Sicilians Embrace U.S. Navy Band at 74th International Folklore Festival
Whether it was “When the saints go marching in,” My girl” or “Stand by me,” the high-energy performances of the U.S. Navy “Topside Brass Band” at the “Almond Blossom Festival” were a memorable success! As part of the annual ten-day Festival celebrating cultural diversity, our Consulate arranged for an ensemble of seven Navy Band musicians to perfor...
Chef's Choice: First job in the U.S. turns into a career cooking Italian cuisine
In Chef's Choice, the Naperville Sun asks local chefs to share their culinary background and experiences and talk about a featured dish found on their menu. This week, we speak with Alberto Torres, 39, assistant chef at Braconi’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria in Naperville. He first started cooking 20 years ago as a teenager in Naperville at La S...
Wooster Square "Little Italy" Movie To Be Shown At Hamden Library
A documentary film about New Haven's Little Italy that has played to packed crowds all over the area will soon have have its first showing in Hamden - at the town library on 2901 Dixwell Avenue on April 1st at 6:30 p.m. The film, The Village: Life in New Haven's Little Italy, was the creation of award-winning journalist Steve Hamm. It had its succe...
History of ‘Monument to Vittorio Emanuele’ (Altare della Patria)
The Vittoriano, otherwise known as the “Altare della Patria ” (altar of the nation) was nicknamed by the French, because of its appearance, “La grande tarte” (the big cake). It may not be the most outstanding piece of architecture of the capital, yet it remains one of Italian patriotism symbols, mostly because it holds within the Tomba del Milite I...
Joseph Pilato, Day of the Dead Star and Horror Favorite, Dies at 70
We have very sad news to report for classic horror movie fans, as Joseph Pilato has reportedly passed away. Pilato is perhaps best known for his role as the antagonist in George A. Romero's 1985 zombie movie sequel Day of the Dead, delivering one of the most memorable villain performances of the era. The late actor died in his sleep at 70 years old...
Inspired by visits to grandma's house, Swan family to open Italian restaurant on Park Ave.
Ashley, Paulina and Jon Swan remember their grandfather, Vern Swan, as a guy who liked to sit in his recliner, stirring his Scotch with his pinky, and listen to jazz. Lee, his wife, was a great cook, especially known for her Swedish meatballs. They had a little garden in the back yard, where they'd grow the tomatoes that would find their way into h...
Tuscany - Usa Award - 5th of March 2019 Salone dei 500 in Palazzo Vecchio
The Tuscan American Association, together with the City of Florence, organized a large institutional event for the attribution of the Tuscany - USA Award, given to two winners, one Tuscan and one American, who made a significant contribution to strengthening friendship ties and relations between Tuscany and the United States. This year, Dott.ssa Ch...
Screening Of "The Young Montalbano: Back To Basics" (Il Giovane Montalbano: Ritorno Alle Origini, 2012, 120 Min)" By Gianluca Maria Tavarelli
When: Thursday, April 11, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Where: Italian Cultural Institute | 500 N Michigan Ave | Suite 1450 | Chicago IL Just as he's starting to settle into his new job, Montalbano is surprised, and somewhat irked, by the unexpected arrival of the new deputy inspector Mimì Augello. The two soon find that their personalities are as...
Mount Etna: Italy’s most exciting new wine region
Until recently, my only knowledge of Mount Etna was Evelyn Waugh’s parodic description of it, when he visited in the Twenties: I do not think I shall ever forget the sight of Etna at sunset; the mountains almost invisible in a blur of pastel grey, glowing on the top and then repeating its shape, as thought reflected, in a wisp of smoke, with the wh...
Beguiling Bergamo
When planning an Italian holiday, it is common practice (especially on a first trip!) to get carried away with the usual suspects: Rome, Venice, Florence and Amalfi to name a few. Of course, it can be a little difficult for lesser-known destinations to compete with places that harbour some of the most praised monuments in the world. Though it’s har...
In praise of volunteers
“Money makes the world go ’round,” or so they say. But in the world I live in, volunteerism is every bit as precious as cold, hard cash. At Fra Noi, we have Dan Serafini, a retired financial systems programmer who emailed me out of the blue one day with an offer of help. He came along just as Mary DeSanto was stepping down as our longtime mailing m...
Boomtown Eats: A trip to Italy, in downtown El Dorado
Happy February and welcome back to “Boomtown Eats!” We hope you enjoyed last month’s feature of El Dorado’s own E&R – we are still remembering those potato wedges – and we hope that everyone has had a chance to check out E&R for themselves. This month we are turning to another downtown El Dorado establishment – directly across from Sports Alley and...