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When you feel like indulging in some good old-fashioned comfort food, there’s nothing like paying a visit to your favorite Italian joint. We’ve got plenty of fantastic authentic Italian restaurants in Southern California, but there’s none like Petrini’s in Santa Barbara! Around for decades, this restaurant exudes the atmosphere of Italy through its...

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Via Maestra 42, a North State Italian restaurant and deli, is serving its authentic Italian favorites under new ownership. Well, somewhat new. The restaurant’s now-retired owner Renato Moisio wasn’t going to let his legacy go to just anyone, so he called someone the restaurant’s regulars are likely to remember. Nicole Bitar worked as Via Maestra 42...

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A few summers ago, on the last afternoon of a somewhat exhausting family vacation to Europe with our young kids, I slipped through a tourist-jammed square near Florence’s Ponte Vecchio into a smaller, almost abandoned piazza just steps away. This is where I found Le Volpi e l’Uva, an enoteca whose mellow vibes belied a revelatory wine selection and...

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Goleta Valley Historical Society - 304 N Los Carneros Rd, Goleta, CA 93117. The Santa Barbara Italian immigrant families and their descendants have had a significant impact on the Santa Barbara region in business, agriculture, education, construction; and have become part of the civic, social, and cultural fabric of our community. This exhibit woul...

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Throngs of art enthusiasts will have the opportunity to admire locally produced street paintings in coronavirus-friendly, socially distanced style during the 35th I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival on May 29-31. Artists of all ages and stages will fan out on driveways, sidewalks, and South Coast nooks and crannies to offer inspiration and...

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Teaching arts, participating in arts, performing, creating and displaying arts all traditionally are immersive experiences. COVID-19 pandemic-induced social distancing, sheltering in place, school closures and venue lockdowns changed the game for more than a year, and the Children’s Creative Project was there to help. “Carpinteria carried on, and k...

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After nearly six years in business, the Olio Crudo Bar was finally becoming a regular stop for Santa Barbarans interested in raw Italian dishes of “finesse and quality,” explains co-owner Alberto Morello, a veteran of downtown’s restaurant scene. After years of cooking around Southern California, the Sicilian chef first broke into Santa Barbara wit...

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The Santa Barbara County Education Office has begun planning a virtual version of this year's I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival. The festival is scheduled to take place on May 29, 30, and 31. Normally, the festival is held in front of the Old Mission where artists of all ages from across the country come to draw their chalk masterpieces....

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The generic concept that many Americans have of Italian food — pizza, pasta, parmesan, prosciutto — is instantly shattered by a visit to the Mediterranean country. So long as you’re curious about cuisine, it doesn’t take long to realize that almost every little village — sometimes, even just a big-city neighborhood — claims a special sauce, or nood...

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Even though the physical distancing decree is still in place, it doesn’t mean Santa Barbarans have to miss out on one of our favorite springtime events — the I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival. Rather than setting up camp in front of the Old Mission steps, artists will create their chalk paintings in their driveways. Each day, viewers can...

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