Oh, the mighty meatball. As anyone raised in a large Italian family — or just those who appreciate Italian food — can tell you, meatball is king. Entire meals and menus are built around it, and throughout Philadelphia, there are several new Italian-focused restaurants whose meals are built upon the meatball’s bedrock. SIN PhiladelphiaAt Northern Li...

The cheesesteak is an iconic Philly staple, born here 94 years ago. It's taken almost a century, but our city's signature street food, created by two Italian immigrants, finally made its way back to the homeland. Philly native Michael Paparella is the man behind Philly's Steaks: Italy's first official cheesesteak spot! "I wanted to be the first to...

On Saturday, the doors will open to the Delaware Valley region's first Italian museum. It was a long road to this moment, and the curated collection is a historical celebration of the area's Italian roots. "Our goal is to showcase the greatness and the ingenuity of the Italians and what they've brought to America," says historian Michael DiPilla. T...

Opponents and dates are not official: signatures are still missing on the (rich) contracts with the U.S. agency that is organizing the double commitment. What is certain, however, is the national team's return to the U.S. almost 19 years after the last time (Italy-Ecuador 1-1, in June 2005 at Giants Stadium in New York), with a first experience in...

Bill Ronayne was just 7 when he became a fan of Mario Lanza, the tenor who was born in South Philadelphia in 1921 and made the cover of Time in 1951, when he starred in “The Great Caruso.” That fandom continues – even more so – today, with Ronayne semiretired and devoted to Lanza as president of the Mario Lanza Institute and Museum in Philadelphia,...

Michael Rosella, a member of the St. Jude Lodge of the ISDA, published a monograph of his photographic works entitled Pittsburgh Streets 1950s. The book was released in November with a book signing event at the Heinz History Center, which is part of the Smithsonian. The center’s Italian American Program sponsored the event as an evening in conversa...

La dolce vita has arrived in St. Pete. 9th Street Coffee & Bar is now open at 2930 Dr. MLK Jr. Street North, offering “Italian style” coffee, wine, pasta and more. The cozy cafe made its debut last week, open daily for both morning and evening service. We’ve yet to visit 9th Street Coffee & Bar ourselves, but the establishment promises a wide range...

Dear friends, the year ends as many things scheduled for 2024 overlap with the last things for 2023. For We the Italians, the year ended with participation in a prestigious conference entitled "Cultura ed identità delle comunità italiane all’estero: tra Turismo delle Radici ed internazionalizzazione del Sistema Paese." The event was organized in be...

The Treccani Institute for the Italian Encyclopedia –one of the most prestigious Italian cultural institutions - published in November 2023 the Italian edition of the book "The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People and Ideas," edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode. The U.S. edition of the book was published by Temple Univers...

In February, family-owned Vento's Pizza in East Liberty made its last pie after its owner, Al Vento Jr., called it quits after some 67 years in business. Vento's was a community staple not just for food. Starting in the 1970s, it became a hub for "Franco's Italian Army" after the fan club was started by Al Vento Sr. and other members of the Italian...