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

Silvia Davi is a multidimensional C-suite executive, entrepreneur, contributor, and board 
member, with a background that stems from leadership roles at Fortune 500 organizations, 
global consultancies, start-ups, and nonprofits. With a speciality in innovation, global marketing, 
corporate communications, business development, global partnerships and investor relations, 
and a deep passion for history, the arts and culture, Silvia is the Founder of <a href="https://www.vs-strategic.com/">V&amp;S Strategic Consulting</a>.

Silvia Davi, founder of Renaissance Minds.

Silvia Davi

Entertainer Sal "The Voice" Valentinetti.

The Art of Balance: Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti 

Sharla Ault is an Italian based creator of <a href="http://sharlafied.com/">sharlafied.com</a>, a website on hospitality, with focus on the drinks industry. She has vast experience in the business and has conducted masterclasses, judged bar competitions and attended bar shows around the globe. As a freelancer, she has written about travel, luxury and spirits.
As a travel writer, she is a regular contributor to Excellence Magazine (Lugano) and has been published in Condé Nast Traveler USA and UK, the Sunday Times travel magazine, La Cucina Italiana, edited the Cadogan guide, and is a local expert for Condé Nast Johansens.
She produced two Nardini Grappa handbooks, collecting recipes from bartenders worldwide. Her latest project is Spirits of Adventure, documenting spirits in liquid and soulful forms in her sailboat that has covered over 3000 miles from Italy to the Canaries and is planned to continue in fall 2026 to the Caribbean.

Headshot of Sharla Ault, pictured with an orange background, smiling.

Sharla Ault

James McKinley Thomason seated inside Club Carpeneto, a restored historic palazzo in Carpeneto, Piemonte.

An American is Spicing up the Town of Carpeneto

A professional chef and Italian cooking instructor for over 20 years, Deborah Dal Fovo has a passion for Italy. As a young woman in search of a more meaningful life, she left her home in the U.S. and moved to Northern Italy to rediscover family roots in the Dolomites. After living in Milan and Tuscany for 20 years and cultivating a wealth of culinary knowledge and skills, Deborah now divides her life between Italy and California, where she shares her mastery of Italian cuisine and lifestyle.
Chef Deborah has cooked for royalty, rock stars, tech moguls, and political leaders, and plenty of regular folk celebrating a love of the good life. She teaches Italian cooking online and in person at schools and venues around the world, including the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, Eataly Silicon Valley, and Italian Cultural Institutes.
Dubbed the Italian Martha Stewart by her clients, Deborah shares the beautiful Italian lifestyle ‘la bella vita’ through her brand of cooking and entertaining. You can find Deborah in the kitchen cooking up Italian feasts, teaching in person and online cooking classes, creating recipes and cooking videos for students and followers, and hosting week-long food and wine tours in the Dolomites for travelers wanting to get an insider taste of Italy. Deborah is sharing the passion for food and cooking that defines the Italian way of life!
For more on Deborah, please visit her site <a title="http://www.deborahdalfovo.com/" href="http://www.deborahdalfovo.com/">www.deborahdalfovo.com</a> and her La Bella Vita blog: <a title="http://www.theartofitalianliving.com/" href="http://www.theartofitalianliving.com/">www.theartofitalianliving.com</a>.

Deborah Dal Fovo

Meet the Pasta Maker Feeding her Community Through Crisis

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

Homemade lasagna on a wooden table in a sunlit Italian farmhouse kitchen.

The Italian Saying That Celebrates Leftovers

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

How to Add Pizza to Your FIFA World Cup Experience in New York

Sarah Campise Hallier is the Associate Editor at Appetito Magazine. 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 newsletter <a href="https://www.sarahhallier.com/about-1">here</a>.

Sarah Campise Hallier

Euphoria and Incanto: Two Taormina Restaurants Worth the View

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Appetito

Mortadella toast appetizer topped with sliced mortadella at Alla Vita Nashville

News

Chicago’s Alla Vita Arrives in Nashville

Jonathan Bailey in MARTINI's summer 2026 aperitivo campaign

Cocktails

Jonathan Bailey is the New Face of MARTINI’s Summer Campaign

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

Overhead view of the Mana Breeze cocktail with watermelon garnish beside the pool at The Dominick hotel.

Recipes

Sipping and Sunning: Mana Breeze Italicus-Infused Cocktail

Santa Margherita, LoveShackFancy Drop Giant Rosé Bottles Just in Time for Summer

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The Iced Trout: Salmon Trout, green apple and horseradish at Lido Palace on a white plate with gold and black square trim.