Saint Pasta may be known for vodka sauce, but following social media drama between owner Racan Alhoch and Yelpers, I was equally curious to experience the service at the food-truck-famous chef's new brick-and-mortar. With Saint Pasta’s cult following and its lack of reservations, I decided to go for an early dinner at 5 p.m., right when they open....

The Sicilian Butcher brings authentic Italian cuisine to life, blending tradition with innovative twists inspired by the foods and flavors chef Joey Maggiore grew up on. Maggiore is the founder and executive chef for The Sicilian Butcher, one of the five brands owned and operated by his Maggiore Group. His father, Tomaso Maggiore, “was a master che...

A brand-new Italian celebration is set to take over downtown Phoenix on March 1 and 2. The Galbani® Italian Heritage Festival, organized by the nonprofit Bliss Planet, will be a vibrant two-day event at Heritage Square. Attendees can immerse themselves in the flavors, traditions, and artistry of Italy, enjoying everything from mouthwatering food an...

Preserving his Italian-American heritage has always been high on Francis (Frank) Joseph DeBlasi’s list of priorities. And it’s understandable. His dad, the late Dr. Joseph DeBlasi, was a doctor of internal medicine engaged in private practice in New Dorp. And together with DeBlasi’s mom, Rita DeBlasi, a coronary intensive care nurse, and brother, M...

January 2025 Meet Pete Melucci, a Grand Italian American in the Grand Canyon State

We the Italians kicks off the new year on the West Coast, specifically in Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. It is here that we are welcome by a great friend, someone with a big heart in which the two flags that represent all of us proudly wave. Pete Melucci is our Ambassador in Arizona, the founder and President of the Arizona Italian American Chamb...

Saint Pasta, a popular Italian food truck that left its brick-and-mortar home at The Pemberton in 2022, opens a new bricks-and-mortar restaurant Wednesday in downtown Phoenix. It takes over the space briefly home to The Pairing Room and, before that, The Larder & The Delta, on the northwest corner of First Avenue and Portland Street. Owner/chef Rac...

The new chapter of “Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening (BBWO)” 2025, one of the most important Italian wine events in the world, promoted by the Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, will present its 4th edition, on a new traveling format. In addition to the Grand Tasting at The Branch Park Pavilion in Austin, Texas, on March...

Phoenix has become known as a go-to destination for pizza. And we certainly do have a wonderful selection of spots to grab a slice or share a pie. But Italian food is filled with riches. And, lucky for us, Phoenix is filled with exceptional Italian restaurants churning out everything from pizza and pasta to delectable seafood, bread dipped in the b...

Comic Matteo Lane’s philosophy about live shows is simple: “jokes, jokes and the telling of a ton of jokes.” “My stand-up is not me talking about traumatic moments,” he said. “It’s me catching up with what’s happened in the last year — like we were talking over brunch. I work really hard on making my show as natural as possible. We have enough (exp...