New York's Arthur Avenue: An Amazing Foodie Destination
The displays and the aromas in the market on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, New York are intoxicating. The air is redolent with garlic, fresh basil and the sweet smell of sausage and peppers. Colorful deli stands are filled with plump focaccia breads, ready to serve as the pillowy base for layers of provolone, prosciutto, hot peppers and breaded eggpl...
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: a key part of Italian culture and health, purchased by 96% of Italian consumers
Extra virgin olive oil is more than just a staple in the kitchen for Italians - it's considered a social good. According to recent surveys, 96% of Italian consumers purchase extra virgin olive oil, and for many, it represents a symbol of health and well-being. The surveys reveal that Italians view extra virgin olive oil as an essential part of thei...
Packers legend Vince Lombardi was the original “DEI” defender
You know who supported “DEI” (diversity, equity, and inclusion) long before it was ever an acronym? Vince Lombardi. The football legend famously created a “prejudice-free culture” in Green Bay. When Lombardi took over the Packers, they had one black player. He immediately added 12 more and hired Emlen Tunnell — the first Black assistant coach in th...
Italian Heritage Night lights up the Barclays Center: sports, culture and the Italian community star in NBA event
New York's Barclays Center was transformed into the heart of Italian-ness on Italian Heritage Night. During the Brooklyn Nets vs. Houston Rockets game, more than 400 Italians packed the stands, helping to create a unique atmosphere between sports passion and national pride. The event organized by IBBL - Italian Basketball Brand League in collaborat...
The Origin Story Of Calzones
If you've ever set foot inside a pizzeria, you've probably seen a calzone. You know, the alarmingly large turnovers that are stuffed with meat, cheese, and vegetables before being baked until the crust turns golden brown. Perhaps you've even eaten one, maybe while using a knife and a fork to keep all the gooey, melty goodness from spilling all over...
Michelangelo’s Drawings for the Sistine Chapel Visit the U.S. for the First Time
Dozens of drawings Michelangelo made while planning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel will go on view at the Muscarelle Museum of Art after a monumental feat in networking and logistics by the Williamsburg, Virginia museum ahead of the Renaissance master’s 550th anniversary. Curator Adriano Marinazzo, an architect and Michelangelo expert, has organ...
A different way to experience Italy's olive oil-making tradition: Oleotourism
Italy is the world’s second-largest producer of olive oil after Spain, with an estimated production of 324,000 tons in the 2023/2024 crop year; needless to say, the olive oil sector is a significant contributor to the national economy, with the market generating approximately USD 3.17 billion in revenue in 2023 and projected to reach USD 4.56 billi...
Why the old man dances
The Romans had a proverb that went ‘The matter is safe: the old man dances.’ What to make of such a saying? There was, apparently, a positive, salutary role for dance in Roman society, so much so that the success or failure of an enterprise could depend on it, perhaps even the wellbeing of an entire community. The ancients themselves explained the...
Stefania Munzi Illustrates Italian-American Community
I’ve recently learned about a very talented woman. Stefania Munzi is an Italian-American artist, art teacher and children’s book illustrator and author from Connecticut with family roots to Abruzzo, Italy. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Albertus Magnus College with a BA in Fine Arts and is a high school art teacher. After her son Joseph was bor...
A Sign Of The Times In ‘Spaghetti Acres’
New street signs this past year were placed to designate a new Honorary Historic District in Merced. The area is referred to as “Spaghetti Acres.” The area is roughly between Bear Creek to the west, R St on the east, 16th St on the south and 26th St and Bear Creek to the north. This area has many years of history dating back to the early 1920s when...
What Is Botticelli’s Greatest Painting? The 10 Most Iconic Works by the Florentine Artist, Ranked
“He lived in a haphazard fashion,” wrote Italian Renaissance art historian Giorgio Vasari in his biography of 15th-century Florentine painter Sandro Botticelli. “As was his wont.” Whether or not this was true, what is certain is that Botticelli created a graciously drawn world of serenity and beauty in his paintings of religious scenes, mythologica...
Scarpetta is easily one of the best Italian restaurants in Manhattan
Located in the charismatic James Hotel, Scarpetta holds court as one of Manhattan’s most reliable Italian restaurants, shouldering plenty of acclaim despite consistent competition from the likes of Torissi and the great Emilio’s Ballato. The restaurant opened in 2008 in the Meatpacking District to instant acclaim, glowing from a three-star review i...