Elaine Micali compared the sensation of stepping into her new East Setauket restaurant for its soft opening on Monday night to “an out-of-body experience.” “What I said to my friends was that it was like having a wedding, a baby and moving into a new home all on the same day,” she said. “Those emotions were so overwhelming.” The April 4 opening of ...

Fans of the instantly popular Flora’s Pizza Cafe in Syosset will have cause for celebration this spring with the opening of their newest location, Flora’s Wine Bar & Restaurant, in Port Washington. Flora’s, owned by the husband-and-wife team Ervis and Gabriella Xhelaj, both hailing from Italy, was founded in 2023 and offers a menu featuring pizza,...

When: Wednesday, April 10th from 6:30 to 8 pm - Where: Galleria at the Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere  La Dolce Vita: Fantasy and Modernity in Italian Cinema of the 1960s  As a dramatic departure from the gritty realism of Italy’s Neorealist films of the 1940s and 1950s, Italian cinema of the 1960s embraces modernism and the director...

Chris Vaccaro, the executive director of the Italian American Heritage Society of Long Island, spoke about preserving Italian heritage and culture today at the annual conference for the Long Island Chapter of the American Association of Italian Teachers. “I told them emphatically that we will advocate to protect and maintain Italian language progra...

The NYPD honored a retired officer battling terminal cancer Friday evening by providing an ambulance home from the hospital where he was greeted by friends and family in Center Moriches. Joseph Stillitano’s brothers and sisters in blue made sure to be there at his home to celebrate his fighting spirit and dedication to helping those around him. It’...

When you drive on West Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst, you might notice two tall pillars with lions on East and West Riviera drives. Those massive structures are the entrance to American Venice, a project that debuted in 1926 that ties Long Island to Venezia.  Real estate developers Victor Pisani and Isaac Meister designed waterways to mimic the ca...

You can not tell the story of Italian Americans on Long Island without the first Italian native to settle on our land. That distinction belongs to Pietro Cesare Alberti, who immigrated from Venezia in 1635. Alberti settled in New Amsterdam, the landmass known as Manhattan today and lived on Broad Street with his wife until 1646. He moved to Brookly...

Umberto's of Long Island in Dunedin is a fantastic place for traditional Italian cuisine. It truly captures the essence of a classic Italian dining experience. This restaurant is charming and committed to quality. It has won the hearts of locals and visitors. Umberto's in Dunedin is known for its generous portions, excellent service, and delicious...

In Italy, “we would call this a bar,” Caterina Pepe tells us. We’re chatting inside Cerasella (pronounced “Chair-ah-Sell-ah”), the small pasticceria e caffetteria she owns with her husband, Luca Schiano, not far from their home in Long Island City. In New York, of course, a bar is typically adults-only, and rarely known for its food. Using that nam...

Long Island Italian American leaders have launched the Italian American Heritage Society of Long Island (IAHSLI). This non-profit will serve as a harbinger of advocacy, community engagement, and education for the Italian American community.  As one of the most populated Italian American regions in the United States, Long Island embodies an ethos of...