Why Sprezza plans to serve a different kind of Italian food in Richmond
Angela Petruzzelli is about to open her dream Italian restaurant Sprezza in downtown Richmond. When she moved to Richmond with her boyfriend in 2020, she recognized restaurants that served Italian food, but the style of Italian food they served was not the kind she preferred. "[Italian] food is not only something I relate so strongly to, but it's s...
Dining Out: Family-run Flemington bakery remains true to Italian roots
When you bite into a pastry, cookie or cake from Italian Bakery & Espresso Bar in Flemington, N.J., you are biting into recipes developed during 100 years of family history. Jack Mannino operated a pizzeria when he first came to this country but wanted to return to being a pastry baker, a job he trained for and loved in Sicily. In 1985 he opened th...
Frank Tartaglia, South Philly filmmaker and co-owner of Connie’s Ric Rac club, dies at 45
Frank Joseph Tartaglia was a true son of the Italian Market. His father had a bustling fruit business in the iconic market. But he and his older brother, Joseph Frank Tartaglia, realized young that they weren’t content slinging produce. Together, the Tartaglia Brothers created a grungy, glorious haven for South Philadelphia musicians, artists, and...
The Gentleman Banker. The Life and Work of Amadeo Giannini
Sunday December 4th, at 2:30 at the ICS Headquarters 4833 Rugby Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814. RSVP Here. In collaboration with Georgetown University, Department of Italian & OSDIA (Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America). This event is free. Please consider an end-of-year donation. Light refreshments afterwards. If you live far from the ICS, you c...
Tasty Tuesday: Papa’s Pizza brings top-notch pizza, traditional Italian recipes to the Roanoke Valley
Thanksgiving is just days away. For those of us who need a break from cooking, we have just the place for you - Papa’s Pizza in Salem. For Vincenzo De Giovanni, working in a restaurant is part of his identity. He tells us, “It’s pretty much in the blood. When I was a kid, I was like, ‘I want to be like my dad.’” He’d work side-by-side with his dad...
Help Fund the New Statue of the Madonna della Fontana
A new GoFundMe campaign was recently launched by the Società Madonna Della Fontana and Spilingese Social Club in Newark, New Jersey to help raise money for the creation of a new processional statue of the Madonna della Fontana. Devotees will carry the statue during the Annual Feast of the Madonna della Fontana and San Michele Arcangelo, celebrated...
‘La Traviata’ at SOPAC: ‘It’s the opera I’ve connected to the most,’ says conductor Jason Tramm
When it comes to making music, conductor Jason C. Tramm throws himself into a little bit of everything. I don’t bother asking him why. It’d be like asking the sun why it shines. He’s just doing what he was born to do. His calendar has returned to pre-pandemic levels after nearly three years of COVID-19 cancellations. “There’s so much going on and I...
Stephen Starr, Nancy Silverton To Open Italian Restaurant In Georgetown’s Old Dean & DeLuca Spot
Stephen Starr, the restaurateur behind D.C.’s Le Diplomate and St. Anselm, is officially partnering with Los Angeles-based chef Nancy Silverton to bring an Italian market and restaurant to the former Dean & DeLuca location, part of the Georgetown Park development. The 20,000-square-foot restaurant and market is slated to open in late 2023, accordin...
America Meets an Italian Impressionist
The Phillips Collection in Washington DC introduces America to the work of Italian artist, Giuseppe De Nittis in the exhibition, “An Italian Impressionist in Paris: Giuseppe De Nittis” on view Nov 12, 2022–Feb 12, 2023. De Nittis was from the City of Barletta in Puglia and many of the 73 works displayed come from the Pinacoteca Giuseppe De Nittis,...
Chef Vola's - Atlantic City, New Jersey
THERE’S AN “AIR OF SECRECY” surrounding certain establishments, then there’s Chef Vola’s. This unmarked, cash-only feasting hall has no advertised phone number, email, or website, equated by one New York Times food critic to “a game of hide and seek.” The space comes by it naturally: It was likely once a speakeasy. Before it became a restaurant in...
Chef Tony’s Restaurant owners announce purchase of Amalfi Ristorante in Rockville
Tony and Sonya Marciante, the owners of Chef Tony’s Restaurant, located at 5225 Pooks Hill at Promenade Towers in Bethesda, announced they will blend the Chef Tony’s brand with the “wonderful accolades of Amalfi Restaurant.” Chef Tony’s Restaurant serves seafood, Mediterranean and tapas. Some of its menu items include braised Icelandic cod, “Dad’s...
NJ tradition: What's up with the 'seven fishes' Christmas Eve dinner?
You may have heard of the 'Feast Of The Seven Fishes' which is a traditional Italian dinner served on Christmas Eve. Well, it's more of a tradition here in the New Jersey/New York/Philly area than it is in Italy for the most part. It was a tradition started hundreds of years ago in coastal towns around Rome and Naples on the Mediterranean Sea. Outs...