The origin story of Manzella’s Italian Patio
For nearly 60 years, the Manzella family has cooked Italian food in Champaign. Before he opened his own restaurant, Frank Manzella made pizzas at the old KAMS, using his own recipe. His from-scratch pizza was so popular that he started his own business, first selling home-baked pizzas out of his vehicle. He opened his first brick-and-mortar restaur...
You've Sat in This Chair a Thousand Times—But Do You Know the Chiavarina's Story
If you could close your eyes and picture the perfect chair—four-legged, light, impossibly sturdy, elegant but without trying too hard—it would be the Chiavarina. No excess, no frills, just a chair distilled into its purest form. And while it may seem like the unassuming workhorse of countless dining rooms, for over 200 years, the chair has been the...
"The Italians of Akron and Summit County, Our Roots, Our Challenges, Our Triumph"
The story of Italian families immigrating to various cities in Northeast Ohio starting in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s has been documented in books and newspapers for many years. One city that remained unexplored was the Akron and Summit County area. Now, there is a new book published by John Vallillo and available to order on the Amazon and Ba...
Italian PDO and PGI Cured Meat Exports Surpass €600M
Italy’s PDO and PGI cured meat sector remains a pillar of the country’s agri-food industry, with production value exceeding €2 billion—accounting for roughly a quarter of the market in 2023. Italy remains Europe’s leader in the segment, boasting 43 protected designation salumi, according to data presented by ISIT, the Italian association of consort...
Italian Eatery returns to south Minneapolis under new management
A taste of Italy has returned to south Minneapolis, much to the delight of loyal customers. Italian Eatery closed early last year, but new ownership has reopened its doors, bringing back delicious favorites and new tastes. The sounds and smells of a kitchen hard at work are once again wafting into the cozy yet classic dining space that is ie by Tra...
This New Book Reveals the Daredevil Lives of Four Italian Women Who Stood Up to Hitler and Mussolini
Anita Malavasi’s first delivery was salt. In the fall of 1943, she brought a packet of it into the mountains outside the city of Reggio Emilia, in northern Italy, to supply a growing group of soldiers lacking food staples. These fighters were the anti-fascist Resistance—men who’d deserted the armies of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini and were pre...
The Rise of the Cool Edicola
Once the beating heart of Italian streets, edicole, or newsstands, have long teetered on the verge of extinction—relics of a bygone era when gossip, information, and interaction were consumed on the streets. Now, against all odds, some are reawakening, returning in different, cooler guises, reinventing themselves as cultural lifelines and taste-def...
Speaking of Broccoli
Last month, Barbara Broccoli ditched the family business. Not in agriculture but in Hollywood. The Broccoli Family was the original owner of the James Bond franchise, that action-packed series of movies regaling audiences with the exploits of fictional British spy 007.c It all began in 1951 when family patriarch Albert “Cubby” Broccoli decamped fro...
Echoes of tradition: Italy's campanari and the sacred craft of bell ringing
When I was a child, I loved the sound of church bells. My grandmother would explain to me what each different ring meant—whether it was calling people to Mass, announcing a wedding, or marking a solemn event. For me, bells were always associated with happiness, Sunday feasts, and special moments. Many years later, when I lived on the Ligurian coas...
The Politically Incorrect North End Food Tour
I’ll start by saying this is hands down THE BEST food and walking tour I have ever been on. We almost missed it too. I had originally signed up Meiling, WenYu, and myself for another tour through Airbnb, but the date got messed up and we weren’t going to be able to go. Thankfully we were able to cancel for a full refund, and Meiling discovered this...
At 30, I quit my job and took a gap year in Italy. Now, I'm back in the US and thriving in a new career.
I was entering a new decade of my life at 30 and decided to take inventory of my life. I was happily living in San Francisco with a wonderful group of friends. I had a rent-controlled apartment and had saved enough money for a down payment on a home. After a while, though, I felt like something was missing. I needed somewhere that would foster my c...
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Italian Architect and Educator María Luisa deMin Puggioni
The College of Architecture and Planning hosts a variety of exhibitions each year, providing opportunities to showcase student work, faculty research, and the work of prominent architects, educators, and historians. CAP hosts exhibitions that illuminate architectural histories, explore emerging practices, and supplement classroom curriculum, thereb...