BUILD Pizzeria Roma, where everything tastes of happiness
By Josh Escobar At the new pizzeria in Downtown Shattuck are families with young kids, waiters in black, chefs in white and girls in college with flowers in their hair. "A flower comes with some of the drinks," explains owner Lisa Holt, sitting beside the other owner and her husband, David Shapiro. Read more Sour...
At Officine Brera, the Factory Kitchen Team Delivers the Italian Restaurant of their Dreams
by Besha Rodell The Arts District downtown has become the unlikely ground zero for large, ambitious Italian restaurants. That trend continues next month with the opening of Officine Brera, which begins serving on Feb. 5 adjacent to its sister restaurant, the Factory Kitchen (another large, ambitious Italian restaurant). But for ow...
Five must-try Italian restaurants and dishes in the High Desert
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise: Italian food doesn't end at pizza and spaghetti in the High Desert.The selection of locations here may not be as expansive as larger urban or suburban communities, but ask most local residents about Italian food, and whether it's a slice of Sicilian pie or a plate of delicate ravioli tossed in a cream sauce,...
Ravioli Tournament and Fundraiser at Henry's High Life
Our BIG fundraiser and Ravioli Tournament at Henry's World Famous Hi-LIfe is next Sunday!!! This is one of our big events for the year and is a can't miss event! Our Ravioli Judges are set to decide whose Ravioli is best. Thanks you to famous Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito, Rich Firato from the Downtown Icon (Firato Ravioli), Linda (Bozzo) Za...
Fifty years ago, Robert Mondavi transformed Napa Valley — and American wine
Fifty years ago this month, the landscape of Napa Valley changed when Robert Mondavi opened his winery along California Route 29 in Oakville. The winery's Mission-style archway quickly became an iconic symbol of California wine, and Mondavi and those who worked with him forged a revolution not only in Napa but also across the country, transforming...
Vincenzo Marianella, the Italian renaissance barman
by Jenn Harris Before Vincenzo Marianella, the cocktail scene in Los Angeles, compared with London and New York, was a sticky wasteland of sweet-and-sour mix, triple sec and bottled lime juice. Then a 6-foot-4 Italian guy from a tiny town in Italy called Tolmezzo stepped behind the bar at Providence in 2005, started using fresh citrus and...
Ancient Secrets of Artisan Gelato Unveiled at Gelato University
Who knows the ancient secrets to producing artisan gelato? Find the answers at any of 11 worldwide campuses of Carpigiani's Gelato University. Whether online or in person, gelato maestros at Gelato University take you back 14,000 years in the study of why artisan gelato tastes so incredible while having less fat, less air and smoother ice...
Old School Italian Seafood and Hospitality at Sotto Mare
Sotto Mare feels like it's been around for a lot longer than seven years. The North Beach seafood eatery is covered wall-to-wall in what seems a lifetime of family photos, large fish replicas, and wooden ship models. The granite bar stretches to the end of the narrow restaurant, and from behind it waitresses clip orders to a metal clothesl...
Ruffino's shifts focus with new menu
Ruffino's on the River recently unveiled a new menu that executive chef Peter Sclafani and partner Ruffin Rodrigue say will enhance the guest experience at the fine-dining restaurant. The Creole-meets-Italian menu features new dishes made with local ingredients sourced from local farmer's markets. "Our new menu showcases everything from a...
First Look: Obo’ adds a splash of Neapolitan flavors to East Sacramento
Whet your appetite for herbally infused pastas and handmade pizzas—the Selland family has done it again. Last Thursday, the Sacramento culinary dynasty opened Obo' Italian Table & Bar in East Sacramento. Loaded with dishes so Italian they're often a struggle to pronounce, the walk-up-counter restaurant fulfills the family's ongoing mission to c...
In The Italian Way
There are eight Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana locations spread across the western United States, from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas—but the brand's latest eatery, which opened in late August at the northern end of the Crystal Cove Shopping Center, seamlessly blends in with the surrounding area of Newport Coast. Floor-to-ceiling windows open up to a...
Mama Mia! The Ultimate Italian Dinner Comes To SF In October
by Kelly E. Carter National Pasta Month is October, which just happens to be when the Ultimate Italian Dinner takes place in San Francisco. The feast, taking place on Oct. 23 at Bimbo's 365 Club, is part of the James Beard Foundation's third annual Taste America: "Local Flavor from Coast To Coast," a national epicurean tour that visits 10...