Casa Vincenzo: simple Italian pleasures in Hermosa Beach
If you are unable to take that European vacation this summer—you might want to check out Casa Vincenzo. Here the Deshayes family, French transplants who had been living in London, serve an Italian menu with European charm and the sort of relaxed, laid back service you'd expect from the bistros and trattorias of western Europe. If you ever frequente...
Italian specialties offer a real taste of Italy at Vincenzo’s in West Covina
Situated inside the ethnically complex McIntyre Square, just off 10 Freeay at Citrus Street (the freeway virtually exits into the mall), Vincenzo’s Terrazza Ristorante is the destination restaurant for grownups. Vincenzo’s shares the center with a branch of 85 Degrees C, the Dog Haus, Classic Burger, Gelatissimo, Sunrise Donuts and the wonderfully...
The Grub Hunter: Rosa Catalano removing the stigma of pasta
Tell Rosa Catalano that you don’t eat pasta and you’ll get the evil eye, cast in a way that makes you almost fear this lovely 85-year-old, Sicilian-born nonna. From Rosa’s perspective, the anti-carb set is made up of easily-dismissed Philistines not worthy of her culinary love and attention. “These people are crazy,” she said last week from her Old...
Napa Valley's Mondavi family is an American success story
Without the benefit of computer files or even quill and parchment diaries, the birth of the world's first vineyards is the stuff that wine lovers can only dream. Was France's great Hermitage planted by a reclusive knight, repenting his sins during the Crusades? Did the vines of Italy's Lacryma Christi spring from the tears of Christ? Like Santa Cla...
Eat: A Mano, a Handmade Tale
The artisanal-food revolution is the fetishization of the human hand. Deindustrializing certain components of food production has been key to reinvigorating our love of real food in what’s otherwise an inglorious and hollow McWorld. It’s a renaissance that could be captured in image of 10 flour-covered fingers in a mixing bowl. So we have A Mano, t...
Sporty Italian: Sampino’s Kitchen at Joe Marty’s
Sacramento has had phenomenal Italian grocers for decades, but until recently the Italian restaurants didn’t follow suit. Yes, there’s Biba, that iconic fine-dining institution so famous that its namesake earns nationwide respect. But really, if you wanted good pasta on a weeknight, your best bet was Corti Brothers, the (late) Italian Importing Co....
Ca'Momi Osteria: Authentic Italian Dishes in Downtown Napa
Napa Valley is known around the world for its wine. But good wine tastes even better with good food, and downtown Napa seems to have magnetic qualities when it comes to attracting good chefs. Wander around this walkable city, and it won’t take long to realize downtown Napa knows how to eat well. And with Ca’Momi Osteria's authentic Italian, life ju...
Find Your Secret Lasagna In Chinatown
Royce Burke has never owned or run a restaurant, but his pop-up cooking at local spots like Chimney Coffee House and the Arts District’s excellent Daily Dose Cafe have garnered him a lot of fans. Now he’s embarking on his own brick-and-mortar shop in Chinatown. Say hello to Secret Lasagna, a late-night takeout and delivery joint that will begin ser...
DINING PROFILE: Domenico's Survives Decades Of Changes
It’s tough in the restaurant business right now; many places are suffering declining business as customers switch to pre-made foods picked up at grocery stores or even meals delivered prepared for home cooking. Not Domenico’s. “This year is better than last,” owner Mike Rhodes said. “And our catering business is up as well.” Rhodes said they do sev...
Mozzarella to Medicine: A look at the life of Dr. Lou Tedone
As the sun rises, 93-year-old Lou Tedone is busy making mozzarella. It's a daily ritual he learned long before he learned how to save lives. "I made mozzarellas every day at 6 o'clock before going to class at medical school," Dr. Tedone said. Lou was born to Italian immigrants in Brooklyn, New York. He was one of three brothers who helped run the...
Get Ready for “Taste of Little Italy”
Need a quick vacation? Grab your passport and come down to San Diego’s Little Italy for the 9th Annual Taste of Little Italy Presented by U.S. Bank on Wednesday, June 14, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Taste of Little Italy makes the perfect summer outing for all foodie lovers in America’s Finest City. Attendees can tour the streets of Little Italy, e...
Your guide to the Taste of Little Italy
One of San Diego’s preeminent dining destinations opens the door to dozens of restaurants, dessert shops, breweries and wineries next week. Here’s what you need to know about the annual Taste of Little Italy on June 14. When: Wednesday, 5-9 p.m. Why you should go: With big-name, classic Italian restaurants and dynamic new-comers, Little Italy is th...