Seeing Sicily and Italy like never before
Early in my travel life, Italy was one of the first countries I visited in the 1990s. A travel agent booked the standard itinerary of Rome, Florence and Venice that simply served to whet my appetite for everything Italian. Over the years, I’ve wanted to delve into the Southern part of this amazing peninsula that dips its toes into the Mediterranean...
Papa Gino’s started as a by-the-slice pizzeria in East Boston
Michael Valerio emigrated from Italy at age five to East Boston during the 1930s. We may never know if he ever envisioned his tiny pizza-by-the-slice business morphing into an iconic franchise. Papa Gino’s is for many people raised in New England a place they have many memories of eating at when they were kids, or perhaps even working at one as a t...
A ‘Revolution’ in the Italian Tyrol
In the world of Italian wine, a “cooperative” winery can be a dirty word. Not that there’s anything wrong with a group of area grapegrowers banding together to make, sell and market wine. It’s just that many a big cooperative (cantine sociale) is known for making cheap, commoditized wines on an industrial scale. But it’s not always like that. Some...
Life is twice as sweet for these 90-year-old twins
There were no sonograms in 1933. So one could imagine Nunziata Pierro’s surprise when, 15 minutes after giving birth to her son, there were suddenly two bundles of joy to hold. Those twins — Giuseppe “Joe” and Nicola “Nick” Pierro — celebrated their 90th birthday, on Dec. 27, in East Rockaway. Between the two of them exists 180 years of life, 130 y...
Best places in Italy for your ski adventure
Europe’s highest mountain ranges – the Dolomites and the Alps are among the countless attractions that Italy offers to its visitors. On their snow-covered slopes are some of Europe’s most famous ski resorts. The most skiable terrain and the broadest range of opportunities are in the Dolomites, where 12 major ski areas total more than 1,200 kilomete...
Stefani Restaurant Group to Open Stefani’s Bottega Italiana January 30th
Stefani Restaurant Group is opening its newest concept Stefani’s Bottega Italiana on January 30. Located at 6075 N. Milwaukee Avenue, the specialty quick-service Italian shop and pasta lab will feature authentic pasta dishes, Roman pizza, and Italian (schiacciata) sandwiches, as well as take-home items like fresh handmade and house made pasta and s...
What to Expect in Pesaro, the 2024 Italian Capital of Culture
Pesaro will hold the title of Italian Capital of Culture in 2024, following on the heels of twinned 2023 capitals Bergamo and Brescia. The official kickoff ceremony will take place on January 20. Set on the Adriatic Coast in the region of Le Marche, Pesaro will hold the title for one calendar year and will receive €1 million to carry out initiative...
Now Open: Geraci's Full-Service Italian Restaurant in Willoughby
A little more than two months after announcing the project, Geraci's is ready to open the doors to its latest venture: a full-service Italian restaurant in the heart of Willoughby. The home-grown pizzeria had been testing the waters, so to speak, with a slice shop in the same area, which debuted at The Yard on 3rd in 2022 and enjoyed two seasons th...
Musician, Academic, Entrepreneurial Expert: The Multi-faceted Career of Rudolph Phillip Lamone
Rudolph Phillip Lamone was born on December 20, 1931, in Wellsburg (population 6,398 in the 1930 Census), a town on the east bank of the Ohio River in the panhandle of West Virginia. His parents, Domenico Lamone and Maria Branchi Lamone, had emigrated from the Abruzzi region of Italy. Like many Italian-American boys growing up in hardscrabble area...
The Italian Prison Where Wine Changes Lives
Lamberto Frescobaldi, president and 30th generation to head wine producer Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi, vividly remembers the first time he tasted a wine produced on the island of Gorgona, which is located about 20 miles from Livorno off Italy’s Ligurian coast. Since 1869, Gorgona has been home to the Gorgona Agricultural Penal Colony, an Italian priso...
10 Carnival Cakes: a tasty journey across Italy from North to South
An explosion of colors with confetti, masks, parades, floats and cheer. The Carnival in Italy is a unique experience, which has its roots in the Middle Ages (about VIII century) and has taken on different nuances in each region over the centuries. In addition to the most typical and characteristic costumes, also gastronomic specialties are a must y...
IAP 308: old school genealogy is analog and awe inspiring: a conversation with genealogist Maria Carparelli
In a world with an app for everything, and the ever-increasing presence of artificial intelligence, what happens when technology can’t answer our questions or solve our problems? Sometimes it pays to remember how to do things the old-fashioned way! From raising kids without parenting books and bedtime routines to eating carbs and fats for a healthi...