Frank Sinatra Favorite La Dolce Vita Returns
Behind the walls of the windowless Barman Building in Beverly Hills, La Dolce Vita—the legendary restaurant and Frank Sinatra-Sammy Davis Jr. hangout that opened in 1966 but closed in March 2020 because of the pandemic—is back. The front door, with its massive cheetah-shaped handle, swings ajar to reveal a luscious new dining room, and maître d’ Ch...
Two Pasta Queens’ Dreams Become Reality As They Open La Pastaia In Bay Park
La Pastaia, a Venetian-style Italian restaurant, has opened its doors in Bay Park. The restaurant is owned and operated by two women who moved to the United States from Sicily, Italy in their early 20s to chase their dream of opening their own Italian restaurant. The restaurant’s name, La Pastaia, means “The Pasta Lady.” La Pastaia is the brainchil...
Mona Lisa, A Masterpiece in Little Italy, SD
Are you looking for a great Italian sandwich? Interested in Amari or some good Italian wine? Pizza dough, house-made sauce, and pasta in all shapes and sizes, Mona Lisa Deli on India Street at Hawthorn in Little Italy has got it all. I have been a faithful customer for 25-plus years, and I am still trying to figure out what they don’t have. The Del...
SF's favorite pizza chef is debuting a massive pizza, bagel and beer festival this summer
San Francisco's favorite pizzaiolo, Tony Gemignani, is launching a new festival this summer, and it features all the hits: pizza, bagels and beer. The aptly named Pizza, Bagel & Beer Festival is slotted to take place on Aug. 19 in North Beach, with over 45 participating local pizzerias, bagel-makers and breweries. “For the last eight years, there’...
AnniVenti La Trattoria restaurant opens in Lemon Grove: three Brothers offer Authentic Italian Cuisine
AnniVenti La Trattoria(link is external), an Italian restaurant owned and operated by three brothers, is now open in Lemon Grove. The restaurant is named after their family's original restaurant located just 10 miles from Palermo in Italy, where the brothers grew up working. Emanuele Gagliano, one of the brothers, says, "It's been our lifelong drea...
San Francisco: salami capital of the US
In the sometimes snobbish, often ostentatious world of gourmet food, there are seared foie gras with rhubarb tart, hamachi with sea urchin vinaigrette, and kumamoto oysters with mango sorbet. And then there’s Italian salami. Italian salami? How does this processed meat with a gnarly chub, fermented tang, and winelike aroma belong in the élite comp...
Sicilian gelatiera opens new gelato spot in Mission
Cecilia Casarini still remembers the long line that formed outside Ilary Biondo’s gelato store in Sicily when the couple first met in the summer of 2021. “The line was from the door to two blocks away every single day,” Casarini, Biondo’s wife, recalled. “She was just doing everything, making the gelato, serving people.” Now, Biondo, 36, the Italia...
Esca Blu All-Day Italian Restaurant Unveils In San Diego's Hillcrest
The chef/owner behind San Diego's popular Cocina de Barrio Mexican restaurants has opened a new modern Italian concept in Hillcrest named Esca Blu. In November 2019, Chef Jose J. Flores teamed up with Swami's Cafe founder Jaime Osuna to open the first Cocina de Barrio restaurant in San Diego's Hillcrest community. In its nearly two year tenure, the...
Eataly Realizes Angelenos Love Nothing More Than a Good Coastal Italian Menu
Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the year-old Capri inside Eataly has decided it wants to stay. When Eataly first opened in 2017, the food emporium’s on-site dining area felt a bit like a food hall serving classics like pizza and pasta. Providence chef Michael Cimarusti had a seafood menu called Il Pesce Cucina while eventually, Terra ope...
Aromi brings ‘authentic’ Italian cuisine to La Mesa
Aromi held its grand opening in La Mesa on May 22. A new Italian restaurant, Aromi combines the rich traditions of Italian cuisine with a modern twist. One of Aromi’s highlights is its tableside presentations of selected dishes, adding an interactive element to the dining experience. “At Aromi, we are passionate about bringing the essence of Italy...
Kick Off Summer With Little Italy’s Annual Culinary Event, Taste Of Little Italy
Prepare you tastebuds and Taste Passport for a day full of fresh, authentic Italian cuisine at the annual Taste of Little Italy on June 20th and 21st. Foodies will eat, sip and stroll their way through the neighborhood sampling culinary delights from more than 30 of San Diego’s top chefs and restaurants. “Taste of Little Italy has drawn hundreds o...
Family of Fresno restaurateurs honored for Italian restaurants. ‘Let no one outwork you’
Think about some of the best Italian restaurants in town and chances are, the LaRocca family had something to do with them. The family will be honored Monday with a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Best of the Valley Restaurant Awards. The event is hosted by the Fresno chapter of the California Restaurant Association. While all sorts of re...