Damn Mattatuck Museum, you are shooting through my heart with one of your latest exhibits. I am of Italian-American descent. My great-grandmother and great grandfather were both born in Avellino, Italy and immigrated to Waterbury, Connecticut around 1900. There's a new exhibit - The Immigrant Suitcase Project: Italians of Waterbury on view in the H...
READ MOREOne of Westport’s most legendary figures has died. Nicholas Zeoli — known for decades here, in Wilton and far beyond as “Nick” — died on Wednesday at Norwalk Hospital. The coach, educator and proud World War II veteran was 98 years old. Nick was born on July 1, 1923 in Saugatuck to parents Dominick and Lillian Valiante Zeoli. He was the oldest of 5...
READ MORENational Cold Cut Day was last month, on March 3. "Pre-cooked meats that are sliced and served hot or cold in a sandwich or on a tray. Purveyors of heart disease and diabetes." My Mom was the Queen of Cold Cuts. Depending on the day and her mood, my lunchbox contained salami and provolone with mustard on a bulky, bologna and cheese with mayo on Won...
READ MOREMike DeFeo, Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast general manager, has been announced as Southington UNICO’s 2021 Gold Medal of Honor recipient. The recognition is UNICO’s highest honor. Since 1945, the Gold Medal of Honor has been awarded to distinguished citizens in the Southington community. A dinner ceremony in recognition of DeFeo is planned for Wedne...
READ MOREAfter weeks of intense voting, Hearst Connecticut readers have chosen the winner of the iconic eatery bracket. Edging out Sally's Apizza, the number two seed, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana has claimed the top spot as the most iconic eatery in the state. The apizza restaurant survived four rounds of voting, in which it fended off Modern Apizza, R...
READ MOREThe Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport was the site of the 2022 Bridgeport Regional arm of the NCAA women’s basketball Sweet 16 and Elite Eight tournaments this past March. But at the end of the year, the arena will be filled, not with basketball fans, but opera fans. Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli is scheduled to perform. The tenor will be stop...
READ MORENardelli's Grinder Shoppe continues to open more Connecticut locations to sell their famous Award-Winning grinders. G. Matthew Youngs, the franchise owner of the newly opened location in Norwalk, CT, – as of March 2022 – discovered Nardelli's in 2012 when he and his friends were at a lacrosse tournament in central Connecticut. After experiencing Na...
READ MOREThis week's edition of the Local Flavor features Nasoula Koutsofavas of Maria's Pizza Palace in Colchester. Koutsofavas was born and raised in Griswold and Colchester by her parents, both newly immigrated from Greece. They found work in the United States in the restaurant industry and carved out their own paths. It's there that Koutsofavas found he...
READ MORESaugatuck Sweets in Fairfield and Westport is known for its ice cream but also its outreach. Owner Al DiGuido founded the charity Al's Angels 25 years ago to help kids with cancer. He's now supporting the millions of people fleeing Ukraine. "We said, 'We have to start to do something.' We can't sit on the sidelines watching this all happen and say...
READ MORECoffee lovers in Norwalk might have a new go-to spot in town. Pausa Caffè, an Italian coffee shop, opened its doors on Sunday. "People say that when they walk in they feel like they are in a little shop in Italy," said owner Stafano Cutugno, who used to own a coffee shop in Sicily before moving to the United States eight years ago. When Cutugno mov...
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