Italy has launched its latest Italian Cultural Institute in Coral Gables. The new cultural institute at 209 Altara Ave., one of six in the US, is set to showcase the best of Italy in culture, design, style and manufacturing, said Maeci Mariangela Zappia, ambassador of Italy to the US. “We want to offer and showcase here the Italian way, which is a...

Chris Ponte launched his first restaurant, Café Ponte, in Clearwater in 2002. He quickly made a name for himself in Tampa Bay thanks to an extraordinary trail-blazing New American menu and impeccable service. However, after an 18-year run, Ponte decided to shutter the iconic fine dining restaurant citing a combination of COVID-19 issues and a diffi...

Of the classic car events held during the year, my all-time favorite is the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Since attending The Amelia for the first time 19 years ago, I have returned every year, with each successive visit reflecting the growth and change that has made it better and better thanks to a fine selection of cars, seminars and amazing...

Da Vinci’s Italian Grill is located at one end of a long strip center off U.S. 1 in Port St. Lucie. Cars idled at the curb as the owners dashed in for their pizza orders. The sign on the window proclaims, “Established 1981,” which is definitely something. Naturally, I was curious. The restaurant was founded on the Treasure Coast over 40 years ago b...

A flotilla of a half-dozen tall ships, including a replica of the iconic Santa Maria, will sail into the St. Petersburg waterfront for a festival onshore and off March 30-April 2. Tall Ships America, a nonprofit dedicated to maritime heritage and youth education, is bringing its annual tour of tall ships from across the country. This is the first t...

BellaBrava first opened in the heart of downtown St. Pete more than a decade ago. It recently expanded to the booming Midtown Tampa neighborhood, and now the owners are ready to introduce the region to a third brick-and-mortar. The new BellaBrava will join The Hub at Bexley in the fall of 2023. “We are so excited to announce that we are opening our...

“With two million Italian Americans, 30% growth in the number of Italians residing here in the past four years, Italian exports of 3.5 billion euros, and 350,000 Italian visitors in 2022, Florida plays an increasingly important role in our relationship with the United States,” commented the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappi...

A taste of Chicago is ready to come to Florida. Buona, maker of Chicago’s Original Italian Beef, has announced its continued national expansion with plans to target additional U.S. high-growth markets. The regional Chicago icon will target Florida, as well as Texas and Arizona for new franchise locations in the coming year, as well as added expansi...

2022 marks another record year for Italian exports to Florida, which reached the important figure of $3,470.9 million, with a +26.6% growth with respect to the previous year. According to recently published Enterprise Florida data on sources from the U.S. Department of Commerce, among the Italian products registering the most significant growth, Ya...

Zoppé, an Italian Family Circus, is scheduled to perform a series of shows on the grounds of the Largo Central Park Performing Arts Center this weekend. The shows, which will feature dog acts, traditional Italian equestrian routines and classic circus clowning, run from Thursday, March 16, through Sunday, March 19, with two shows each day plus thre...