Italy and Vinitaly are focusing on the USA, together with “Wine Enthusiast”, “Wine Spectator”, “Vinous”, and others
The US reconfirms its position as Italy’s number one wine partner, 792.8 million euros in value (+5.5% compared to the same period in 2023). Italian wineries continue to invest heavily in promoting their wines in the States, and will be the stars of many events scheduled on the US market. Everyone is waiting for the grand debut of “Vinitaly USA”, o...
Chicago Opera Theater to Present North American Premiere of ‘Leonora’
Chicago Opera Theater is set to open its 2024-25 Season with the North American premiere of “Leonora.” The Italian opera composed by Ferdinando Paër to a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa and Giacomo Cinti is based on the same story as Beethoven’s later opera “Fidelio.” According to musicologists, Beethoven was influenced by Paër while composing his...
40th Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce draws 120 teams to Wickliffe for $25,000 in prize money
The 40th Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce, took place last weekend at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club. The event brought 120 teams to Northeast Ohio to compete for more than $25,000 in prize money. The teams featured world class players from across the United States and Canada, including Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida and Ca...
Cleveland Italian Film Festival to showcase the best of Italian cinema in September
The Cleveland Italian Film Festival returns for its 17th edition in September. “After studying and living in Italy on visits back to Cleveland I wondered why great award-winning films shot over Cleveland to other cities in the U.S.,” said festival director Joyce Mariani, who established the event in 2006. “I felt it was time Cleveland had an indepe...
Boxing legend Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini
After a brief-but-stellar career in prizefighting, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini has found satisfaction and success as a movie producer, winemaker, philanthropist and family man as well as Youngstown, Ohio’s, biggest booster. The world knows Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini as the formidable boxer with the charming personality who became a World Boxing Associatio...
Nostalgia alert: This classic dish at Primavista might bring a tear to your eye
When it comes to old-school Italian restaurants, no one in Greater Cincinnati does it better than Primavista in East Price Hill. The restaurant, which opened in 1989, is not a Sinatra-era lounge like Maury’s Tiny Cove – nor a checkered tablecloth, Italian-opera-filled joint like Scotti’s. But the classic Italian American dishes prepared by chef Chr...
Cleveland Cavaliers founding owner Nick Mileti dies at the age of 93
Cleveland’s legendary sports team owner Nick Mileti has passed away at the age of 93, according to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Italian American Mileti owned the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Barons, and Crusaders hockey teams in the late 1960′s and 70′s. The Cavaliers released the following statement about Mileti’s passing: The Cleveland Cavaliers are...
Void Restaurant Brings Italian-American Cuisine To Former Moe’s Tavern In Avondale
The revitalization of Avondale (IL) along Milwaukee Avenue continues as the area’s newest restaurant, Void, has opened. Void opened last week at 2937 N. Milwaukee Ave. after an extensive renovation to the space, which was formerly Moe’s Tavern, an old-school dive bar that closed during the pandemic after more than 10 years in business. Void serves...
Onward to America
World War II reached from end to end of the Italian peninsula, leaving devastation in its wake. With the Allies’ aid and support through the Marshall Plan in 1946, structural reconstruction and governmental reform began. The monarchy was abolished by popular vote. Benito Mussolini’s death minimized the Fascist Party. America supported the democrati...
Documentary tracks search for lost WWII soldiers
At 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27, the Italian American Veterans Museum will present a revealing documentary about the search for a group of American soldiers declared MIA during the campaign to liberate Italy during World War II. “The Lost Mountaineers” is dedicated to the memory of 25 G.I.s who perished when their amphibious vehicle sank in Lake...
Torchio triumph: A pasta bar worth the hype
The Torchio Pasta Bar, nestled in a 19th century building at 738 N. Wells St., Chicago (IL), has been a beloved culinary gem for years, and its allure only continues to grow. As a recent convert, I'm finally experiencing the buzz firsthand, spurred on by friends who couldn't stop raving. “ You have to meet the owner Bill, he’s a real charmer,” they...
How The Italian Beef Became A Chicago Icon
Most people outside of Chicago associate the Windy City's cuisine with two dishes. First and foremost, there is Chicago deep-dish pizza, ever the center of "is it really pizza" debates. Right behind it is the Chicago-style hot dog, famed for its ardent anti-ketchup stance. It's curious how these two dishes came to define the perception of Chicago c...