Meet Giancarlo and Veronica Palazzone, the Italian couple behind two of northern New Jersey's beloved Italian eateries.

The Italian Couple Who Came to New Jersey for Their American Dream

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Emmy Nominee, Cara Di Falco is host and executive producer of the cooking series “Cara’s Cucina.” The first show of its kind to receive an Emmy nomination.  She is also a culinary expert appearing on QVC, as well as a TV and radio host in the New York metro area. Cara hosts a culinary tour of Italy, giving fans an opportunity to vacation with her and learn about her beloved heritage through its regional cuisine.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Cara is a proud graduate of Rutgers University and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She’s been featured in We the Italians, Where Women Cook, and The Italian-American Podcast.
On top of her 2018 Emmy nomination, Cara is a Columbian Foundation Honoree for 2023, the 2012 &#8220;Woman of the Year&#8221; for the Italian-American Policy Society of NJ, and the 2019 &#8220;Woman of the Year&#8221; for the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Cara&#8217;s free time is spent enjoying nature, a good meal with friends and family, or snuggled on the couch with her dog Roxie.
Learn more about Cara at her <a href="https://www.caradifalco.com/">website.</a>
Follow her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/caradifalco">Instagram.</a>

Cara Di Falco

Features

A Visit to Cucina Fresca, an Italian Market on the Jersey Shore

<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

Jimmy's in Lodi, California. Photo credit: Patty Schmidt

Lodi’s Pete Murdaca on Jimmy’s, Pietro’s and Family Tradition

Morgan Hines is a New York City-based contributor for Appetito. She loves learning about and experiencing Italian cuisine and culture. Morgan is a full time reporter at PhocusWire and also contributes to Hotels Above Par, Women&#8217;s Wear Daily, Footwear News, etc. She was previously a full time reporter at USA TODAY and holds degrees from Columbia University and Georgetown University. Follow her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/morganemhines/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@morganemhines?lang=en">TikTok</a> at <a>@MorganEmHines. </a>

Morgan Hines

Recipes

Roscioli’s Cacio e Pepe: The Dish You Can Now Make at Home

Anita Jozsef is a Norwegian-Hungarian gastro journalist, luxury-hospitality communications strategist, certified Food Industry Communications Advisor, a certified Napa Valley Wine Expert, and a former private chef in luxury hospitality. Founder of TheTableofAnita Luxury Brand Marketing and Communications. 
She developed her career in gastronomy, gastrophotography, and luxury hospitality, with professional experience spanning Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Andalucía and Hungary. Her favourite topics to cover: blue food, seafood, Sardinian cuisine, wine from Veneto region in Italy, sustainable cuisine and honorouring women in gastronomy. Follow Anita <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anita.jozsef/">@</a>anita.jozsef.
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Anita Jozsef sipping wine with a pink backgroun

Anita Jozsef

Fresh sa pompìa beneath running water, framed by traditional Sardinian-style tiles that reflect the island’s rich decorative heritage.

Sa Pompìa: The Rare Citrus Preserving Sardinia’s Culinary Identity

Kristin L. Wolfe has been writing her whole life but has spent the last decade hyper-focused on food. She writes about chefs, tackling the stories behind their inspirations and processes, and the many ways in which they stay passionate and curious. She also focuses on legacy and longevity in restaurants, and what they do to survive amidst the ever-changing landscape. Wolfe is a former contributor to Forbes Dining and has bylines in various national and regional publications like Saveur, Observer, Cherry Bombe, edible, Serviette, CTbites, Chronogram, Valley Table, etc.
In addition to freelance writing for various outlets, she runs Cleavers &amp; Curls Substack, which delves into stories about heritage, ancestry, and legacy surrounding food, while sprinkling in the occasional piece about food-writing adventures. She’s building a new project, called Sensoriyum, which is a culinary, digital gallery or “playground”  where culinary insiders get to showcase their creativity at the intersection of food, art, and the senses. Sensoriyum’s quarterly is called Gazette. 
Wolfe also serves as a writing and literature professor in the Humanities department at the School of Visual Arts and Marist College, and formerly served as an adjunct at the Culinary Institute of America. Her book Office Hours: Tête-à-tête with Student Writers was released in January 2023.
<div>@kristinlwolfe @sensoriyum on IG. </div>
<div>Subscribe to her Substack, <a title="https://cleaversncurls.substack.com/" href="https://cleaversncurls.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleavers &amp; Curls</a>.</div>

Writer Kristin Wolfe in a black hat with glasses.

Kristin L. Wolfe

Chef Hillary Sterling in the kitchen with a lobster on a cutting board in front of her. Photo credit: Giada Paoloni

Inside AMMAZZA!: Chef Hillary Sterling of Ci Siamo

<a href="https://linktr.ee/maxtucci">Max Tucci </a>is the 3rd Generation Partner &amp; Global Brand Officer for Delmonico’s, New York, Owner of TUCCI-New York, an Award-Winning Author, TV Personality, Host, Producer &amp; Philanthropist.

Max Tucci

New York restaurateur Raffaele Lello Arpaia

Lello Arpaia Set the Table for Italian Fine Dining in New York

Writer \ Photographer
Cameron McIntyre writes in an immersive, expeditionary style that bridges field journal and lyrical travelogue. His work carries readers into the landscapes he explores through crisp, sensory detail, reverence for wilderness, and an eye for history’s lingering presence in place. Whether tracing alpine trails in Yosemite or wandering through Italy’s hidden towns, his voice blends the precision of a guide with the wonder of a storyteller. The result is travel writing that feels lived-in and cinematic, grounded in the grit of the journey, yet elevated by reflection, rhythm, and light.
Cameron McIntyre works as a narrative cartographer, tracing the contours of place through immersive, expeditionary prose and photography that merges the authenticity of a field journal with the resonance of a lyrical travelogue.
Explore more of Cameron&#8217;s work at his <a href="http://www.cameronphotographer.com/">website</a> and <a href="https://www.clippings.me/cameronmcintyre">portfolio</a>.

Cameron McIntyre

Historic rooftops and bell tower in the hill town of Asolo Italy

Travel

Asolo: The Hidden Hill Town of History and Perfect Prosecco

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

Appetito

Maria DelVecchio with the author during a food tour of Boston’s North End

Guides

My Beautiful North End: An Insider’s Food Tour of Boston

Part reporter, part pasta enthusiast, and always in search of a good story, the Appetito Editors bring readers the latest happenings in food, travel and Italian culture.

Appetito Editors

Tavern-style pizzas, sandwiches and salads at Dicey’s Pizza & Tavern.

News

This Week in Italian Food News: New Restaurant Openings (Aug. 21)

I am the idea behind and the co-founder of Mama Mancini’s. I am also a home cook, an obsessed entrepreneur, traveler, foodie, and I love sharing all of it with anyone who wants to listen. I believe passion fuels ideas and there is no such thing as a bad idea or too much passion. I look at the picture of my grandmother, Anna Mancini, holding me as a baby and think wow if my grandmother only knew that all those countless days of me learning how to cook by her side in Brooklyn would turn into this. After 25 years in the garment industry, I decided in 2007 it was time for a change. My idea: real meatballs made the authentic Italian way and sold in real sauce. To me there was no other way they should be offered, that was my big idea and Mama Mancini’s was born. The rest is history. So, I say this to everyone who has an idea: never give up; don’t listen to the people who say it won’t work. No idea is a bad idea and always chase your dreams. Let’s cook.

Daniel Mancini

Summer tomatoes with creamy burrata, fresh basil, oregano and olive oil.

Tomatoes and Burrata: A Taste of Italian Summer

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

Samuel Ghelli

A lone bean on a table next to a bowl of beans