Italian restaurant from Couch Cafe chef coming to Queen Village
A chef who made her name serving pasta out of her own kitchen will soon open her first restaurant in Philadelphia. Liz Grothe gained fame in foodie circles for Couch Cafe, a supper club run out of her Northern Liberties apartment. Now, she's preparing to launch a restaurant much farther away from her front door. Scampi opens in Queen Village on Wed...
Thanks To New Jersey, The World Has Italian Hot Dogs
America has an unwavering love for two kinds of dogs--the ones wagging their tails on the couch and the ones served hot in buns. The hot dog is a true American icon, found in every corner of the country and at all the biggest celebrations, from state fairs to baseball games and the Fourth of July. It's the MVP of American cuisine, whether boiled, s...
President DeGioia To Become President Emeritus of Georgetown
Italian American John J. DeGioia (C’79, G’95) announced he is stepping down from his role as university president after 23 years and will become president emeritus and will continue as a member of the faculty. DeGioia is the longest-serving president in Georgetown’s history. Over his tenure as Georgetown’s 48th president, DeGioia has expanded the i...
Sicilian Pizza, It’s a New Jersey and New York Thing and The Rest of America is Missing Out
When it comes to pizza, America has embraced a kaleidoscope of styles, from the thin, foldable slices of New York City to the deep-dish indulgence of Chicago. Yet, one style that deserves far more national acclaim is Sicilian pizza—a dish deeply rooted in Italian heritage but lovingly reimagined in the kitchens of New York and New Jersey. Rich with...
Santina’s Pastry Shop Brings Homemade Italian Goodness To Newtown
Freshly-filled cannoli, mouth-watering Danish rings, and crispy sfogliatelle filled with semolina and ricotta. At the newly-opened Santina’s Italian Pastry by Nino at the Village at Newtown South, bakery cases are brimming with Italian pastry favorites, all handmade right at the store and fresh from the oven. The store is owned by Dana DiLisa, who...
Luxury Italian restaurant Isola Bella opens at American Dream
A restaurant offering Italian cuisine and modern cocktails has opened at The Avenue, a luxury retail and dining wing at the American Dream megamall in the Meadowlands. The restaurant — Isola Bella — features cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, wine and champagne. The menu includes such dishes as jumbo shrimp cocktail, caviar selections, pastrami...
Scittino’s, beloved Catonsville Italian eatery, will open a second spot near Lake Roland
Scittino’s opened on Edmonson Avenue in Catonsville in 1973 and has been a family-owned pizza and sub shop and Italian grocery store and deli at that location ever since. By the end of December, after 51 years, the beloved Italian eatery will open a second location on Falls Road north of Mount Washington, near Lake Roland. Andres Cabrera and Brad B...
Ken Burns Previews ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ Film at National Press Club
The renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns stopped by the National Press Club earlier this week with co-directors Sarah Burns and David McMahon to preview their latest work, a new film on the life of Leonardo da Vinci. The four-hour documentary, a departure for Burns, who typically focuses on America and American subjects, will air on PBS over tw...
‘Mosaico’ Italian art exhibit featured at Dupont Underground
“Mosaico Italian code of a timeless art” is the Dupont Underground’s latest exhibit, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy, running until Feb. 2. Decorating cathedral ceilings, palace walls and the Mediterranean seafloor, the ancient artistic tradition of mosaics, or the art of creating images or patterns out of small pieces of glass, clay and...
N.J. grower who brought Italian grape to US remains optimistic about its potential
Larry Coia, a New Jersey grape grower and the part owner of Bellview Winery, brought the San Marco grape back to the United States in 2011. By then he had been tending to grapevines for 35 years, all as a sidelight while working as a radiation oncologist. A founding member of the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association, he became immersed in the s...
After more than 80 years, WWII soldier's remains returned to family in Delaware County
For Donna Duranti and Jo Ann Spata, Joseph Cocco is the uncle they never met. These sisters only knew the stories of "Uncle Joe," or U.S. Army Private Joseph Cocco, who died fighting in World War II. At 22 years old, the Overbrook native who grew up on the 800 block of North 66th Street was reported missing while in combat in Italy. On Sept. 9, 19...
Italian family pours love of retail, customer service into new boutique winery in Aspinwall
A legendary Italian family known for its specialty food markets is toasting to new beginnings in Aspinwall. Labriola Italian Markets debuted Labriola Winery last month, steps away from its market along Freeport Road. “It’s the beginning of a new era,” said owner Leonard Labriola of Fox Chapel. “This is such a nice adventure for me because all of my...