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by Neil Heinen Despite the influence of Italian immigrants here in Wisconsin, and especially here in Dane County, and a significant trade relationship, no Italian Ambassador to the United States had ever visited Wisconsin. Until this month. It went largely un-noticed, and that's too bad because it's important. Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero not on...

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by Matt Mueller   When Festa Italiana opens this Friday at Henry Maier Festival Park, many will flock down to the lakefront to gulp down some authentic Italian food and wine. Yet some of the most revered tastes of Italian culture coming to town this weekend are wholly inedible: the lovingly crafted and almost identical replicas of the countr...

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By David Luhrssen With its secluded booths and Sinatra tunes on the stereo, Catarina's Ristorante (9104 W. Oklahoma) is a great place for a date. The kitchen is leisurely, meaning the preparation is fresh, and the portions are ample. The filet melts in your mouth, the various Italian-style chicken dishes are flavorful, and on Fridays, this legacy...

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The Italian Film Festival USA returns with a weekend full of contemporary Italian cinema Friday through Sunday at UWM Union Theatre, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee. All movies are free, and will be shown with English subtitles. The festival is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Department of French, Italian and Comparative Liter...

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The body of an 11-year-old Italian girl killed more than a century ago and declared a saint will be on display this week at a Wisconsin church that bears her name. Maria Goretti was stabbed in 1902 by a neighbor during a sexual assault. She forgave her attacker on her deathbed and said she hoped she would be with him forever in heaven. In 195...

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by Matt Mueller   As a fan rooting for Argentina in the World Cup, last weekend was likely a little rough for Italian crooner Patrizio Buanne. This upcoming weekend, however, is shaping up much more nicely.   The world renowned performer – who's sung for the Pope, a U.S. president, royal families and most importantly, Jimmy Fallon – i...

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A young Bob Dylan, passing through Madison in the late 1960s, is rumored to have said that the best things about Wisconsin's capital city were its pizza and its Quaaludes. We have no insights into the pharmaceutical side of Dylan's statement, but were he to stop in today at Salvatore's Tomato Pies, he might wonder just how such a good pizza scene...

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Mequon has never been one of the area's most exciting dining destinations, but a recent addition to the area gives Milwaukeeans a reason to travel north.   Salotto Zarletti, 1515 W. Mequon Rd., which opened this past May, bears only a vague resemblance to its sister restaurant, Zarletti's in Downtown Milwaukee.   Read more   So...

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Luigi and Maria DeFranco plan to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary with a family party at the Italian American Club. Luigi and the former Maria Gentile met in Italy as children through family members. Luigi's family eventually immigrated to Kenosha for a better lifestyle.   After seven years, Luigi returned to Italy, where the...

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Festa Italiana, presented by Calypso Lemonades, is calling upon foodies everywhere to participate in its second Chef's Choice Recipe Contest taking place Sunday, July 19 in the Cucina Showcase. Beginning now through June 15, 2015, Festa Italiana is accepting Italian appetizer ("antipasti") recipe submissions by email or by mail. After the June 15...

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