Conversation flows at Caffe’ Cagliostro in Dublin’s Italian Quarter.
Ireland is home to 9,000 Irlandiani, Irish of Italian ancestry.
© Andrea Romano/ Caffè Cagliostro

Italian Culture, Around the Corner

Dreaming of Italy? It may be closer than you think. From 1880 to 1980, 15 million Italians migrated to other countries. Today, across five continents, over 60 neighborhoods claim the moniker Little Italy.

Several U.S. and Canadian cities boast a Little Italy. So do pockets of Australia, Brazil, and Mexico. There’s a Little Milano in Gothenburg, Sweden,  a Little Rome in Asmara, Eritrea, a Piccola Italia in Malindi, Kenya.

Oh, I see: Celebrating Italian culture is a global experience.

Italian TAYLOR-ing

In Chicagoland, a dozen Italian enclaves formed after 1850. The best known is West Taylor Street, historically Chicago’s largest community of mostly Southern Italians.

At Scafuri Bakery, employee Aria Davis beams as she serves macchiato and lemon ricotta cake.

“We’ve been here since 1904,” says Aria, 21, whose passion for Italian culture led her to live in Sardinia for a year.  She points to a vintage  family portrait above the counter.

“See how there’s almost an aura around one woman? That’s Annette Mategrano. She was absolutely amazing, a successful businesswoman back when that was uncommon.”

Framed by images of the Scafuri-Mategrano family, co-workers Doriann, Aria, and Ben
share a love of Italian culture.
© Joyce McGreevy

Annette’s parents emigrated from Calabria, opened the bakery, and sustained it through tough times. During the Depression they gave away bread to families who couldn’t afford the 3-cent cost. In 1955, the torch passed to Annette. She also opened a restaurant, working double shifts until she retired—at 90. Today, great-nieces Michelle and Kelly continue her legacy.

Faces of Little Italy (L to R): Director of Chicago’s Italian festivals, Ron Onesti was born on
Taylor Street. Marie De Marinis and  Demond Moore delight diners at Davanti Enoteca.
© Joyce McGreevy

When you’re around West Taylor Street, be sure to…

• Buy  panini and  vini at Conte Di Savoia.
• Eat pappardelle at the original Rosebud.
• Sip lemon ice at Mario’s.

Where Pasta Meets Present

Two miles and many nostalgic decades away, lies “Heart of Italy,” known for its Tuscan families. In the 1900s, many new arrivals traded farming for farm-equipment factory work at McCormick Reaper, “McComio,” as Chicago’s Italians called it.

Today Heart of Italy still beats with pride. It’s a neighborhood where many have been friends since childhood, where locals share anecdotes that go back five generations.

Heart of Italy, Chicago draws diners to 24th and Oakley.
© Joyce McGreevy

You needn’t be Italian to feel like a local. At Ignotz Ristorante, owner Roger Wroblewski and bartender Candy Minx welcome you like a favorite cousin who’s here for the family reunion.

It’s one of those cozy places you could dine alone without feeling like a loner, a convivial joint where every story at the bar is worth remembering. Ask Roger about the night Frankie Avalon dropped by.

Like Heart of Italy, Ignotz is rooted in love of family, regard for the past,
and appreciation of everyday pleasures.
© Joyce McGreevy

Here, food is for eating, not Instagramming. Pastas are hearty and soul-satisfying. Well, as the Italians say, Esse nufesso qui dice male di macaroni: “Only an idiot speaks badly of macaroni.”

If you must go “keto,” tuck into Ignotz’s lemony, succulent chicken a la tippi. Then ditch the diet and dive into the chocolate spumoni.

To fall in love with Chicago’s Heart of Italy, be sure to…

• Nibble carcio al forno at La Fontanella.
• Enjoy fettucine and friendly banter at Bacchanalia.
• Winterize yourself with a bowl of ribollita at Bruna’s.

Italia alla Francese 

In Montréal,  lively Petite-Italie combines the Québécois love of festival with a daily dose of  dolce vita.

Switching between French, Italian, and English is common practice in Petite-Italie.
© Joyce McGreevy

There’s something for everyone—music of the Italian Baroque, frescoes in a Romanesque church, summer cinema in the park, and the most authentic Italian food this side of l’Atlantico, from cinghiale (wild boar) to handmade pasta al nero di seppia infused with cuttlefish ink.

Backyards give way to grape arbors, flowers cascade from balconies, and the street scene hums. Soccer mania lives on at Bar Sportivo as do sociable games of bocce in Dante Park.

Fruterie Milano, a sprawling Italian grocery, is a destination in itself.
© Joyce McGreevy

When visiting Montréal’s Petite-Italie, be sure to…

• Get your heart racing at Caffè Italia or just race in summer’s Vivere Grand Prix.
• See a pasta factory in action at Pastificio Sacchetto.
• Take cooking classes at Mezza Luna.
• Read locally-launched Panoram Italia.

San Diego Serenissimo

In Southern California, la passeggiata, or pre-dinner stroll, begins  as the sun sets over San Diego Bay. Here, generations of Italians  once made their living on the sea.

Families from Sicily and Italy’s Riviera founded the fishing fleet and canning industry
that made San Diego the tuna capital of the West.
© Courtesy SanDiego.org

Today, Little Italy is a vibrant neighborhood with outdoor cafés, wineries, shops, and boutique hotels.

A fixture since 1950, the petite Filippi’s Pizza Grotto draws crowds in San Diego.
© Courtesy Joanne DiBona SanDiego.org

Piazza Della Famiglia is a gathering place for concerts and cultural events. Piazza Basilone and other San Diego piazze commemorate Italian-American history. Amici Park and Waterfront Park reflect the importance of beautiful public spaces to the Italian lifestyle. Little Italy Food Hall offers a variety of food stations, cooking demos, and wine tastings.

When you’re in San Diego’s Little Italy, be sure to…

• Witness its past, present, and future.
• Browse farmers markets, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
• See the summer Italian Film Festival.

E Tu?

Where is your Little Italy? San Francisco’s North Beach or Boston’s North End? Hidden in Clerkenwell, London or in Italian-influenced Malta? Is it molto Manhattan or completamente Bronx?

To share your hidden gems with the OIC community, just leave a  Comment and tell us why the Little Italy you like is so special.

Note:  The author accepted no freebies and is solely responsible for any pounds gained.

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