The history of Lasagna: A layered legacy of Italian tradition
Lasagna is a comfort food staple known for its hearty layers of pasta, rich meat sauces, creamy béchamel and melted cheese. The origins of lasagna can be traced to ancient Greece and Rome. The word lasagna is believed to come from the Greek term ‘laganon,’ flat sheets of dough made from wheat and water. These sheets were cut into strips and baked,...
Italian Pasta Concept From Seattle, Due’ Cucina, Lands in Lakewood
Due’ Cucina, a Seattle-based Italian pasta house, has opened in Dallas’ Lakewood Shopping Center. The company has four other locations, all in the Seattle area. We’re not sure how Due’ Cucina’s lone non-Washington state location found itself in Dallas, but we’re glad it did — we like this place a lot. The founders, Filippo Fiori and Davide Macchi,...
Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast: Which Italian Gem is Right for You?
When it comes to breathtaking coastal views and charming seaside towns, Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast is a tough choice for any traveler. Both are incredible destinations, but if you’ve never been to either, deciding which one to visit can be overwhelming! That’s why we’ve put together this detailed guide comparing Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast to he...
Buon Cibo Italian Specialties to Debut at Scripps Ranch
Buon Cibo Italian Specialties, a brand new Italian deli, specialty market, bar, and eatery, is preparing to debut next year in Scripps Ranch at 10380 Spring Canyon Road, San Diego (CA). This new concept is the latest from Tom Tarantino, who opened RoVino in Little Italy in 2016 with Antonia Buono and Vincenzo Bruno, according to SanDiegoVille. Tara...
This Italian City Looks Like It Did in the Middle Ages - and It's Famous for Chocolate
The capital of Umbria — the central Italian region known as Italy’s “green heart” — Perugia is one of the country’s best preserved medieval cities. Established by the Etruscans (a pre-Roman civilization), Perugia became one of Europe’s most important centers for textile production during the Middle Ages, exporting their embroidered textiles to the...
What's next for Baltimore Little Italy's "Columbus Piazza"?
The circular plaza where a Christopher Columbus statue overlooked the Inner Harbor is still empty - more than four years after the statue was toppled into the water during the nationwide protests of 2020. In recent weeks there, have been a few new updates on the plaza's future. The destroyed Columbus statue itself was retrieved from the Harbor, and...
Roman holiday: just beyond the city lies a land of popes and emperors
Standng on the top of the huge fortress, looking over the rolling landscape, Nepi was a prized possession for Roman emperors, medieval popes and Renaissance dynasties. Defended on two sides by river channels and with a commanding position over rich agricultural land and abundant water springs, the town, less than an hour north of Rome, has been a w...
Alessa brings la dolce vita to Midtown, with a dash of New York swagger
When Alessa Cucina e Bar opened in The Penn District on Sept. 20, it brought more than just another Italian restaurant to Midtown — it delivered a fresh take on Italian dining that’s equal parts elegance and fun. The latest venture from Thomas Murphy of 212 Hospitality Group (of Juniper Bar and Bourbon & Branch fame), Alessa is the kind of place wh...
A Comprehensive Guide to Italian Radicchios
Judge a radicchio by its cover, and you’ll find it to be pretty in pink, red, purple, yellow, white… But this beaut, beyond helping us eat the rainbow in the notoriously dreary cold seasons, contributes a bold bitterness to a number of preparations favored across the boot: raw in salads, sliced thin and stirred into risottos or soups, grilled, roas...
Ken Burns on what we get wrong about Leonardo da Vinci
Despite his international renown, we know terribly little about Leonardo da Vinci. Aside from a couple of Florentine court records about a dropped sodomy accusation, and — of course — his own notebooks, his name survives primarily through his work, his idiosyncratic drawings, paintings, and blueprints. Idiosyncratic, for while da Vinci apprenticed...
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is 60 Years Old
“The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is 60 Years Old!” – Cultural program with optional prix-fixe dinner. Casa Belvedere (79 Howard Ave, Staten Island, NY). Thursday, Nov. 21 at 6:30 pm, followed by prix-fixe dinner at 7:30 pm. Program only: Free for Members, $10 Non-Members. Program and Prix-Fixe Dinner: $125 Members, $145 Non-Members. Dinner ONLY seati...
A 17,000-year-old child sheds light on Italy’s genetic heritage
The discovery of a 17,000-year-old skeleton in Grotta delle Mura, near Monopoli in Puglia, offered new insights into the genetic history of early human populations in southern Italy. The child, who died at just 16 months of age, is one of the most significant archaeological finds in recent years, particularly because their genome is the oldest ever...