There’s something deeply comforting about a bowl of pasta drenched in red sauce. That rich tomato-based goodness—whether spiked with garlic and herbs or served with hearty meatballs—is so ingrained in the American dining experience that it’s easy to assume it came straight from Italy. But the story is far more fascinating.
Understanding red sauce means understanding the immigrant story. Italian-American food tells a tale of adaptation, resilience, and cultural pride. It’s a cuisine shaped by memory—by what immigrants brought with them, what they left behind, and what they built anew in their adopted country.

The true heart of the Puglia region is Bari—a vibrant, living city that perfectly embodies Puglia's soul.
Check out all the things to do in Bari Puglia!

When you think of Puglia, the first images that come to mind might be whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old olive trees, turquoise seas, and meals that seem to stretch blissfully into the afternoon. But the true heart of the region is Bari—a vibrant, living city that perfectly embodies Puglia's soul.

In this week's Flavor of Italy podcast, I'm taking you to Bari: the capital of Puglia, a city of fishermen and pasta makers, sea breezes and stone streets, faith and food.
And now the United Airlines' exciting announcement of a new direct flight from Newark to Bari starting May 1, 2026 makes Bari and Puglia imminently accessible.

Exploring one's roots can be one of the most meaningful journeys of a lifetime, and for Italian Americans, Italian heritage tours offer a chance to connect with family history, rediscover ancestral towns, and experience the culture of Italy in an intimate way.
In my recent Flavor of Italy podcast episode, I spoke with Cherrye Moore, founder of My Bella Vita Travel, who has been helping Italian Americans reconnect with their past for nearly two decades.
What makes Italian heritage tours unique is the emotional depth of the experience. Many travelers embark on these journeys in honor of parents or grandparents who never had the chance to return to Italy. Others come to re-create childhood memories of family recipes through cooking classes or to discover how their ancestors' dialects evolved.
It's no coincidence that this conversation comes during Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month so be sure to tune in!

Italy has a way of getting under your skin. In this episode of the Flavor of Italy podcast, I chatted with Thea Duncan—the Milan-based American behind Doing Italy—to talk about how to move to Italy in 2025 without losing your sanity (or your savings). If you've been dreaming about starting a new life here, this guide distills the essentials from our conversation into one practical roadmap.

When most people think of Sicily, images of citrus spring to mind: lemons, oranges, mandarins. For centuries these fruits defined the island’s agricultural identity. Even Sicilian ceramics that often overflow with lemons and blood oranges. But today, something unexpected is ripening under the Sicilian sun: avocados.
This isn’t the first time Italy has embraced an outsider and eventually made it feel essential. Tomatoes were once considered poisonous, corn and potatoes were foreign intruders, and citrus itself was introduced to Sicily by the Arabs in the Middle Ages. Over time, all of these became cornerstones of Italian cuisine. Sicilian Avocados may be following the same path.
Listen for the details, along with recipes!

Pantelleria has a way of pulling very different lives into the same orbit. This wind-brushed crescent of volcanic rock in the Mediterranean sits closer to Tunisia than to Sicily, and its landscape of black stone terraces, dammusi homes, and low, bowl-trained vines shapes everything from architecture to what ends up on the plate. In this post I'm weaving together two lives that touched Pantelleria—Giorgio Armani and Ugo Ponzi—and the island's essential foods and wines that speak its language of restraint and character.

The menu at Gargiulo's reflects the family's roots in Sorrento, blending classic Neapolitan recipes with Italian American adaptations. Holidays are celebrated with care, and dishes like zeppole, fig cookies, and pasta with sardines take center stage.
When you think of Coney Island, images of roller coasters, the boardwalk, and summer fun come to mind. But for generations of Brooklyn families, the real heart of the neighborhood beats inside a legendary dining room: Gargiulo's Restaurant. Founded in 1907, this historic institution is the oldest business still operating in Coney Island.
In my recent chat with Matthew Cutolo, pastry chef of Gargiulo's Restaurant, he shared how his family's story intertwines with this iconic Brooklyn landmark.

If you've ever fallen head-over-heels for a story that feels like home, you already understand the magic of Adriana Trigiani. Author, screenwriter, director, podcaster, and tireless champion of craft, Adriana has written more than twenty books—and her newest novel, The View from Lake Como, is a heartfelt exploration of family, reinvention, and the tug of Italy on an Italian-American soul.