a different time when another wave of people were leaving a Mediterran...