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By Kelley Bouchard   It's a bold statement that rings true when measured against history. "There are no new immigration stories," said Tilly Laskey, outreach curator at the Maine Historical Society. Irish immigrants were barred from many jobs in the 1800s. Japanese families were placed in internment camps out West during World War...

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Thousands of cookies were made fresh Wednesday in Portland. Seven thousand cookies to be exact. Dozens of volunteers at St. Peter's parish hall baked and decorated the cookies to get ready for the 91st St. Peter's Italian Bazaar this weekend.   They say they used about 83 dozen eggs and 150 pounds of flour to bake all those Italian...

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By John Golden Hugs Italian Restaurant, as its name might suggest, was an inviting and charming place to dine. Even though a few dishes were disappointing, the overall dining experience was enjoyable. The service was very attentive and gracious, and the décor, though fitted out in predictable Italianate kitsch, was bright and cheerful. Regarding...

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by Edward D. Murphy   Sangillo's Tavern may be gone, but the site of the bar isn't going to remain empty for long.   Samuel Minervino, who owns Samuel's Bar and Grill on Forest Avenue, said he hopes to open a new restaurant and bar in the former Sangillo's space on Hampshire Street by late summer. He said it will be called "Tomaso's C...

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By John Golden Located in the heart of Deering Center off Stevens Avenue, Siano's Pizzeria has been a mainstay in this community since 2007. But it's more than just a family-friendly neighborhood haunt. Its menu of southern Italian old-school classics is very well done. And on weekends it's chock-a-block with diners there to have a good time over...

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Portland may not have a Little Italy like New York or Boston, but it certainly has a slice of the old country with chef Lee Skawinski's Vignola Cinque Terre.   Even the stroll down Wharf Street, with its precarious cobblestones and lively foot traffic, makes for a more authentic experience. The entrance of the restaurant on Dana Street is dr...

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by Meredith Goad   The chefs from Vignola Cinque Terre came to play, and they hit it out of the park their first time on the field. The buzz at the Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off Friday was all about the Portland restaurant's savory smoked brisket hash patties with scrambled eggs and pea shoots, Italian cheese fonduta and salsa verde. Th...

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By John Golden Often it's all in the delivery.Some years ago I invited a spirited lady friend to join me for lunch at a fashionable cafe in midtown Manhattan. She was a dead ringer in speech, looks and manner for the character, Alexis, played by Joan Collins in the epic TV drama, "Dynasty."   She breezed in, took a quick look around and sai...

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By Steve Feeney   Italy has welcomed American jazz artists over the years, often providing musical support for them from a cadre of homegrown players. Things sort of came full circle when local jazz/world/klezmer flutist Carl Dimow met the accomplished Italian vocalist Giuppi Paone in the summer of 2012 while she was visiting a friend i...

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by Tom Bell   Vincent "Vinny" A. DiFillipo Sr., who rose up the ranks at the Portland Fire Department and retired as deputy chief in 2010, died on Dec. 22. He was 63. He was devoted to the Fire Department, his family and his friends, said his wife, Joyce DiFillipo. "If you had him as a friend, you had him forever," she said. "He wa...

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