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Under the blazing July sun on Sunday, more than 100 men hoisted an 80-foot wooden tower into the air, swaying to the rhythm of a live brass band. Known as the Giglio, the towering structure is the centerpiece of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast, a tradition brought to Brooklyn by Italian immigrants more than a century ago, and one that traces its...

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There is a moment when Brooklyn feels like a scene straight out of The Godfather: the band playing, men in white shirts and gold chains, the smell of grilled sausage, and an atmosphere heavy with ancient devotion. In one of its neighborhoods, Williamsburg, under the relentless July sun, along the streets of the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, t...

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Summer in the city is a special time for everyone, but for North Brooklyn residents, it also means a beloved tradition is returning. At Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, under the leadership of Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, preparations for the annual Giglio Feast have been underway since the closing ceremony last summer. This treasured celebration marks...

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Join us for an exciting exploration of Italian American heritage, culture, and cuisine as we chat with the vibrant Danny Mondello, better known as Mealsbycug. In this episode, Danny shares his remarkable journey from a casual social media creator to the proud owner of a new upcoming restaurant and café in Williamsburg “Casa Cugine”. His story, fill...

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Any day now, the new sandwich shop Casa Cugine will open in Brooklyn. “We’re just waiting on the last permits,” says the shop’s namesake, Cugine, the Staten Island–born influencer known for videos of cooking massive slabs of meat or complaining about being “down horrendously” after a long night out. He’s finalizing a short menu that — for now — inc...

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The Colonial Italian American Organization — CIAO — of Williamsburg will be hosting a meatball cook-off at Frothy Moon on May 31. CIAO was established in 1988 and initially was set up as a heritage organization for people of Italian origin, be it through family or marriage. Over time, the organization has opened up to anyone interested in anything...

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After restoring Kellogg’s Diner last year, the same team has turned its attention to reimagining another longtime Williamsburg haunt: JR and Son. Opening on Friday, May 2, at 575 Lorimer Street, at Metropolitan Avenue, the address was long ago an Italian social club, but in its later life, it was more known as a crusty dive bar — until its closing...

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Williamsburg is getting a new gelateria just in time for summer. L’Arte del Gelato (158 Bedford Ave.), offering “old-school Italian” artisanal gelato, is opening on May 1. L’Arte del Gelato has deep roots in Sicily. Founder Francesco Realmuto started L’Arte del Gelato over 20 years ago, aiming to bring the Sicilian gelato experience to New York. Tw...

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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...

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The Giglio Feast at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is an Italian American summer street fair known for the dancing of the Giglio, an 80-foot tall, three ton wooden steeple decorated with lilies. “Giglio” means lily in Italian. White lilies, Italy’s national flower, grow in summer. The Giglio Feast at the Our Lady of Moun...

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