Italian

  • Our Must-Try and Why Palm Springs Ethnic Eats

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) We were happily surprised that our top Palm Springs places are ethnic or ethnic-influenced, with all the affection and care paid to guests as to the food. These few joyous days we spent in the town after the “official” season turned out to be filled with crowds happy to be out, as we […]...

  • So Welcome to the US: Thrilling Tenuta Montemagno from Italy

    (Gerry Furth-Sides, content and photos from Tenuta Montemagno in Italy) Tenuta When we received a beautiful, generous gift from Tenuta Montemagno last fall of two bottles of their finest wines, we were so overjoyed we shared them with our wine maven friend, Irv Wynuck. Even after Tenuta Montemagno let us know that they were stil...

  • Celebrate Easter at Our Favorite Celestino, Pasadena

    Happy Spring and Easter celebrations at one of our favorite family of restaurants that brought us “through the pandemic” with their to-go specialties and dining outdoors as soon as it opened up: the Drago brothers – who also happened to be our last public event we attended a year ago! And we found a way [&helli...

  • Celebrate Bagel Week-end with Bantam Bagels

    I was excited to get an offer of new and original Bantam Bagel frozen products.   Like nine million other viewers of Shark Tank, I first came familiar with founders  Nick and Elyse Oleksak when I saw them on the TV show in 2018 pitching their Bantam Bagels.   We really liked the “everything b...

  • We Celebrate (with) Tenuta Montemagno’s New Dry Sparkling Bruts!

    Prosecco from northeast Italy has attained such an affection (or affectation depending on the view) that is is always been the first to come to mind when you think of Italian sparkling wine.    Yet the Barbera variety that makes up  TM24 and TM36 shows how a historic, versatile and  charming bottle-ferme...

  • Safe! At Our Elegant, Al Fresco Ethnic (Italian, naturally) Dining Choices

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) A toast to San Antonio Winery for our first lunch outside since March! Thank you, Barbara Hansen, for a perfect first pre-Halloween restaurant outing to  our last shopping stop before lockdown in March. Now perfectly prepared for safe outdoor dining that makes any day special, owner Santo is on hand to gree...

  • Bravo, BAVA BROTHERS Italian Cured Meats and Spread!

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Carefully, packed BAVA BROTHERS Sopressata, Cervelatta and ‘Nduja’ Calabrese arrived at our doorstep, as efficiently wrapped as if we visited a butcher shop in Calabria.  And it was exactly when we were craving an Italian experience after looking through Drago Ristorante party pictures and swooning over ...

  • It’s A Wrap — with Italian Cheese Folios

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) The something gooey, satisfying and rich that makes a few ingredients into a meal are in FOLIOS CHEESE WRAPS.    The fatty, satiating texture and slightly salty taste of cheese is universally satisfying even when  eaten alone.  And it is easily blended or added to salads, veggies, beef or topping pizza, ...

  • Piedmontese Beef Feast in a Box (from Nebraska)

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Any conversation about beef always used to start by saying that my mother’s entire family of 15 were meat brokers.  Now it begins with the story of Piedmontese beef.   And Piedmontese Beef is a tale the finer things. Let me take you there.  It is my favorite gift to beef lovers, because as much of...