Diego Meraviglia and the secrets of Italian wine
by Nancy Casas Having grown up in an area in Italy bountiful in vineyards, Diego Meraviglia has made a successful career as a sommelier. After beginning as an aspired musician, his journey took a different route, influenced by his love for food and wine. Now he is VP and Director of Education at NASA (National American Sommelier A...
Spigariello, a leafy edible with the taste of Italy
By Jeff Spurrier For Craig Ruggless of Winnetka Farms, one of the most prized plants this season is spigariello, a leafy cool-season green that tastes like broccoli and keeps growing after you've harvested it. Spigariello resembles broccoli rabe (aka rapini) in appearance but has white flowers and a sweeter, slightly peppery taste. Ruggle...
Sparkling holidays with Franciacorta in North Beach: Mona Lisa and Colosseo to Serve Signature Italian Wines
by Roberto Natalini Christmas and New Years' Eve are just around the corner, and that means it's the time to indulge in traditional Italian meals and sweets, combined with fine bubbly wines to celebrate the festivities in style. All it takes is reaching the neighborhood of North Beach, where you can find everything to enjoy an aut...
Regional wines: Piemonte Wine Tasting, February 10
Wednesday, February 10, 2016. 6 to 8 PM. Italian Cultural Institute - 1023 Hilgard Avenue - LA 90024. Fees: $45 ($40 for IIC & NASA members). To register please call 310-824-7408. or email to classes.iicla@esteri.it Led by Diego Meraviglia, Gold-Pin Pro Sommelier, Master Taster, North American S...
Trattoria Neapolis: The south of Italy on South Lake in Pasadena
A so-called destination restaurant is an unfamiliar concept to those of us living in the culinary districts of Los Angeles. The thought of vehicular travel to some distant locale for dinner is a foreign notion, something reserved for chain restaurant-dining suburbanites. But the fact of the matter is that we all journey to other parts of town to v...
Tri-Valley Cuisine Scene: Danville's Lotsa Pasta serves up Italian fare, homestyle charm
By Beth Jensen A meal at downtown Danville's Lotsa Pasta is less like dinner out than a home-cooked meal at a good friend's house, and that's the way owner Tom Lembo likes it. "I used to have big dinners put on at my house," recalled Lembo. "Then we opened this small little place .... Sometimes when I'm down here it's like people are coming t...
Eating the Italian Way
by Lianna Nakashima Most people go to Italian food for their carbohydrate-heavy dishes like pasta, pizza and paninis. However, many do not know the true tastes of authentic Italian cuisine from the Americanized versions they are so often exposed to. While some restaurants strive to emulate the iconic tastes of the boot-shaped coun...
Italy Named Partner Country of Winter Fancy Food Show
The Specialty Food Association is pleased to announce that Italy has signed on as the partner country for the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Under the banner "The Extraordinary Italian Taste," food companies from nearly all regions of Italy will present the best in pasta, cheese, olive oil, salumi and more to buyers from top names in...
The Godmother of Pinot Noir
by Ray Isle Helen Bacigalupi has overseen one of Sonoma's defining vineyards for 50 years. Here, she talks to F&W's Ray Isle about the old days of prune farms and dollar-a-gallon zin, and her family's thrilling new winemaking project. What was the Russian River like back in 1956, when you and your husband first moved here?Everything was prune...
Jason Neroni Swaps Lobster Rolls For Eggplant Parm in Marina del Rey
by Lesley Balla Short-lived but not necessarily unliked, chef Jason Neroni and the Sprout restaurant group have closed Catch & Release, his West Coast take on an East Coast seafood "shack" in Marina del Rey. But they're not done with that space yet. Doing what he does best—pizzas, handmade pastas and other rustic Italian-Ameri...
Italian specialties are a culinary delight at Mama Terano Cafe in Palos Verdes Estates
By Merrill Shindler If you've followed chef Robert Bell over the years — and who in the South Bay hasn't? — you know him as a visionary chef who moved the beach cities from the land of surf 'n' turf and the chili size to a culinary destination with a string of iconic restaurants. The most iconic of which is Chez Melange. The Chez abides,...
Il Fornaio Announces New Restaurant Opening in Santa Clara, CA
Il Fornaio, the celebrated Italian restaurant company with locations throughout the US, is shaking things up a bit as it unveils its 23rd restaurant at Santa Clara Square this fall. With a rustic design and a more casual vibe, the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner and will feature classic Il Fornaio favorites as well as some mor...