International singing star Christopher Macchio will make a return appearance to Atlantic City, in the show ‘A Man and His Music,’ at 8 p.m. at July 15 in the Superstar Theater at Resorts Casino Hotel. Proceeds will benefit the Schultz-Hill Foundation, whose mission is to provide music and arts education programs for students and seniors in Atlanti...

The New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association (NJRHA) will honor the state’s best and brightest on November 27, 2017 at the 37th Annual Awards Gala held at the Liberty House Restaurant in Jersey City. Highlights of the Gala will include Raoul and Carlo Momo receiving this year’s “Restaurateur of the Year Award” as well as Wade Avondoglio’s ac...

Most states have communities named Florence. Not all are cities. There are towns and villages and unincorporated communities in several states that still are important enough to get attention from Wikipedia. It seemed likely that some would have been named for Florence Nightingale but I found none. Several were named after Florence, Italy, the I...

Watch for actress/playwright Candice Guardino's "Italian Bred" at the famed Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, N.J., Sunday, July 30, at 3 p.m. Based on true life events and told through the eyes of a little girl growing up Italian in Woodrow, in "Italian Bred," Candice slips in and out of multiple family characters while sharing the stage with came...

Chef Pat Trama grew up in an Italian American family steeped in traditions that focused on faith, family and food. While he was offered a full scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America, he gave it all up in order to work with the likes of powerhouse chefs Charlie Palmer, David Burke and Pino Luongo, before eventually going back to his roots...

Livoti’s Old World Market will soon provide locals a taste of Italy as owner John Livoti, prepares to open his third and largest location at The Marketplace at Middletown on Route 35. This week, his team of workers was putting the finishing touches on the approximately 15,000-square-foot store. Livoti said he hopes to hold the grand opening on July...

Though Vinny LaFranca and Sal Faenza grew up on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean nearly 5,000 miles apart, they shared two unique things in common – a love of great Italian food and a strong work ethic. Sicily native LaFranca, 50, moved to Brooklyn with his family when he was 12, working at a salumeria (pork shop) at 13 and managing a deli in B...

Candice Guardino will visit New Jersey with ITALIAN BRED this summer after successful shows in NYC, LA and Chicago, where she received rave reviews and played to sold-out crowds. July 30th is her Asbury Park, NJ, debut at the Paramount Theatre, followed by Morris Museums Bickford Theatre in August. A new take on solo shows is exactly what Candice d...

Healthy food spot Zest in Fairfield is garnering a reputation for its smoothie bowls, shakes and vegan treats, but owner Luciana Contuzzi is also holding a three-course Italian dinner on July 13. The gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan meal will consist of stuffed mushrooms, olives and cashew “mozzarella” with chickpea flatbread, eggplant rollatini and...

Combine the typical struggles of childhood with the emotional implications of being above average weight during that formative time, plus the nuances of growing up in an Italian-American family in New York, and mix it with a heaping spoonful of levity and humor: that's comedian Mary Dimino's Scared Skinny in a nutshell. Taking place at the Union Co...