San Antonio's Il Forno named one of the 50 best U.S. pizzerias by Italian rating guide
Time to extend another congratulazioni to Il Forno. The Southtown staple has again been named one of the best U.S. pizzerias by Italian rating guide 50 Top Pizza. This is the second year in a row the San Antonio-owned and -operated restaurant has landed on the list — and this time with a higher ranking. In 2022, the wood-fire oven operation was ran...
River Oaks District Restaurant Bari Embraces Well-Executed Italian Classics
Houston has seen an influx of Italian restaurants over the past few years. The latest has taken up residence in the River Oaks District at 4444 Westheimer. Bari Ristorante opened its doors on May 15. Houston restaurateur Thomas “Tommy” Nally, who has owned and developed restaurants, bars, and nightclubs around the city as well as in New York, the C...
Podcast: Galveston, Texas and Italian immigration
Italians have a long history in Texas. The earliest Italians arrived during the years of Spanish exploration. 300 years before ports opened up along the Texas coast. Although they did not settle, these explorers arrived in Texas with Spaniard Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1541. Italian settlers first arrived in the late 1700s as merchants. Settl...
Pizza Amore by Pizza Artista location coming to Carencro, LA
Pizza lovers in Carencro will soon have a big, new local dining option. The Lafayette-based Pizza Artista franchise is just days away from opening a new version of the fast-casual restaurant, which will include table service, a full bar and new additions to the menu, in a much larger space in Carencro. It’s called Pizza Amore by Pizza Artista. Pizz...
Fort Bend library program will focus on Rome and the Roman Empire
Fort Bend County Libraries’ “Ancient Civilizations Art & Architectures” series continues this summer with an educational program on Rome and the Roman Empire on Saturday, July 1, from 2-4 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the Sugar Land Branch Library, located at 550 Eldridge. In this segment of the series, architecture professor Sheba Akhtar will talk...
Passion, creativity on display at Passerella Ristorante & Wine Bar in Cypress
Paul and Doris Miller opened Passerella Ristorante & Wine Bar in summer 2022, bringing an upscale menu and interior to The Boardwalk at Towne Lake.The couple, who owns several restaurants under the Gr8 Plate Hospitality umbrella, received valuable feedback from the local community via the property owner. After conducting a survey of the neighborhoo...
If Pasta Is Your Love Language, You’ll Be In Heaven At Ermilio’s Italian Home Cooking In Arkansas
When it comes to comfort food, pasta is near the top of my list. Personally, it’s one of my food love languages as I can’t resist a big plate of noodles topped with a rich homemade sauce, then drizzled with Parmesan cheese, YUM! Thankfully, there are several restaurants in Arkansas serving some of the best authentic Italian cuisine that money can b...
A Journey to Italy from Houston: Pastore Italian Kitchen
Pastore Italian Kitchen, the latest concept from Houston’s Underbelly Hospitality, makes its highly-anticipated debut on Friday, June 30 at 1180 Dunlavy St. in Regent Square. Under the creative guidance of Executive Chef Jeff Potts and Underbelly Hospitality’s culinary director Scott Muns, Pastore paints a vibrant picture of coastal Italy. As Nina...
Monuments Men and Women Foundation returns rare document to Italy with support from Odessans
The Monuments Men and Women Foundation recently restituted a papal bull issued by Pope Pius IX and turned over custody of the rare document to Italian officials. Odessans Sondra and Toby Eoff generously helped underwrite the restitution costs. The papal bull, an official decree issued by the Vatican, was signed by Pope Pius IX in 1862. It establish...
Piazza d'Italia in New Orleans, Louisiana
CONSTRUCTED IN 1978, THE PIAZZA d’Italia in New Orleans’ Warehouse district has seen both boom and bust. Originally designed as part of an urban revitalization project under New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu, the entire block was reimagined, though only a portion of the plans were realized. The Piazza was completed in 1978 as a surprise space in the...
Orioli Restaurant Group to bring scratch-made Italian cuisine to Woodforest
Orioli's Cucina Italiana is slated to open in spring 2024 in Pine Market in Woodforest, the Orioli Restaurant Group announced in a May 15 news release. Via Emilia Italian Restaurant, the Orioli Restaurant Group's flagship restaurant, is located in the Sterling Ridge Village of The Woodlands.Orioli's Cucina Italiana, set to open in Montgomery at 791...
Louis Prima and the Sicilian Sound
The atmosphere was electric at Union Station. Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (a.k.a. Lombardo’s brothers: Carmen, Victor, and Lambert—the band was a family affair) were touring to New Orleans for the first time, for a two-week engagement, and on May 3, 1934, a throng of welcomers assembled in anticipation of their train’s arrival. Despite bei...