NEWS FROM : MIDWEST  

After Joyce DiDonato's performance of Maurice Ravel's deliciously sensual "Sheherazade" on the opening night of the Kansas City Symphony's new season, the audience was a big puddle of melted butter.   But DiDonato was worried it wasn't flashy enough, and afterward she told the audience she thought it lacked the "ta-da" factor for opening nig...

As part of their new exhibit - Italian Style: Fashion since 1945 - the Minneapolis Institute of Arts will offer a FREE screening of Men of the Cloth.This 2013 documentary is an inspiring portrait of Nino Corvato, Checchino Fonticoli and Joe Centofanti, three Italian master tailors who confront the decline of the apprentice system as they navigate t...

The Italian American Heritage Corporation is making arrangements to bring Italian Entertainment to the St. Louis Area in the Summer. Singer and songwriter Giada Valenti is recognized for her special voice and great stage presence. With her latest CD, My Lullaby, Giada is bringing her sophisticated music and European style to music fans worldwide. W...

By Stephanie Earls In September, celebrity foodie Guy Fieri visited Colorado Springs and dropped in on a handful of its popular eateries. The question that remained when Fieri and his network camera crew rolled out of town was, which signature Springs grub would the platinum gourmet chef choose to feature in his Food Network show, "Diners, Dr...

The former Lucha Cantina storefront may still look unassuming under its new name, Red Gravy. Don't be fooled. Beyond the faux-urban decor of the quaint dining area, square footage abounds. A trip to the restrooms leads past an expansive private dining room, down a hallway that feels too long to fit in the building.   In the basement, the Oli...

Since Italian cuisine is routinely singled out as Americans' favorite foreign fare, it's a miracle that most restaurant kitchens aren't knee-deep in gnocchi. But here in the Twin Cities, we're not exactly awash in Italian restaurants. Serious ones, anyway.   That's about to change. Not one, not two, but three high-profile Italian restaurants...

by Mark Kanny   For someone who's recently won a Grammy and whose career is thriving, trumpeter Chris Botti remains pretty levelheaded. He's completely into his music, but remains the kind of person who acknowledges his humble beginnings.   "I am one of the most fortunate people in the music industry," says Botti, who performs at...

MSSU is celebrating the "Italy Semester" and MSSU's long-running radio show "Southern Serenade" is featuring Italian–American tenor Mario Lanza from a new Sony 2-disc CD release on the evening of a Mario Lanza movie marathon on TV's Turner Classic Movies (TCM) channel.   Born in Philadelphia in 1921, Alfredo Arnold Cocozza became Mario Lanza...

Next up is Alec Schuler the chef/proprietor at Boulder's Arugula & Tangerine restaurants. The restauranteur is passionate about Italian cooking, and his kids.   He'll be preparing six Italian-inspired courses paired with Italian wines at his upcoming Great Roads To Great Chefs weekend this Friday and Saturday, February 7 and 8. Click her...

A little building on Prospect Avenue has been home to several restaurants, some that have moved on to higher profile spots.   Now a new operation has moved in: Mo's Italian Spot — "Mo" for Monica Abato Malik who is using recipes from her Italian grandparents. Malik and her husband, Raheem Malik, opened the restaurant earlier this month at 59...

Danilo Gallinari's rehabilitation for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee is going as planned, and the versatile Nuggets forward is on pace to be ready for the team's training camp in the fall.   Gallinari is currently in Rome for the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program and plans to travel to Milan later this week for the...

by Debbie Monolo   Finally, spring is in the air and from our vantage point across the street from St. Ambrose Church, we can also confirm that love is in the air.   A symbol of tradition and an anchor for local Italian Americans, this beautiful church is a popular place to tie the knot for St. Louisans of Italian descent. The an...