Chef Michael Gulotta opens Italian restaurant Tana in Old Metairie
Tana will offer fresh pasta finished tableside in a giant Parmesan cheese wheel. You just can’t get it yet. “We had a special walnut cart made for the dish, but I’m not going to serve it until I have a designated staff member to handle it,” says chef Michael Gulotta. “I can’t be the one doing that. The first Instagram or TikTok video that posts, it...
The muffuletta, unwrapped: the secrets behind Louisiana's famous sandwich
Let’s go back to the 1900s. It was a new era of innovation and immigration. New Orleans’ Italian population was at such an all-time high, pockets of the city were called “Little Italy.” Around this time, Salvatore Lupo and his Sicilian family ran Central Grocery, serving hundreds of Italian immigrants food from their home country. Their most popula...
Gretna’s Italian-Irish parade sees large crowds for second year
The Italian Irish parade rolled through the streets of Gretna (LA) on Sunday, March 10 and attendees were eager to catch some good throws. “We are going to have a nice time throwing, we got tons of stuff to throw to the kids today,” said parade rider William. Hundreds crowded the streets not only for beads but for some groceries to stock up their p...
Local Family Runs Authentic Italian Bakery In South Tulsa
An authentic Italian bakery in Tulsa is getting ready to celebrate its two-year anniversary. Samantha Short opened Nana Rose's Italian Bakery and Market in March of 2022. The bakery is named after Samantha's own Nana Rose. It's a family-run business. Samantha and her husband work at the bakery side-by-side. Their son, Patrick, even runs the cash re...
Bellini's Old School Italian Vibe Thrives Decades On
Bellini's arrived on the Dallas dining scene in 2002 on Oak Lawn Avenue, where it thrived for 18 years. The space closed in 2020 after the landlord sold the property. For almost two years, owner Lorenzo di Lorenzo pondered his next move, which almost involved moving back to New York City during the pandemic. Fortunately for everyone in Dallas who f...
Italian Innovators at South by Southwest in Austin: Twelve Startups Among Creative Giants
Italian creativity in the arts meets and stimulates technological innovation at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the Italian pavilion at the SXSW Creative Industries Expo will feature twelve innovative startups, demonstrating the country's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creativity and...
Albuquerque nuclear museum pays homage to da Vinci's inventions
Irene Stamm encouraged her husband, Jason, to wander off to look at the nuclear stuff for a while so she could play with the da Vinci toys. She had a lot to choose from: The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History has about 30 of the Italian Renaissance artist's machines on display as part of a traveling interactive exhibition that runs thro...
BK House Celebrates Italian Heritage With Special Events
The Historic BK House & Gardens is set to honor the Patron Saint of Sicily with its annual St. Joseph’s Altar on March 18th and 19th. Located at 1113 Chartres Street, BK House continues the sacred Sicilian tradition, once embraced by the Corrado Giacona Family from the 1890s to 1925. The celebration begins with a private blessing of the altar by Fa...
San Antonio Italian eateries Allora and Arrosta combine menus, plan new concept
Pearl-area Italian eateries Allora and Arrosta have combined forces to offer diners the most popular dishes from both restaurants under one roof. As of Wednesday, Feb. 28, guests can find popular dishes from Arrosta's menu — comforting eats such as eggplant parmigiana, housemade pastas and individual sourdough pizzas — inside the much bigger dining...
There's Plenty of Puccini in ICCC's Operatic Lecture Series
While the average person may not be able to name any of the operas written by the Italian composer and librettist Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), they’ve likely at least heard the titles of his most famous works: La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca or Turandot (and yes, it’s actually Madama and not Madame).Or, if you’re a fan of ‘80s rom coms and/or Ch...
Mamma Mia! Eataly To Celebrate Women in Food and Wine
Eataly Dallas has invited some of North Texas’ top female chefs and restaurateurs to join its culinary team for the second annual Festa Della Donna on Thursday, March 7 in celebration of International Women’s Day. The event combines the food and talents of women including Nikky Phinyawatana of Asian Mint, Franchesca Nor of Dive Coastal Cuisine, Amb...
Magdalena's opens near West University with Italian cuisine from veteran chef
Magdalena's Trattoria and Pizzeria has opened at 5110 Buffalo Speedway near West University Place. The restaurant from chef Nicolas Nikic serves Italian cuisine including handmade pasta, hand-tossed pizza and grilled items, sourcing some ingredients straight from Italy. Nikic has roots in Europe, where he grew up and received hospitality training...