by Josh Nguyen   Italian-American Heritage will celebrate its sixth annual festival even bigger this year. "Come on down, everyone is Italian this weekend," said Darren Marasco, chairman of the Italian -American Heritage Festival. The festival will once again will be held at Western Gateway park this year and they have expanded. &...

Students at Iowa Lakes Community College are preparing an Italian 'feast' for the annual all-you-can-eat Italian Buffet Monday, Oct. 28. Students involved in the Emmetsburg Student Senate and the Hotel and Restaurant Management program assist in the preparation and serving of the food. Tickets are available from the students working the event...

Tivoli's Italian Restaurant in Centerville has recently begun offering delivery services to try to draw in more customers. Their main objective is to offer delivery to workplaces, although they ask for a minimum of one days notice for group or catering orders.   Owner Fortino Vargas opened the restaurant in June of 2014 after moving to Cente...

It seems like this spring and summer, I've been crushing on the new +39 Restaurant, Market & Cantina, the Italian restaurant that opened across from the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park in April. Maybe it's the Italian accent that makes my heart beat a little faster.   My crush started innocently enough with a night of gelato...

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...

The Italian-American Cultural Center of Iowa is pleased to host "An Evening In Turin" fundraising dinner to be held Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at the Embassy Club West. Dinner will be prepared by visiting chefs Antonio and Stefano Latini.   Together, the father/son team own Villa Somis and Nove Merli restaurants near Turin, the capita...

by Michael Morain   Well, it's "arrivederci" for Cafe di Scala. After 10 years, the popular Sherman Hill restaurant will serve its final course on New Year's Eve. But don't worry, diners: It will reopen Jan. 1 as Aposto, with the same team out front and back in the kitchen. Under owner Tony Lemmo and chef Phil Shires' new plan...

by Patt Johnson   Restaurateur Bruce Gerleman is adding an Italian eatery to his list of restaurants in the Des Moines metro. By year's end, Gerleman expects to open Jethroni Pepperoni, a casual Italian restaurant that will be located in the former Pizza Hut on Adventureland Drive in Altoona.   "There will be no barbecue at this...

The Italian American Heritage Festival of Iowa is proud to announce that Franco Corso will headline this year's entertainment lineup, backed by a full 9-piece orchestra. With a voice that melts hearts and instills passion, Franco Corso, The Voice of Romance, is the newest Italian singing sensation in America. His distinctive and powerful baritone...

by Claudia Astarita   Italy magazine recently reported the fascinating story of Herb Eckhouse's prosciutto. It is a Made in the USA ham that is not even trying to rival the famous Parma and San Daniele, rather to take inspiration from them on how to create a business out of the huge availability of pigs in Iowa.   Everything started w...