Tara Cannistraci at Mic Drop Mania in Chandler, AZ
Thursday 02/27/2025 7:00 PM, Door Time: 6:00 PM. Mic Drop Mania, 51 E. Boston St., Chandler AZ 85225. Tara Cannistraci is an Italian-American comedian, actress, and writer, hailing from the vibrant streets of the Bronx, New York. Tara's talents have lit up the stage, television, film, and even centerfield as the scoreboard host for the New York Yan...
Mancini’s Italian microdeli opens Wednesday in Lewiston (ME)
A one-of-a-kind eatery is opening Wednesday at 5 Park St., just yards from the intersection with Main Street around the corner from Blue Jay Coffee. Entrepreneur and chef Evan Mancini is opening what he calls an Italian microdeli, a strictly carryout and delivery operation featuring about two dozen sandwiches and pasta dishes, and a line of dessert...
Review: At Louie's Deli, the Italian sandwich experience you feared extinct
Ever walked into an old-school Italian-American deli and stood in line for a sandwich, greedily inhaling the atmosphere? Fresh bread’s yeasty breath, funk from cured meats and aged cheese, the acetic cologne of pickles and vinegar dressing, all for free. In Buffalo, you must leave the city limits, and venture into the wilds of Clarence. Dave Lyman,...
One Heart, Two Homes: A Story of Italian American Ancestry
My maternal grandparents immigrated from a small town in Southern Italy called Alife. It’s located in the Province of Caserta (Campania), a beautiful place that sits in a valley surrounded by the Matese Mountains. I have been blessed to visit the town of my ancestors many times. While I am eager to share stories of my first visit in 1988, at the ag...
From Census to Citizenship: how the Romans Proved who they Were
At its zenith during the 2nd century AD, the Roman Empire was a vast and diverse entity, encompassing territories across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East; estimates suggest that its population ranged from approximately 59 to 76 million people, with some studies proposing numbers as high as 100 million. The city of Rome itself was a bustlin...
A Story About Gabbagoo
Back in the day, I used to work and party in New York City. One day, I met a fellow poet — a guy who looked and sounded alarmingly similar to Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. We’re going to call him Carl* because his real name starts with a C and I actually call him Carl to his face. He’s awesome people and I love actually just listening to him ta...
10 reasons to visit Italy in 2025: the best new holidays and cultural events
The Cilento coast in Campania has long attracted Italian holidaymakers, but overseas visitors tend to head further north to the better-known Amalfi coast. That is starting to change – the Natural Adventure Company reports that UK Google searches for the Cilento coast are up 110% over the past 12 months. The company has run a self-guided walking hol...
Good Farmer Award U.S.: How beginner farmers can win $10K and a trip to Italy
There are many farmers across the U.S. using responsible practices, Dan Kemper said, but they’re often choosing the more challenging path. “When you kind of sacrifice production for a deeper moral goal of maybe not poisoning the Earth or not destroying the Earth, we have to take that labor on ourselves as the farmers,” said Kemper, a master trainer...
The Monumental Masterpieces of Niki de Saint Phalle: Il Giardino dei Tarocchi
In the late 1970s, some fifty years ago, something big hit the peaceful paradise of the Tuscan coastal countryside. A little outside the medieval village of Capalbio–amid the rolling hills, overflowing olive groves, and stretches of sun-baked grapevines–a monster was born. Soon after, another emerged and, within months, 22 of these mammoth creature...
Sir Pizza Celebrates 50 Years of Italian Comfort Food
On multiple occasions in my life, I’ve devoured 24 pieces of pizza in one sitting. I’m not a competitive eater; I’m just a loyal subject of Sir Pizza. March marks 50 years since the Midwestern brand found a home at 320 Sewickley Oakmont Road in Ross Township and brought Pittsburghers thin-crust, round pies sliced into bite-sized squares with crumbl...
“Ok, But Do I Look Italian?”
Not that it's my entire personality or anything, but I did, in fact, study abroad in Florence, Italy this past Fall. Everyone always says, “Studying abroad is a life-changing experience” and “You will never be able to shut up about it," and while both of those are definitely true, I will also not shut up about how my style has evolved. I remember s...
The Ongoing Discussion of Identity
Recently, HBOWatch shared a great article about The Sopranos and its portrayal of the Italian-American identity. When The Sopranos first aired, I remember cousin Florence calling my mother and telling her, “it’s like they have been following us around!” Obviously she meant the culture, family dynamic, and Sunday dinners; not the killing, because, y...