Most Italian communities across North America are immersed in their heritage as we rapidly approach Palm Sunday and Easter during this Lenten season. A big part of experiencing Italian tradition is rooted in the Catholic faith and that is precisely why younger generations should always know “why”  traditions such as La Tavola Di San Giuseppe exist;...

A Tulane associate dean is helping to keep an old New Orleans tradition alive. T.J. Stranova, associate dean for student affairs and admissions in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, is president of the Italian-American Bocce Club of Greater New Orleans. In the sport of bocce, players throw balls at a target ball called a pallino. Th...

It was a mostly sunny and beautiful day for St. Joseph's Day altars across the New Orleans area on Monday, March 19. Catholic churches, homes, restaurants and grocery stores hosted altars laden with beautifully decorated cakes, cookies, breads and seafood dishes to honor and thank St. Joseph, the patron saint of Sicily. Legend credits St. Joseph wi...

It's a tradition that's been going on now for 48 years. Only the Italian American St. Joseph Society could come up with the right recipe now for nearly half a century. WGNO News with a Twist features guy Wild Bill Wood is at the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans where there's a big parade for the what will be the World's Biggest Bowl of Pasta. It's t...

The Italian American St. Joseph Society held its 48th annual maid presentation at Audubon Park's Newman Bandstand on Sunday (March 4).  Girls in white dresses and long gloves danced in circles and posed for photos under beautiful blue skies.  There's more fun coming up for the society. The group will present "the world's largest pasta dish,'' an an...

Every year since 2006, David Greco has journeyed to New Orleans to participate in the Italian American St. Joseph Society’s annual celebration. For Greco, chef and owner of several Italian delis in New York, it’s a way to observe his heritage. “My father comes from the bottom of the boot — he lives for wine, women and mozzarella,” said Greco, whose...

St. Joseph’s Day is Monday, March 19, and area Catholics are finishing up preparations for the traditional St. Joseph Altars. The following parishes, schools and entities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans will host St. Joseph Altars: ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART, 4301 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans (Nims Fine Arts Center): Open to the public 10:30 a....

As bikers, walkers and runners made their way around the Audubon Park path on the Sunday afternoon of March 4, over by the park's Newman Bandstand the Italian American Marching Club/St. Joseph Society Pre-Parade Party was in full swing. Italian flags flew while young ladies -- maids -- danced the tarantella accompanied with music sung by Lena Prima...

Rouses Markets is partnering with the Italian Trade Agency to add Italian imports to Rouses stores throughout the Gulf Coast, including cheese, cured meats, preserves and wine. “This partnership expands exponentially the Italian imports we have on our shelves for our customers,” said Donny Rouse, CEO of the Thibodaux, La.-based grocery chain. “We’v...

A surprise can be good or bad, right? The Happy Italian Pizzeria, a modest-looking restaurant on Jefferson Highway in Harahan, was a good surprise for me. On the advice of the Where NOLA Eats Facebook group members, we walked in to see the cooks at work in the open kitchen, sliding pizzas into a giant oven. We planned to order a pizza, maybe a sala...