Note from the ICC President - ICC developments
Dear ICC members and non members, I am reaching out to you on behalf of the Board to thank you for your continued support, to share the latest news at the Italian Cultural Center, and to inform you on the outcome of our latest Board meeting. ICC news· The Italian Film Festival closed a few weeks ago, and has been a great success thanks to...
Barilla Group Begins $36.5 Million Expansion in Ames, Iowa
A $26.5 million expansion project recently began at the Barilla Group's manufacturing facility in Ames, Iowa. The company, which makes the world's top-selling brand of pasta, launched the project to install two new production lines dedicated to gluten-free pasta. In addition, raw material storage and related packaging and palletizing equip...
Parella brings good Italian fare back to Calhoun Square
by Nancy Ngo Italian fare is back in Calhoun Square, in the spot once occupied by the long-running Figlio, which had most recently been an American restaurant and bar. Parella, with white walls, cozy booths and an open kitchen, offers a contemporary dining space. Michael Larson of Digby's in Roseville brought in Todd Macdonald of...
Helena restaurant named best in Montana
Lucca's Italian Restaurant in Helena has been named best in Montana by a business website. Lucca's is on the Walking Mall in downtown Helena. Owner Frederick Stout says he just happened to learn while talking to someone on Thursday that his business was named best restaurant in Montana in an article on MSN.com; the story originated on...
Lyric Opera of KC to Present TOSCA, 4/18-26
Lyric Opera of Kansas City concludes its dynamic 57th season with Giacomo Puccini's vibrant Tosca, April 18, 22, 24 and 26 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The production will be sung in Italian with English and Italian titles. General Director and CEO Deborah Sandler stated, "The 2014-15 season is the season of emotionally...
Parella: New casual Italian format includes half-pound meatballs
by Mecca Bos Minneapolis, can we not have nice things? It seems like the bombardment of too many Italian restaurants focusing on crudo means they are already starting to fall like a house of cards. One of our very favorites, Parella, recently lost Executive Chef Todd Macdonald (though he is remaining as silent partner). He we...
New restaurant brings taste of Little Italy to Bay St. Louis
A pit stop in Bay St. Louis made such a big impression on two restaurant owners, they decided to adjust their plans and settle here. Italian Garden Restaurant opened Saturday at 828 U.S. 90 in the Bay, across from Bay Arts Center, and is owned by Giovanni Karelli and his wife, Mergita Sadiku. Karelli, originally from Bartlesville, Okl...
Storia di FitBark, startup italiana a Kansas City incoronata dal Wall Street Journal
Silicon Valley in California and Silicon Alley in New York are not the only tech ecosystems in America where an Italian entrepreneur can find exciting opportunities to grow. It depends on the kind of business you are into. That's the lesson learned by Davide Rossi, a 38-years-old Italian mechanical engineer from Badia Polesine, a small town close t...
Brendan Marsden details Modesto's 'American-Italian' replacement, Mona's
When Modesto closed last month after a 15-year run, owner Brendan Marsden had already announced that he would open a new concept in the restaurant's space on the Hill (5257 Shaw Avenue), and that this new concept would involve pizza. Yet another Italian restaurant on the Hill? Not exactly. As Marsden first revealed to St. Louis Magazi...
Coperta Could Be the Start of a Lovely Roman Holiday
By Gretchen Kurtz Paul and Aileen Reilly, the brother-sister team behind Beast + Bottle, couldn't have picked a better spot for Coperta, their Italian restaurant that opened at the height of summer. It's located on the edge of downtown across from Benedict Fountain Park, so after a leisurely meal, you can head out the door, belly full of w...
Sharing Mama’s Italian Pastry Cream recipe for a delicious holiday treat
By Jasper J. Mirabile Jr. Everyone has a special memory of their childhood. Most of mine revolve around the kitchen and family. While most kids were out playing T-ball, my time was spent in the kitchen being intrigued by my mother and grandmother gathering just a few ingredients and producing a meal for the family. Whether it be waking up to the...
Cooks of Italian descent share heritage through food
There's a saying in the Little Balkans area of Southeast Kansas that if your family name ends in a vowel, you likely belong to a family of immigrant coal miner descent. Mengarelli. Maransani. Stefanoni. They were among the thousands of Italians who came to the area after the first underground coal mines opened in the late 1800s. Read...