Appetito's Italian language instructor Luna is back with another lesson: 2 useful sentences to use in an Italian restaurant to order better.

Italian Lessons With Luna: 2 Useful Sentences to Use in an Italian Restaurant

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<p><strong>Mary Welsh</strong> is a Rome-based contributor for <em>Appetito</em>. After earning her BA from Barnard College and becoming a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, she completed her MA in Cultural Heritage at the American University of Rome, where her research focused on women’s roles in sustainable wine marketing and tourism. Today, Mary manages social media for Untold Italy and writes <em>Forks and Corks</em>, her Substack exploring the intersections of food, wine, culture, and travel, along with her own personal reflections. Follow her on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maryuncorked" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/maryuncorked&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761663283490000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0uCC-qQPiGid71GjDRnUxk">@maryuncorked</a>.</p>


Mary Welsh

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<p><strong><b>Samuel Ghelli</b></strong> is an Italian scholar and educator based in New York. He teaches and directs the Italian and Food Studies programs at York College, CUNY.</p>


Samuel Ghelli

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<div dir="ltr">Planted, harvested and aged in NY, Li Valentine has a background in education and marketing, with a passion for travel and all things wine. With roots in the boot, she has a special interest in Italian wine and travel. She is a certified wine professional and Italian Wine Specialist. In addition to writing about wine (<a href="http://discover.thewininghour.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://discover.thewininghour.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1697217195025000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2tvR1J02Hhj2IanKTun4fa">discover.thewininghour.com</a>), she is the founder of The Wining Hour, Inc., which includes a wine boutique that caters to the wine lover, as well as the vinous winechat (#WiningHourChat) on X (formerly Twitter).</div>
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<div dir="ltr">Follow Li on all social at @thewininghour.</div>


Li Valentine

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<div>Marianna Cuomo Maier is a National Board Certified Health &amp; Wellness Coach and the founder of <a href="http://www.gratawellness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.gratawellness.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw14YIpYbUloji2A2RHNVR0X">Grata Wellness</a>, where she empowers individuals to take charge of their health and cultivate joy through personalized coaching and engaging group sessions. Known for her holistic approach, Marianna leads transformative wellness workshops, events, and corporate wellness programs, utilizing an inside-out approach to foster growth and connection.</div>
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<p>Additionally, she is the founder of the Emerging Leaders Council of <a href="https://italianlanguagefoundation.org/web/?doing_wp_cron=1700083117.0815899372100830078125" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://italianlanguagefoundation.org/web/?doing_wp_cron%3D1700083117.0815899372100830078125&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2FeA-IVf0wN2W3zmaUJHKj">The Italian Language Foundation</a> (ILF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting Italian language and culture. Marianna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Yale University and a Master’s in Teaching from National Louis University.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gratawellness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/gratawellness/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0-p1BOSwGT2LwCBFQH-Smv">Join Marianna on Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.gratawellness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gratawellness.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3zJZn6DlYCdpYaedSJ9zYw">sign up for the Grata Wellness newsletter</a> for tips and inspiration. For personalized guidance, please email <a href="mailto:marianna@gratawellness.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marianna@gratawellness.com</a> or <a href="https://www.gratawellness.com/booking-calendar/complimentary-30-minute-consultation?referral=service_list_widget" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gratawellness.com/booking-calendar/complimentary-30-minute-consultation?referral%3Dservice_list_widget&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728582454046000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2pt-oFccDs6dDP44HSDO3D">book a coaching consultation</a> to begin your wellness journey today.</p>
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Marianna Cuomo Maier

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<div><span id="m_-1801881942376264922gmail-docs-internal-guid-a3c49eba-7fff-ee48-926d-9013faec32b2"><i>Graceanne LaCombe is a Louisiana-born food and wine writer who spends her time table-hopping across Italy. </i></span></div>
<div><i>She currently resides in Parma, where she works in external relations for ALMA, The School of Italian Culinary Arts.</i></div>


Graceanne LaCombe

Easter pastries and colomba displayed inside Grand Hotel et de Milan. Courtesy of Grand Hotel et de Milan

Gennaro Esposito’s Easter Colomba at Grand Hotel et de Milan

<p>I am the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Appetito magazine. I like Italian food &amp; drink, a lot. I am also an award-winning novelist and a regular contributor to the New York Times. More about my work can be found at <a href="https://andrewcotto.com/">Home &#8211; Andrew Cotto</a>.</p>


Andrew Cotto

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<p>Lowcountry Bella (Mandi Casey) is Italian by birth and Southern by choice. Moving to eastern North Carolina as a young girl, she was exposed to a whole new type of cuisine like BBQ and hush puppies. As an adult, she embraces both cultures so you never know what she may be cooking up in her kitchen! Currently she lives in both Pawleys Island, South Carolina and Fort Mill, South Carolina.</p>
<p>Her family continues to grow, and that makes her happy because there are more people to feed and love. What&#8217;s better than that?</p>
<p>In addition to creating, cooking and sharing great recipes, she loves to research the history of food origins. Understanding the flavors and ingredients helps her creativity, but more-so, appreciate the meal with even more passion.</p>
<p>Mandi loves to be a guest of events, signing books and donating a portion of her net proceeds to local charities. Her second cookbook, <em>Mangia Y&#8217;all &#8211; Make Everyday Delicious</em>, is scheduled to be released on July 19, 2025.</p>
<p>Please follow her on her website <a href="http://www.lowcountrybella.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.lowcountrybella.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1705416623316000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2qLX1Ag56lHqdrjNXYhkQG">www.lowcountrybella.com </a>or on social media: @lowcountrybella on both Instagram and Facebook.</p>
<p>Mangia Y’all!</p>


Lowcountry Bella

Strawberry mascarpone shortcakes made with buttery biscuits and fresh spring berries.

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Appetito's Andrew Cotto (center) with the co-hosts of Good Day New York, Curt Menefee (left) and Rosanna Scotto (right).

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<div><i>Toni Brancatisano was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, one of four children and the younger of twins. Her father, Giuseppe (Joe), was born in Calabria, Italy, to Vincenzo and Concetta, and is one of nine siblings. Like many Italian families seeking new opportunities, they emigrated to Australia in the 1950s, bringing with them the traditions, values, and flavors that would later shape Toni’s culinary path.</i></div>
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<div><i>Toni graduated from The Royal Melbourne School of Nursing in 1993. Two years later, she set off on what was meant to be a six-month working holiday in London. That short adventure quickly turned into a three-year journey when she became nanny to two-year-old triplet girls. When visa restrictions eventually required her to leave the UK, Toni found herself in La Jolla, California, where she spent several months working as a prep chef in a friend’s Italian restaurant — an experience that further sparked her love of cooking.</i></div>
<div><i>In August 1998, Toni arrived in Tuscany intending it to be her final summer abroad. Life, however, had other plans. A Tuscan wedding and two children later, she found herself firmly rooted in Italy. During those early years of motherhood, her passion for baking blossomed. What began with birthday cakes for her children soon grew into a thriving cake-decorating business specializing in cupcakes, celebration cakes, and elegant tiered wedding cakes.</i></div>
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<div><i>Toni stepped into the national spotlight in 2009 when she competed on Italy’s first cooking reality show, La Scuola — Cucina di Classe on the Gambero Rosso Channel (Sky). After twelve weeks of intense culinary challenges, she emerged as the winner, earning her own television show.</i></div>
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<div><i>In 2010, she launched Le Torte di Toni, a cake-decorating series co-starring her daughter Annabella. The pair filmed three seasons together, followed by two additional series titled Le Torte di Toni — Masterclass, where Toni welcomed guest cake decorators in each episode. In 2012, her first book, La Torta Perfetta di Toni, was published by Gribaudo Feltrinelli.</i></div>
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<div><i>After nearly fifteen years in Tuscany, Toni moved to Rome, where she continued sharing her passion for Italian food and culture. She led food tours and cooking classes with Eating Europe, catered events for the Australian and New Zealand embassies, appeared as a guest speaker, and worked as a food stylist for advertising campaigns.</i></div>
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<div><i>In October 2025, Toni’s first Italian cookbook for the American market was published in the United States by Mentoris Publishing, bringing her love of authentic &amp; traditional Italian home cooking to a wider international audience.</i></div>
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<div><i>Today, Toni focuses on leading private food tours in Rome, offering visitors a bespoke and deeply personal experience of the city’s culinary traditions. Working directly with travel consultants around the world, she curates tailored itineraries that connect guests with authentic Roman food, local artisans, and the stories behind Italy’s rich gastronomic heritage.</i></div>


Toni Brancatisano

plated roast lamb with potatoes garlic and rosemary

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<p>Hello. My name is Joanna Moeller, and I am a passionate home cook residing in downtown Manhattan for 20+ years. I started my Instagram cooking page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spaghettiroots_nyc/"><u>@spaghettiroots_nyc </u></a>in April, 2023, as a way to showcase my cooking, as I initially intended for it to be more of an inspirational cooking page featuring my &#8220;No recipe, recipes.&#8221; It has truly been a wonderfully creative outlet for me.</p>


Italian Lessons With Luna: 2 Useful Sentences to Use in an Italian Restaurant

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