Taste of Italy 2018: Touring Puglia’s Delights on the 10th Anniversary
Explore the scrumptious specialties of Puglia through the highlights of Taste of Italy 2018!
Taste of Italy is the closest you’ll ever be to Italy without having to leave Los Angeles. An Italian food and wine extravaganza where local restaurants and wineries show off their best products, organized by the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles.
Foodiamo was one of the sponsors of the evening, so once again we had the opportunity to attend the event and taste the best of the Italian food and wine scene in LA.
A celebration of Puglia’s food and culture in Los Angeles
It really isn’t an Italian night if you don’t have pizza.
Vito Iacopelli’s Pizzeria Prova was serving up five different kinds of pizza. From the classic Margherita pizza to the most outrageously decadent pizza with mortadella, burrata and pistachios. All coming from their traditional wood-burning oven. We really couldn’t skip on some prosciutto crudo di Parma. Sliced on the spot, both salty and sweet. It’s something so simple but a true testament to the quality of Italian products.
It wouldn’t really be a great night without some wine. We loved the Planeta Winery, especially their Menfi Cometa, with Southern Italian white grapes. We also sipped on some Birra Moretti while playing bocce balls.
Strolling through the beautiful garden, we stopped at the Prince of Venice stand, Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia’s food truck. Their pastas never disappoint. We tasted their squid ink pasta with seafood and their traditional lasagna, while chatting about their new restaurant, set to open at the beginning of 2019.
People celebrating Italy’s food culture at Taste of Italy 2018
Luigi Al Teatro, the Southern-Italian-inspired seafood restaurant by chef Luigi Fineo, was serving a traditional focaccia pugliese with a twist and the freshest tuna tartare in a little cannoli. Fusion cuisine at its best.
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Celestino Ristorante & Bar gave a nod to the fall weather serving risotto with mushroom and gorgonzola cheese. Creamy, savory, cosy. Perfect for the night!
Prosciutto with breadsticks at Pizzeria Mozza stand
Honorable Mentions at Taste of Italy 2018
Di Stefano Cheese for the creamy burrata; Puglia Italian Restaurant for crazy good pasta alla carbonara served in a Pecorino cheese wheel (a prized possession for any Italian outside of Italy); and Malfy Gin, the first gin made in Italy, for a refreshing grapefruit and lavender gin and tonic. And let’s not forget about GROM, the gelato master!
Lasagna from Prince of Venice stand
Taste of Italy 2018 was the best showcase of the Italian culinary talent in Los Angeles. It was also a reminder of the success and passion of the Italian people.
What else does the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles have in store for next year? “There is going to be a new exhbition, but it’s still top secret,” director Marianna Gatto told us. “We are going to expand the space, and there will be more events throughout the year, other than Taste of Italy of course.” The IAMLA is quickly becoming the hub of Italian and Italian-American culture in Southern California, so you’d better stay tuned!
Written by Cinzia Giorgi. Foodiamo was an official sponsor of Taste of Italy 2018. Thanks to Marianna Gatto, Francesca Guerrini, Maria Marino, and all Taste of Italy volunteers.
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