Beloved Fascino in Montclair is no more. In its place: Gioia Mia
Fascino, the award-winning, 20-year-old, beloved Italian restaurant in Montclair owned by acclaimed chef Ryan DePersio, is no more. DePersio sold it to general manager Mary Cumella, who renamed the restaurant Gioia Mia. The new chef is Logan Ramirez, who was Fascino's chef de cuisine. Ramirez did stints at Gramercy Tavern in New York City as well a...
Newport Italianfest expects to have 120k+ visitors this weekend
The 31st annual Italianfest is returning to Newport this weekend with more than a dozen Italian food vendors, performances and activities. Newport has been a hub for Italian families for generations. In 1991, the former mayor, Thomas Guidulgi Sr., and the former commissioner, Jerry Peluso created the very first Italianfest to celebrate the city’s h...
Chicago's Italian Restaurants Partner Up to Raise Flood Relief Funds for Italy
Chicago Chefs Cook, the chef-centric philanthropic organization, is teaming up with the National Italian American Foundation to bring together some of Chicago’s Italian restaurants for the special Chicago Chefs Cook presents: The Emilia-Romagna Dinner Series to support farmers in the northern Italian region who lost their crops and homes to the dev...
Italy’s top court orders city to pay €50,000 to couple over nightlife noise
Mayors across Italy are fearing a deluge of legal complaints after the country’s top court ruled that noisy nightlife could be harmful to people’s health. In the first ruling of its kind in Italy, the supreme court of cassation ordered Brescia city council to pay €50,000 in compensation to a couple for failing to safeguard them against noise, repor...
Consulate of Italy in Detroit Hosts Italian National Day Celebration
On June 2, 2023 the Consulate of Italy in Detroit hosted a celebration to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Republic of Italy. Consul Allegra Baistrocchi and her staff welcomed almost 500 invited guests to The Eastern, in Detroit’s Historic Eastern Market, an homage to the rich Italian immigrant community of centuries past, with a wink to th...
Restaurant of the Week: Rosso Italian
Nestled into the bustling heart of Downtown Phoenix, Rosso Italian is a new dining experience from Pomo Restaurant Group, the creators of sister concepts Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana and Luna Gelateria. The fresh site made its grand debut in February and continues to make waves in the vibrant city as the go-to restaurant for an authentic taste of Italy...
Exploring Cilento Italy, The Best-Kept Secret South of Naples
South of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and Sorrento, lies Cilento (pronounced chee-lento). Cilento, Italy encompasses a coastal subregion of Campania that stretches from the town of Paestum to the Marina di Camerota, with a lush and hilly national park inland. The region has a lot to offer travelers looking for a serene and authentic Southern Italian e...
Mariola Italian donates nearly $2,000 to OneEighty after booming opening week
After a booming first week in business, Mariola Italian celebrated its grand opening with a donation to a local nonprofit. Wooster's newest eatery raised and donated $1,927 to OneEighty, which will use the funds to support existing programs that benefit the community. For Mike Mariola, owner of the restaurant that bears his name, the donation reinf...
Visiting Rome with your kids
Traveling with children can be an enriching experience, opening their eyes to different cultures and histories. Making those memories will last a lifetime! We’ve traveled to Europe with Claire when she was 4 and she still talks about it over 5 years later. Now we are going to Ireland this summer with both children and I know we will all have a wond...
The Lost Art of the Italian Dowry
A century ago, when my mother was 10 years old, she was learning the necessary skills to make a great corredo. Her name was Maria Venneri and she was anxious, with the help of her mother, to begin this long journey since it was a colossal task. In those days a great dowry was similar to an insurance for a great marriage. Otherwise, the opportunity...
Italian pastries: Is it a cornetto, croissant or brioche?
There are plenty of differences between Italy’s northern and southern regions, and one you might have noticed is that the daily breakfast pastry served (and quickly devoured) along with a frothy cappuccino at the local bar-pasticceria might have a different name depending on where you go. Most people will probably know it as a cornetto, which is so...
The Bear: The Real-Life Chef Who Helped Inspire The Show
The hit FX series "The Bear" is prepping for its second season, with the first new episode coming June 22. The dark comedy stars Jeremy Allen White as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a fine dining chef who returns home to Chicago to take over his family's beef sandwich shop after the death of his brother. "The Bear" took some of its inspiration from a re...