A Little “Eataly” in Los Angeles
It goes without saying that good eating is the one thing most Italians would never be willing to compromise on. Countless Hollywood reenactments of banquet-like family meals have helped reinforce the collective image we’ve longed to establish of ourselves as being (arguably) the highest authority on good and proper eating the world over. It furthe...
Inspired by Italy, born in the Santa Ynez Valley
Specializing in varietals, like nebbiolo, dolcetto, lagrein, malvasia bianca and vermentino, Palmina stands alone among wineries in our region. Owned by winemaker Steve Clifton, Palmina exclusively produces wine from Italian varietals grown in Santa Barbara County. It's a model that has earned Palmina international acclaim, even in Italy. Clifton m...
Amaro amore: The Bay Area’s passion for bittersweet liqueur
Standing next to a gleaming white marble bar in Palo Alto’s new Vina Enoteca restaurant, Massimo Stronati loads up a vintage cocktail cart with his amari arsenal, a dozen fancy-labeled bottles of the bittersweet Italian liqueurs that are making waves across the Bay Area bar scene. It’s no secret that California foodies have a thing for all things b...
‘Meatball Madness’ planned March 26 in Chico
For the past 31 years, the Chico Sons of Italy has raised funds for high school scholarships and a 4-H group. Members of the club will make more than 2,500 meatballs on March 26 to be served starting at 1 p.m. that day at Manzanita Place, 1705 Manzanita Place. Homemade sauce will be made from Nona Santulli’s recipe, and there will be homemade bread...
A new Italian food truck will hit the streets of Sacramento this spring
Buon appetito! A new food truck serving up homemade Italian fare will be rolling into Sacramento beginning in late April, serving up traditional, well-plated dishes—like spaghetti alla carbonara, eggplant parmigiana and freshly baked focaccia stuffed with prosciutto—that defy typical greasy mobile fare. Che Buono (which means “how delicious!” in It...
A visiting Italian chef finds fans in Napa
Chef Cristian Borchi would put the Energizer Bunny to shame. In addition to being the maestro-chef and instructor for the guests of my “Let’s Go Cook Italian” tours, he is the owner of Ristorante Locanda L’Antica Porta Levante in Vicchio, Tuscany and the Passaguai Cibo 3 Vino wine and snack bar in nearby Borgo San Lorenzo. He is also a caterer,...
Four Reasons Why LA Is Undergoing a Modern Italian Dining Renaissance
Los Angeles is a city obsessed with Italian food. As much as everyone crows on about the amazing taco scene (and it really is fantastic) the fact that Italian food remains so bankable simply cannot be ignored. After all, some of the biggest openings slated for this spring offer an Italian perspective, albeit in very different ways. Here’s a look at...
Molto Italiano
UNTIL RECENTLY, Sacramento was shockingly underserved in the Italian-restaurant department. For that, perhaps, we should blame Biba Caggiano. After all, she set the bar awfully high when she opened Biba on Capitol Avenue 30 years ago. But Italian restaurants are finally starting to appear around town. There’s OBO’, the Sellands’ fast-casual Italian...
Where to Find the Best Pasta in Los Angeles According to a Pasta Expert
Former director of public relations at Bon Appétit, Colu Henry is celebrating the publication of her first cookbook, Back Pocket Pasta: Inspired Dinners to Cook on the Fly. The book was born from the Instagram hashtag #backpocketpasta, which Henry created to describe the quick, delicious pasta meals she was cooking inspired by her Italian heritage...
Nina Clemente Opens L.A.'s Di Alba, a Focacceria Haven in the Capital of the Celiacs
My partners wanted to do a to-go sandwich place. Having been a private chef in L.A. for about ten years I was, like, listen, sandwiches are not going to fly here,” said chef Nina Clemente, as she sat on a stool in her newly-opened Di Alba restaurant in the Arts District. The Italy-born, New York-raised chef, who was sporting a denim apron and her h...
Italian Importing Co., a midtown lunch favorite for generations, will close soon
In its heyday in the 1990s, well before the surge of new restaurants and bars on the midtown grid, Italian Importing Co. was known as an essential destination for lunch. The sandwiches were well-crafted, affordable and delicious, and you’d often get a little bit of banter on the side. Current owner Larry Otten, an alumnus of the famed Corti Brother...
The Drago Brothers: un quartetto tutto siciliano alla guida dei migliori ristoranti di LA
Originari di Galati Mamertino (Messina) Tanino, Calogero, Celestino e Giacomino emigrarono negli Stati Uniti a metà degli anni ’70. Cresciuti in una famiglia che ha sempre coltivato i propri ortaggi, prodotto il proprio vino, i formaggi freschi e con una mamma incredibilmente brava in cucina, non potevano non ereditare una grande passione per la bu...