I traveled with my 4 adult sons by train in Italy. The ride helped us connect more than any other trip.
We were all in Rome together, my four grown sons and me — all of us with shiny, new passports, a worse-than-average grasp of the Italian language, and bus passes to get to the Centro Storico district. It was our first holiday more than a few hours from our little town — the big trip I'd been dreaming about since I became a mom 25 years ago. But it...
From Italy To New Jersey: A Poet’s Journey
What is the nature of an artist? Are they meant to cast a beacon in a world with so much darkness; or to traverse a lonesome path while bearing their soul to the masses? Do they paint with soothing brush strokes to infuse beauty into scenes of anguish and heartache? Maybe the nature of an artist is to remain undefined; to reside at the epicenter of...
Review: Ripping Around Italy in the Resurrected Maserati GranTurismo
A grand tourer is really just a sports car in a luxury wrapper. You get power and performance, of course, but in a package you could use as a daily driver and enjoy on a road trip. If we hop in our time machine, Maserati essentially invented this class of car 75 years ago with the 1947 A6 1500. Their latest version, the new 2024 GranTurismo, is eve...
Exclusive: Beloved Italian restaurant La Traviata relocating from downtown to Southwest Austin
Lovers of Italian food and denizens of Southwest Austin alike will be thrilled with the news that one of Austin's longest-running Italian restaurants will be re-emerging from its pandemic slumber in a new location. Chef Marion Gillcrist told the American-Statesman that she plans to open a location of La Traviata at 7415 Southwest Parkway later this...
A Guide To The Southern Italy Wine Regions
If you have always wanted to know more about the most famous Southern Italy wine regions, keep reading. I’ll give you a brief yet detailed overview of what each of the most famous wine regions offer so that you know exactly what to expect. Let’s begin! What are Southern Italy’s most important Wine Regions?Southern Italy is well-known for its rich c...
Italian Biopics: The Bad Poet
When: Thursday, March 16 at 6pm CT - Where: Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago - Entrance : Free In 1937 Giovanni Comini was promoted as federal officer by the will of his mentor Achille Starace, Secretary of the Fascist Party and second in command of the regime. Giovanni is the youngest person to cover this role, which puts him under the spotli...
What did the sweet tooth eat in ancient Rome?
Contrary to popular misconception, ancient Roman cuisine bore little resemblance to modern Italian cuisine. I’m starting a series of articles on ancient Roman cooking. And we begin with sweets. The Italian pastry art is famous for such delicacies as: cannoli, tiramisu, napoleone, sfogliatelle, etc. However, these dishes are relatively modern invent...
Team Behind Don Angie Opens New NYC Italian Restaurant, Bad Roman
If you love NYC's popular Don Angie or other restaurants in the Quality Branded family like Zou Zou's and Quality Bistro, you'll want to check out the newest Italian eatery joining the fold: Bad Roman. Self-described as modern, maximalist Italian, the new restaurant features playful takes on classic Italian cooking from around the world, according...
Viterbo, the city of the Popes: an hidden gem not far from Rome
North of Rome there is a land rich in history, it's Tuscia, the ancient dominion of the Etruscans. Here, at the foot of the Sibillini mountains, there is what is today a hidden gem, but which was once a rich and important city: Viterbo. Also known as the City of the Popes, Viterbo can boast one of the best preserved medieval historic centers in Ita...
25 gallons of “good Italian blood“ Long time blood donor honored at opening of LifeSouth Spring Hill location
At 91, Florence D’Urso of Spring Hill has, over her lifetime, donated 25 gallons of what she describes as “good Italian blood.” Thirty-five years ago, D’Urso was the inaugural donor at the LifeSouth Community Blood Centers location opening in Brooksville. And on Feb. 15, 2023, 227 donations later, D’Urso was honored at the opening of the LifeSouth...
Italian cured meat exports soar despite swine fever and price increases
According to Istat data published by Assica, the association of Italian meat and cured meat industries, in the period January-September 2022 Italian cured meat exports reached 147,860 tons in volume and €1,455.4mn in value. The growth, compared to the same period in 2021, is thus +2.2 percent in volume and +8.6 percent in value. “This is a positive...
All roads lead to Rome: The ingenuity of Roman road construction endures today
Can you imagine still using roads that were built centuries ago? Can you imagine the changes they brought about in society and the magnitude of their construction? The roads of ancient Rome, named viae Romanae in Latin, were first constructed around 300 B.C. to connect and consolidate the Roman Republic and the expanding Roman empire. They provided...