The SoCal Scene: In the il Capriccio kitchen with 'Mamma Flora'
This week, “The SoCal Scene’s” Melvin Roberts steps into the kitchen to get a behind the scenes look at a Los Feliz restaurant serving up some of the most authentic Italian food in LA. Join Melvin as he sits down with the matriarch of il Capriccio, "Mamma Flora."
Gianluca Legrottaglie and the American dream (come true)
Let's start from the end. Gianluca Legrottaglie is about to open a restaurant in Walnut Creek and another one in the Marina district of San Francisco. The former is 54Mint Forno, named after his Italian (even if it would be better to say Roman) restaurant in 16 Mint Plaza, while the latter is Montesacro, the pinseria born in Stevenson Street (also...
The Fontina PDO cheese Consortium lands in Los Angeles
On April 28th and 29th, the Consortium for the production and protection of Fontina PDO cheese participated in the Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening event in Los Angeles. The two most iconic wines of Piedmont were accompanied by the famous cheese from Valle d’Aosta, Fontina PDO, together with Riso di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese PDO, with the aim...
Bringing the Mediterranean to Northern California - Part 2: Portraits from Sonoma and Mendocino
More than 30 years ago, George Unti—the son of a logger and farmer who emigrated from Tuscany—began planting his Mediterranean wine dream in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. Unti, who had learned to prune vines and make wine with his dad in grade school, had a successful, decades-long career as a California supermarket executive. But when he bought a hou...
Montesacro Pinseria is opening new locations in the Marina and Walnut Creek
An acclaimed Italian restaurant is getting ready to open a second San Francisco location. Montesacro Pinseria is expected to open before spring is over in the Marina at 3317 Steiner Street just a few steps north of the busy Chestnut Street corridor. It will be taking over the spot that formerly housed the Burmese restaurant Karaweik which announced...
Seabright’s Tramonti Serves Up Authentic Italian
Dinner at Tramonti is everything that’s wonderful about Italian dining. Vivacious, atmospheric, unpretentious—and above all, delicious. Friends kept telling me about their memorable meals at this Seabright hot spot. I found out why as I and my companion (who spent several years in Rome) fell under the spell of the swift, warm service and rustic out...
Inside Pizzana’s New Sherman Oaks Pizza Emporium
Valley pizza lovers, prepare yourselves: Pizzana opens Thursday, May 5 in Sherman Oaks. The star Brentwood restaurant and Michelin Bib Gourmand award recipient lands right along Ventura Boulevard this week with some of the best pizza not just in Los Angeles, but perhaps even in America. Pizzana is already well known in LA slice circles, thanks to c...
Eataly Silicon Valley is Coming Soon!
Eataly Silicon Valley will be opening soon in the Westfield Valley Fair Mall! Eataly was founded in Italy in 2007 and has since expanded to more than 40 locations (and counting!) across the globe. Each Eataly is different, with its own character and own theme – but all with the same aim... for our guests to: EAT authentic Italian food at our restau...
Between promotion and show, Langa wine and cuisine in the spotlight of Hollywood Studios
Promotion and communication of food and wine are important, and even more effective, when they get out from the not secondary context, but often self-referential, of experts and super enthusiasts. Maybe mixing with other “themes” or languages, such as, for example, that of entertainment, in its different forms, focusing more on fascination and emot...
Why Italian Grapes May Be The Future For California Vineyards
The difference between good wine and great wine? As anyone might guess, it all comes down to the variety of the grapes. Chardonnay, according to California Wines, is the most widely planted blends in California. Grower and vineyard owner Kevin Harvey, however, makes a point to plant carricante, nerello mascalese, and nebbiolo, Italian grapes that a...
Itria offers delish Italian in the Mission
I’d caught glimpses of Itria, hidden in plain sight on 24th Street, just up the street from BART, in the old Obispo site. With its plain white-tile exterior and the buses rumbling by, it was easy to miss. Inside, it’s as dark as a cool cave until you pass the bar, where the ceiling rises and the kitchen pass-through emits a golden light onto that p...
The Complete Guide to Italian Restaurants in All of San Diego County
Do the words pappardelle, fettuccine, ravioli or tortellini make you feel something? Does hand-rolled pasta dough melting in your mouth accompanied by a rich and savory sauce sound like your idea of a good time? Stick around to discover where the top chart Italian Restaurants in San Diego are. It would be impossible to tell you the best Italian re...