The Return of Abruzzo’s Lush Vineyards Is Centuries in the Making
With its abundance of succulent vineyards, Abruzzo has become a successful wine region of Italy’s east coast. Geographically speaking, Abruzzo is the picturesque setting for grapes to flourish. The region is nestled between the Apennine mountain range and Maiella massif on the west, and the Adriatic sea to the east. This area has a rugged, mountain...
MPCA’s Columbus Day Parade route once again shortened
One of the borough’s biggest parades has been forced to shorten its route - again. The length of the upcoming 43rd annual Bronx Columbus Day Parade is being reduced for the second time in ten years. This year’s parade, hosted by the Morris Park Community Association and its parade committee, will take place on Sunday, October 13, beginning at noon...
Bellaire’s Enoteca Rossa dedicated to curated wines, regional Italian cuisines
Brian Brossa, the general manager and co-owner of Enoteca Rossa, said he was kicked out of the kitchen of his Italian-American family as a child more often than he was invited to help. “It’s not like somebody was nurturing me to cook,” Brossa said. “But there was a lot of passion and a lot of recipes that I use at the house that are generations old...
The Secret of Verdi’s ‘Otello’ and ‘Falstaff’? His Publisher
The pair of operatic masterpieces that capped Verdi’s career almost didn’t happen. His “Aida” had its premiere in December 1871, and the great composer, then just 58, wondered what to do next. One thing was certain: He didn’t have much appetite to return to the opera house, as he discovered when he involved himself in some stagings of his work. “Pe...
Star Italian author Elena Ferrante has a new novel out in November
Prepare for a fresh outbreak of 'Ferrante fever': bestselling Italian author Elena Ferrante has written a new book and it's coming out in November. "We are happy to announce that Elena Ferrante's new novel will be in bookshops on 7th November 2019," the enigmatic writer's Italian publisher, Edizione E/O, tweeted on Monday. The title of the hotly an...
Tony Bennett, at 93: ‘I just want to keep learning and expressing the truth’
Serving pizza and pasta to diners while singing in an Italian restaurant is not part of the typical career path for future music legends. But Tony Bennett isn’t a typical music legend and neither was the start of his career. Indeed, long before he became the world’s most famous nonagenarian vocal star — and even before he made his first record in 1...
You Haven’t Heard From These Chefs for a While. But You Will.
For all of its worship of novelty and new faces, New York has an echelon of veteran chefs who have quietly persevered for decades, admired and continually achieving but not making any new headlines. In October, though, several will step back into the spotlight. Top among them is Alfred Portale, who was the chef and a partner at the esteemed Gotham...
Traditions of Monterey’s Festa Italia still going strong
If this year’s Monterey’s Annual Festa Italia is any indication, the three-day festival that’s rooted in the city’s Sicilian history and that of its local fishermen, still runs deep. In its 86th year, as one of the oldest running festivals in the state, it featured Italian cuisine, music, dancing, raffles and a bocce ball tournament. It also includ...
Trapizzino: Rome's Street Food Craze
Street food is trendy, and Rome’s Trapizzino is one of its trendiest ambassadors. Invented in 2008 in the Testaccio neighborhood of the Italian capital, the half-sandwich, half-pizza treat has been so successful that, in just a few years, it has expanded not only beyond its birth neighborhood, and national borders, it has even opened in New York an...
The Enduring Legacy of The Godfather: An Opinion
I was combing through my television channels the other day when I landed upon the familiar confines of the Corleone clan. Of course I had to stop and watch; it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. The first time I remember watching The Godfather, I was five years old. As many times as I’ve seen this landmark film, I still marvel at it’s all around great...
Maggiano’s Donates More Than $700,000 to Make-A-Wish
Maggiano’s Little Italy© just completed its 16th annual Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish© campaign. During the campaign (May 30-Aug. 7), guests were invited to help Maggiano’s grant transformative wishes for children battling critical illnesses. The campaign raised a total of $725,000, which has been donated to Make-A-Wish. “I’m amazed by our incredible...
Mike Marino: “Make America Italian Again” at The Wilbur
When: Thursday, October 10th, 8:00 pm - Where: The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St, Boston (617) 248-9700 Mike Marino – affectionately known to millions of his fans worldwide as New Jersey’s Bad Boy – is one of the most loved comedians of our time. He has performed in every major comedy club, theatre, casino and event center from New York to Los Angeles and...