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News, stories, and recipes for anyone who loves Italian food, wine, spirits, and travel

Appetito

Bona Furtuna

Clare Marston is an UK based freelance travel writer with a passion for adventure, hiking and discovering destinations beyond the obvious. She is particularly interested in outdoor travel, affordable adventures, lesser-known European destinations and the stories behind the places people visit. She enjoys telling readers the truth about destinations. An enthusiastic traveller and keen hiker, Clare draws on her own experiences exploring destinations across Europe and beyond.
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-marston-982407428/">LinkedIN</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576892878225#">Facebook</a>
Email: claremarston@fastmail.co.uk

Clare Marston bio image hiking in the snow

Clare Marston

Panoramic view of Orsara di Puglia, Italy.

Travel

A Festival of Fire and Pumpkins in Orsara di Puglia

Travel Writers | Photographers | Hotel Scouts
Mary and Kevin are digital nomads living in Gozo, Malta. From their island home, they scout Europe, focusing on the Mediterranean and eastern Europe.
Exploring hidden gems and lesser-known spots is their true passion. They  love uncovering unique lodging, local art, the local music scene, and traditional and newly introduced food and drinks.
They delve into architecture, museums, parks, and well-curated tours. They enjoy telling stories about history and agriculture, and especially love discovering the unexpected, whether in a micro-town or a city.
<a href="https://marycharlebois.contently.com/">Portfolio</a> | <a href="https://wheremarygos.com/">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaryGo-114914398630479/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-and-kevin-travel-a894301b6/">LinkedIn</a>

Mary Charlebois & Kevin Scanlon

Entrance to Trattoria ’nta Nonna in Pozzallo, Sicily.

The Soul of Pozzallo: Finding Sunday Sauce on the Sicilian Coast

Courtney holds a degree in journalism and has always loved telling a great story. She works in B2B marketing, but travel writing is where she gets to write for the love of it. She believes life is made of experiences, which is how she ended up elbow-deep in fettuccine dough with her 12-year-old son in a Roman kitchen. She’s already looking for the next trip worth writing about.

Courtney Becker-James

Cooking class participants roll pasta dough at a wooden table in Testaccio, Rome.

Cooking with Nonno in Rome: A Pasta Class in Testaccio

<div>Monique is a California-based travel and lifestyle writer dedicated to sharing unique experiences and diverse perspectives with a discerning audience. She holds a B.A. in Media Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and has built a foundation in public relations, journalism, and event planning, working with high-profile hospitality clients and journalists alike. Her writing has appeared in <a title="https://www.goworldtravel.com/tag/monique-evdokiou/" href="https://www.goworldtravel.com/tag/monique-evdokiou/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Go World Travel</a>, <a title="https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-first-post-college-job-cold-emailing-helped-2026-6" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-first-post-college-job-cold-emailing-helped-2026-6">Business Insider</a>, and <a title="https://www.dailycal.org/users/profile/monique%20evdokiou/" href="https://www.dailycal.org/users/profile/monique%20evdokiou/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Californian,</a> and she has written podcast scripts for <a title="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostar-bosnia-and-herzogovina-and-that-bridge/id1612514250?i=1000760332857" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostar-bosnia-and-herzogovina-and-that-bridge/id1612514250?i=1000760332857" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoNomad</a>.</div>

Monique Evdokiou

Orvieto’s caves offer a glimpse beneath the hilltop town. Photo: Asurnipal/Wikimedia Commons

Fresh Pasta in a Centuries-Old Cave in Umbria

<a href="https://www.sarahhallier.com/">Sarah Campise Hallier</a> is the associate editor of Appetito Magazine and co-founder of <a href="https://www.forkboundfoodies.com/">Forkbound Foodies</a>, where she shares exceptional culinary and travel experiences.
She is also a board member of Poggioreale in America Inc, a nonprofit committed to preserving the history and cultural heritage of Western Sicilians and their diaspora. Featured in Italy Magazine, The Local IT, la Repubblica, and We the Italians, Sarah enjoys covering everything from cultural identity to the evolving Italian-American food experience.
A California girl at heart, when she’s not crafting food, travel and wellness stories, she’s chasing down the best foodie finds on her travels and sharing them at <a title="https://www.instagram.com/foodiesfromca/" href="https://www.instagram.com/forkboundfoodies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@forkBOUNDfoodies</a>.  Subscribe to her <a href="https://www.sarahhallier.com/about-1">newsletter</a> to keep up to date on the best places to eat, stay and tour.
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Sarah Campise Hallier

Dinner by candlelight at Glorietta. Photo credit: Patty Schmidt of Forkbound Foodies

Glorietta Brings Wood-Fired Italian Cooking to Jackson Hole

<pre>Rob LeDonne is a humor and culture writer whose work can be found in
Billboard, The New York Times, The Guardian, Vogue, Rolling Stone, and
Interview. He lives in Brooklyn and is of Neapolitan and Sicilian
descent.

Learn more about Rob at his <a href="http://robledonne.com/">website.</a></pre>

Rob LeDonne

Turning Stone Resort Casino and The Crescent illuminated at night in Central New York

Features

Betting on Italian Food in Central New York

Suzanne Storms D.HTM, MEd, B.A., CEC, CHE is an Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts and Management in the Department of Hospitality and Business Management at The Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) in Hong Kong and was raised in the northeastern United States.
Cultural curiosity and dedication to hospitality have led her from around the United States to China, the United Arab Emirates, France, Hong Kong, South Korea and back to Hong Kong.
She worked in the food and beverage operations of restaurants, major hotels and premier private clubs before transitioning to higher education.
She is a Certified Executive Chef by The American Culinary Federation (ACF) and holds degrees from the Culinary Institute of America, Tulane University, The University of Hong Kong and a Doctorate from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Chef Suzanne Storms

Rustic bread “Amo ago” Bakery, Oxtail suppli, Colli etruschi olive oil, Lardo battuto, Local sea snail in spicy tomato sauce, Finocchiona salami, Giancarlo Tanara 24-month prosciutto di Parma at DIECI in Hong Kong. Photo: DIECI, Paolo Olivieri

Hong Kong’s Italian Dining Scene

Caryn Antonini is a global culinary storyteller, media personality and host of The Cultivated by Caryn Show, a podcast exploring cultural and culinary experiences around the world. She is the founder of <a href="https://cultivatedbycaryn.com/">Cultivated by Caryn</a>, a global media brand at the intersection of food, culture, business and luxury, bringing people together through original content, curated experiences and collaborations.
A two-time TEDx speaker and graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Languages and Linguistics, Caryn speaks five languages. An avid traveler and home chef, she is fascinated by the traditions and stories that shape the way we experience cuisine, place and the art of living.
Find Caryn <a href="https://www.instagram.com/carynantonini/">@carynantonini</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cultivatedbycarynshow/">@cultivatedbycarynshow</a>
Photo credit: Miles Pearson

Caryn Antonini

Pietro Ruffo’s Constellation Globe at art’otel Rome Via Veneto

Inside Rome’s Art-Filled art’otel Via Veneto

A lifelong learner and mentor of Italian cuisine, Cathy Whims is happiest when she’s sharing her love and knowledge of regional Italian culture through food, wine, travel, and writing. 
Her deep dive into the soul and psyche of Italian cooking started over 30 years ago at Genoa,  one of the first high-end, chef-driven, seasonally focused restaurants in Portland, Oregon. During her 18-year tenure, 10 of those years as chef/co-owner, Whims introduced Portland diners to both the nuances of Italian ingredients and the concept of sourcing locally.
Today, she continues to share her passion through her three Portland restaurants (Nostrana, Oven and Shaker, and Enoteca Nostrana), the culinary tours she leads in Italy and the cooking classes she hosts around the world. Her writing and recipes have been featured in numerous outlets including The Wall Street Journal and Eating Well and soon in the pages of her first cookbook, scheduled to debut in 2025.
Whims’ culinary philosophy is grounded in the way Italians weave food into the seasons, holidays, love, friendships and daily life. Similarly, Cathy has created personal relationships with numerous farmers and ranchers in the Pacific Northwest, as well as winemakers in Italy and at home, crafting a community that celebrates the good things in life that come when you sit with friends at a table. Her ability to follow the seasons, creating brilliant food that comes from the heart has earned her six James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef Northwest and is the guiding vision behind all of her restaurants. 
Cathy’s community building includes serving on the board of Scuola Italiana di Portland, a non-profit school for all ages that promotes Italian language and culture, as well as ongoing collaborations with The Culinary Breeding Network, an Oregon State University initiative that aims to bridge the gap between ‘breeders and eaters’ by improving agricultural and culinary quality in vegetables and grains. And for many years she served on the board of Slow Food Portland–the first chapter in the United States of Slow Food, the non-profit, member-supported organization founded in Italy in 1989 to counteract the culture of fast food. 
Cathy is the owner of  three Portland, Oregon restaurants: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://nostrana.com/">Nostrana</a> (2006), her beloved flagship restaurant since 2006 that serves inventive regional Italian through the lens of seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients. Heralded  as one of the best Italian restaurants in the United States by Thrillist and Tasting Table, Best Pizza in Portland by Eater and Restaurant of the Year by The Oregonian in 2006, the year it opened.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://www.ovenandshaker.com/">Oven and Shaker</a> (2012), an urban pizza and cocktail spot in Portland’s Pearl District, with a second location in Lake Oswego. Named one of the best places for pizza in Portland by Portland Monthly in 2022.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://enotecanostrana.com/">Enoteca Nostrana </a>(2018), a gorgeous, modern wine bar and special events space with an award-winning wine list focused on small producers and creative bar programs. The 2018 Eater Portland Award winner for Design of the Year and a 2018 Portland Monthly Best New Restaurant.</li>
</ul>
Follow Cathy on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cathywhims/?hl=en">@cathywhims</a>.
Photo: John Valls

Cathy Whims

Fresh gnocchi being cut on a floured work surface. Image 4

Appetito Travels: An Expert’s Guide to Bologna, Italy

The farmhouse at Agriturismo Santa Lorica in Sassetta. Photo by Monique Evdokiou.