Somerville's Alfonso's Family Restaurant Reopens After 2 Month Closure
Alfonso's Family Trattoria & Gourmet Pizzeria has reopened as of Monday after a water pipe burst and flooded the restaurant in July. The restaurant at 99 W Main St. in Somerville posted messages on its social media pages at Alfonso's Somerville announcing the news. "We're so happy to be back come on in!" said the restaurant on Oct. 2. On July 22...
Seaside Heights becomes Little Italy this weekend as Italian Festival comes to town
All things Italian will take center stage this weekend in Seaside Heights, as the borough hosts the annual Italian Festival and Ocean County Columbus Day Parade. The Italian Festival will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Grant Avenue, and will feature food, music, crafts and performances by an Italian folkloric group, Citta' dei Trulli, a...
Bobby Rydell’s legacy lives in Tommy Coniglio
“The kid is good!” For Tommy Coniglio, at the time a 21-year-old “bar singer” at a Wildwood restaurant, the words were like a lightning strike. “The kid is good” had spilled from the lips of Tommy’s musical idol, Philadelphia music royalty, Bobby Rydell. Five years ago, Bobby and his wife, Linda Hoffman, were having dinner at Joey M’s La Piazza Cuc...
Savor the Seasons With Regional Italian Specialties at Isola
Isola means “island.” The new Isola Italian Trattoria menu speaks an unforgettable language for the cuisine of the Island where it presented itself this year in North Beach Haven and will warm the coming seasons. A sizzling wood-fired pizze menu includes pies such as Mortadella con pistachio, or Cacciatore with house-made sausage, and Calabrian chi...
“The Italian Hurricane” Vic DiBitetto hits the Sherman Theater on November 4
Comedian Vic DiBitetto, also know as “The Italian Hurricane” is coming to the Sherman Theater on November 4. An incredibly powerful performer, comedian Vic DiBitetto churns energy, honesty and humanity into nonstop laughter. His pace is frenetic, and he’s been called a cross between Rodney Dangerfield and Ralph Kramden. The bottom line is, DiBitett...
Italian Child “Slaves” of the 19th Century: Kidnapped and Forced to be Musicians
In the midst of the Civil War, on May 14, 1864, in the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, George Richardson posted a two-hundred-dollar reward in the Daily Dispatch for the return of his runaway slave, Henry. On the same day, Italian padrone, Pasquale Falvella posted a reward in the New York Herald for the return of Antonio Pricolo, an elev...
First Lady Jill Biden to Host First-ever Italian American Heritage Month Delegation at White House
Basil M. Russo, in his capacity as president of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), wrote the First Lady in July requesting that she host an event to celebrate her Italian heritage and honor the 18 million Americans of Italian descent. On Sept. 25, the First Lady agreed and graciously invited a large del...
Liberal Arts students travel to Todi, Italy, on faculty-led study abroad program
This summer, 15 students from the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts traveled to Todi, Italy, as part of the “Italian Language, Art History and Culture” faculty-led course, which allowed them to immerse themselves in a new culture while gaining real-world experience. The program, led by Giuseppe Bruno-Chomin, assistant teaching professor of Ita...
Where to Buy Traditional Roman Ingredients in Hoboken + Jersey City
Those who have been to Rome are not surprised that modern cuisine was born in a place filled with beauty, history, and delicious food. What may come as a surprise however, is upon return to the United States, it’s hard to find the traditional Roman dishes — specifically Bucatini All’amatriciana, or Cacio e Pepe, a creamy Pasta Carbonara, or Alla Gr...
Where's Marty? Learning about Di Pasquale's Italian Market in Baltimore's Brewers Hill neighborhood
Hi Everyone! A trip to Di Pasquale's is something special. Di Pasquales is a 109-year-old business started in Highlandtown, but these day's located in a hip new area of Brewers Hill. But once inside the market, the exact same smells, flavors, and vibes that at one time brought Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," and that also hosted Andrew Z...
Judge Carolyn Carluccio belongs on Pa. Supreme Court
In the legal community, Judge Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio is a name synonymous with experience, integrity, and pioneering leadership. As the first woman President Judge in the history of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, she is now vying for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where her qualifications speak for themselves. But before...
October is Italian-American Heritage Month in Little Falls
The Little Falls Township Council has officially proclaimed the month of October as Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month in the Township. Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month, recognized since 1989, is an opportunity to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Italian Americans in the United States. From the early explorers to the 5.5 mi...