New Desco brings a dash of fine-dining Italian flair to Old Oakland
When Italian-born executive chef Donato Scotti decided to open a second venue to complement his home-country regionally inspired four-year-old Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, he settled on Old Oakland. His new restaurant, Desco, which translates from Latin as "dinner table," adds to Oakland's growing list of destination spots worth the sho...
Patrons of Italian Culture hold Annual Ferragosto Event in Marina del Rey
by Paul Romano The Patrons of Italian Culture returned once again to the Marina del Rey harbor and the Zagat rated "Sapori" Restaurant for their 2014 Ferragosto, reports Paul Romano, Patron President. Owner Stefano Baccianella out did himself with a marvelous luncheon of fresh antipasti, home made pastas and two fine main dishes;...
Giada De Laurentiis Buying Spanish-Style Estate in Pacific Palisades
by Jamie Wiebe A month after the dissolution of her 12-year marriage, culinary sensation Giada De Laurentiis is ready to whip up something new—and the enormous country-style kitchen of her future Spanish-style estate in Pacific Palisades, CA, is the perfect place to start. The Italian-American chef is a three-time Daytime Emmy nom...
Taste of Little Italy
Taste of Little Italy ticketholders can go from restaurant to restaurant with a Taste Passport, which lists participating restaurants and each location's specific menu offering. It's an easy walk, with no shuttles required. After each "bite," restaurant staff will marks off the stop on the passport and then it's off to the next stop! Taste...
San Francisco's Tosca and Alamo's Izzy's open
By Jackie Burrell Tosca redux: We don't usually write too much about San Francisco restaurant openings -- there are too many exciting things going on this side of the bay. But we're making an exception for the resurrection of North Beach's iconic Tosca Cafe, which has just reopened under the direction of New York City's James Beard award-winning c...
At Bottega, eat like you’re in Italy
by Jeff Cox Two local chefs, both headquartered in Yountville, have become brands. One, of course, is Thomas Keller of The French Laundry, Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc in Yountville and Per Se in New York City. The other is Michael Chiarello, who has created a string of successful businesses that are synthesized in his restaurant, B...
Pizza Maestro Tony Gemignani vies for new world record
By Giuseppe Esposito In the heart of San Francisco's storied Little Italy is Tony's Pizza Napoletana, home of eleven-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani. When the restaurant opened five years ago, it brought a sense of renewed vibrancy to the Stockton block of North Beach, which at the time had many empty store fronts. Read...
Celestino Drago: Italian Excellence in the LA Food Scene
It could have been a completely different story. Celestino Drago, who comes from the Province of Messina (Sicily), might have become a successful mechanic at Piaggio. Instead of tinkering with Vespa scooters' engines, all day long, he made the choice to sweat blood in the kitchen. Today, after a thirty-seven long career in Los Angeles, che...
Little Italy does it well at Bencotto's eatery on W. Fir
by Ted Gammon In general I'm a real sucker for a great deal, so when I pursued a day in San Diego's Little Italy I was drawn like a moth to a ... and to see that open parking slot right in front of Bencotto on W. Fir St, well it just seemed preordained to me. Bencotto http://www.lovebencotto.com/, located at 750 W. Fir St. beckone...
Francis Ford Coppola Winery is a place for families to enjoy and judges to feast
By Lisa Crovo Dion "A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man." — Don Vito Corleone, "The Godfather". It seems Francis Ford Coppola shares some of Don Corleone's values. At least where family is concerned. At his eponymous winery in Geyserville (the site of the former Chateau Souverain), Coppola creates...
Revamped Aria holding grand opening Saturday in Woodland
By Elizabeth Kalfsbeek After more than three months of being closed, Aria is planning its grand opening Saturday. Though the name of the Italian restaurant remains the same as before, the owners and menu have changed. This is the second business venture for sportscaster Del Rodgers and chef Jeremy Martinez, who also co-own of...
Olive Oil presentation&tasting
Orietta Gianjorio, olive oil sommelier, talks about production, terroir, certifications, extra virginity and the needs for biological cultivation, sustainability and minimization of environmental impact. The seminar continues with an interactive olive oil tasting (fee applies). Seminar open to the public, free of charge.Olive Oil tasting: fee appl...