There are so many Italian restaurants, pizza places and take-out options in our area that I failed to distinguish between restaurants that provide weeknight delivery of chicken parm with gourmet Italian cooking that’s also nearby. It turns out there is a real difference. That’s what I learned at a recent dinner at Zero Otto Nove in Tuckahoe, brough...
READ MOREWhat makes Italian design so special? That question has no quick answer, but one can easily find out at Artemest’s refreshed gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. There, the lauded interior designer Samuele Brianza has devised a tightly curated display of furniture, lighting, and one-of-a-kind objects by 50 artisans and designers hailing fro...
READ MOREThe Mets, like every other team, are looking to improve this offseason but with New York they are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 campaign. Following a 101-win season, the Mets finished below .500 and missed the postseason resulting in sweeping changes including to their manager. With newly hired David Stearns as the team’s Presiden...
READ MOREThe highly anticipated Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City has thrown the doors open to Café Carmellini, a classic Manhattan brasserie helmed by the much-loved chef Andrew Carmellini. Installed within a contemporary Gilded Age interior designed by Martin Brudnizki, the restaurant faithfully upholds the historic grandeur of the hotel, itself a landm...
READ MOREIf you or your parents grew up in Saratoga Springs, you know Grasso's Italian Ice - or at least recognize it's iconic white truck. Just as iconic, was the man selling the ice to generations of Saratogians, Ralph Grasso. As he turns 90 years old this week, in a show of appreciation, his fans have been sending him birthday cards and sharing their mem...
READ MOREPuglia in the Big Apple has just delivered a culinary spectacle during the eighth annual week of the Italian Cuisine in the World, now a UNESCO 2023 candidate. The meticulously curated event by Puglia in Rosé, in collaboration with the Puglia Region, not only showcased the authentic flavors and top-notch quality of Apulian products but also undersc...
READ MOREGiovanni da Verrazzano (1485-1528), one of the greatest explorers of his time, was the first to set foot on the Atlantic coast of North America. The Verrazzano Bridge in New York, inaugurated in 1964, is an imposing tribute to him. Let’s explore the feats of our hero from Greve in Chianti (Florence) that have made his name unforgettable beyond the...
READ MOREFrom the late nineteenth through the twentieth century, the South Village was a tale of two communities: Italian immigrants and American-born artists, authors, and performers. This illustrated Zoom lecture explores the Italians’ reactions to their neighbors. Sometimes the Italians provided inspiration for artists; sometimes they became part of the...
READ MORENestled in the heart of New York City’s vibrant West Village lies Morandi, a rustic Italian trattoria that epitomizes the charm and flavor of Italy. Owned by renowned restaurateur Keith McNally, this culinary gem has become a go-to destination for both locals and visitors seeking an authentic Italian dining experience. Morandi’s setting is as invit...
READ MOREItalian cuisine is, as we know, the most exported in the world. But what specific Italian cuisine do foreigners, especially Americans, like? It took Philip Guardione, an Italian chef currently leading five restaurants under the "Piccola Cucina" brand, some time to understand. "In order to succeed abroad, the most important thing is the ingredient, ...
READ MORE