Culture shock, Italian style!
I recently read an article by Georgia Konidari on the blog World Wide Schooling about the biggest culture shocks Americans face in Europe, and it got me thinking about how these cultural differences play out in Italy. Needless to say, I wrote an article about it… Let’s go through ten European habits and things that Americans don’t quite get, and se...
At Pizzeria Uciuni in Old Brooklyn, a Barber and Self-Taught Pizza Maker Has No Phone, But Does Have Delicious Pies
People discuss pizza differently than they talk about pasta, smash burgers or matzo ball soup. From message boards to social media, the dish comes with a healthy dose of zealous online debate. The latest circular obsession percolating through social media hails from a spartan storefront in Old Brooklyn. Cleveland’s newest “best pizza” is open just...
10 Places You've Never Heard of in Puglia
Don’t be like everybody else heading to Polignano a Mare and Alberobello… unless you want the crowds to push you to the edges of your sanity. Instead, check out these 10 under-the-radar Puglian places; from cathedrals designed by modern and contemporary architects to a ghost town and a high-speed test track, this is where to find the eccentric side...
Albrecht to preside over DuPage Justinians
As the incoming president of the DuPage County Chapter of the Justinian Society of Lawyers in Illinois, Kira N. Albrecht already has one goal: to bring back monthly or quarterly meetings held at restaurants, so members can socialize while enjoying appetizers and refreshments. “That kind of stopped during COVID, but I want to revive it,” she says. A...
5 Spectacular Castles near Parma
Foodies flock to the Parma area for its spectacular gourmet blockbusters like Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Prosciutto di Parma ham, Lambrusco wine, and more; while cyclists love the area because it’s relatively flat compared to much of the rest of Italy and easy to explore on two wheels. But there’s another great reason to visit the area: the incr...
Scenes from ‘the’ Sicilian Restaurant: Picciotto
“I apologize if I seem too focused — I don’t want to seem rude, it’s just that…” Alessandro Ancona gestures to his Margherita coming to life; the picturesque pizza worth a “mille” (thousand) words. “I cannot let myself become distracted,” the soft-spoken chef smiles apologetically. That’s one of the few times Ancona fully turns toward me, his focus...
Lido Calypso in Tropea, a privileged view of the Tyrrhenian Sea
Summer is just around the corner and it's time to choose your next vacation destination - it's a perfect moment to experience the magic of our sea-facing regions. And perhaps, why not, a perfect moment to explore Calabria, its multifaceted territories in the very heart of the Mediterranean, its crystal-clear sea fading on the horizon and its genuin...
Italian Region Of Puglia To Showcase Its Emerging Filmmakers In L.A With First NFMLA Partnership
The Southern Italian region of Puglia will showcase five of its emerging filmmakers in L.A. through an inaugural partnership with the NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) Monthly Film Festival later this month. Under the week-long program, running from May 30 to June 2, the selected Pugliese filmmakers will screen their work within the framework of th...
Cinque Terre Hiking
The Cinque Terre are five picturesque towns that appear to cling to the rocks along a short stretch of Ligurian coastline in northern Italy, and are famous for the former mule tracks that connect them and today attract thousands of hikers each year. Though the area is striking, it’s also very fragile; overtourism has strained both the villages and...
Philadelphia chooses ‘Italian’ as favorite hoagie, according to Metro poll
National Hoagie Day has now come and gone, and as folks around the country enjoyed the official sandwich of Philadelphia, Metro asked those in and around the city about their hoagie of choice. Whether your taste buds prefer the homestyle taste of the always-popular ham and cheese or the crisp and tangy taste of a tuna hoagie, there’s a hoagie out t...
A regional guide to Italy’s Islands
Italy, as a nation-state, has existed in its current form for about a century and a half – no more. Regular visitors, travellers and property owners will be fully aware that this nation-state is in fact an amalgamation of many similar but different regions and peoples, who eat differently, live diverse lifestyles, and often – at home at least – spe...
Meet Advisor Ralph DeLuca, the Self-Made Celebrity Whisperer Who’s Won Over the Art World
Frieze New York is well underway, and the art world’s power brokers have assembled in Manhattan to prowl the fair and its various satellites. Milling among the booths and openings, you might find one of the scene’s best-loved characters, and perhaps the one having the most fun: Ralph DeLuca. The art advisor—with his thick New Jersey accent, high-s...