In 2008, the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) organized a humble wine and food tasting event for its members. With virtually no promotion, over 500 people attended the inaugural event, including many individuals who were unaware of the museum project, and the more than 200-year history of Italians in Los Angeles. Recognizing that the event, known as Taste Italy, had the potential to generate critical awareness for the fledgling IAMLA — then still under construction — museum leadership decided to make the event an annual tradition.

“As an educational institution, we thought Taste of Italy offered an outstanding opportunity to promote knowledge about the museum and the contributions of Italian Americans to our nation using cuisine as a vehicle,” explains Marianna Gatto, executive director-historian of the IAMLA and event co-founder.