Italians and Italian Americans thrive during pretty much every season. Just look at how seriously they acclimate to winter with multi-course meals and gallons of red wine. But it’s summertime when they fully thrive, from long, seaside vacations to lavish festivals, with some sausage and peppers along the way.
To celebrate the season, whether you're looking for a gift to bring to your friend’s barbeque, a family party or just to treat yourself, here’s a guide to some gifts as enjoyable as lemon ice on a scorching summer day.
Cibo (food):
Pasta DiMartino’s Vesuvio Summer Tin Box
One of the crown jewels of Neapolitan cuisine, Pasta DiMartino has been an icon of the City by the Bay since its 1912 founding. The brand is so important to Italian culture that legend has it that they were the very first pasta company to cross the Panama Canal in order to feed hungry natives abroad. That rich legacy manifests today with an ever-global footprint, including acclaimed restaurants in both its home city as well as inside New York City’s Chelsea Market in the form of La Devozione, which features a regular menu of local classics along with an adventurous tasting menu. Aside from its massive variety of pasta shapes, the company packages them in gift tins which include bags of pasta, aprons and sauce. Their summer tin box boasts a throwback Neapolitan beach design and seven packs of PGI Gragnano.
Carlino’s Market’s Taste of Carlino’s Gift Box
Over in the States, Carlino’s Market has been an Italian oasis in Pennsylvania since its founding in 1983. With locations in Ardmore and West Chester, the company’s mission statement proudly states: “We believe in the process of artisan food, the origin, the transformation and how it's shared.” As a result, the family-owned company is known for their own brand of almost every Italian gourmet treat you can think of, from jarred sauce to oil, tapenade, pasta, grissini and even stuffed cherry peppers. It’s all included in their trademark Taste of Carlino’s Gift Box, which even features a wooden spoon and an olive oil spout.
Tasty Ribbon’s Postcard from Tuscany Gift Box
Let’s face it: vacations to Tuscany can cost a pretty penny. But when the region is shipped to you, the price is considerably less. Cue Tasty Ribbon, the brainchild of Giulia Scargetta. A native of Todi, Italy, Scargetta founded Tasty Ribbon gourmet Italian food company to bring her homeland to the masses. The brand’s newest box is their Postcard from Tuscany, boasting the classics (extra virgin olive oil, tomato bruschetta spread), as well as harder to find treats like cremino gianduja ingot and Italian Oolong tea. Cheers to that.
One of the most important products in an Italian pantry during the summertime is no doubt balsamic vinegar. For 230 years, Ponti has been at the forefront of the stuff known for glazes on barbecued meats or tossed with fried zucchini and fresh arugula salad. But beyond their foundational product, the company in recent times has introduced a Chef Line of premium glazes. It’s an endeavor that boasts varieties made with fig and pepper, to a specifically formulated barbecue glaze made with Apple Cider Vinegar. Bring any one of them to the next cookout your paisan hosts and slather on absolutely everything.
Beve (drinks):
Via Carota’s Sparkling Cocktails Variety Pack
One of New York City’s most popular Italian restaurants, Via Carota is a beloved West Village haunt and the brainchild of Rita Sodi and Jody Williams. In fact, they’ve turned their legend into an array of acclaimed restaurants (I Sodi, Buvette, Via Carota, Bar Pisellino, and The Commerce Inn), as well as the eatery’s namesake cookbook. Their continuing growth connects their deft bar program with the RTD (Ready to Drink) boom with picture-perfect glass bottles of sparkling cocktails, from Negroni Sbagliato to Paloma. And yes, just in time for summer they have a Spritz, too.
It’s the O.G., the giant, one of the most beloved Italian liquors in the country’s boozy history. While National Negroni Day isn’t until September, Campari on its own shines when the weather is sweltering and all you want is a refreshing sip. Because if a Campari Soda doesn’t cool you down, nothing will. As a result, a gift of Campari throughout June, July and August is as good as red gold. Even better: their bottle was recently redesigned.
There's nothing as quintessential to the Italian summer than the humble, yellow lemon. So, while the brand-new citrus aperitif Le Moné may not hail from Italy (it's actually produced in the Finger Lakes region of New York), it sure tastes like you’re back on the Amalfi Coast. Part wine, part spirit, the brand uses Meyer lemons. Fans of the drink sip it neat, on ice, or in a Le Moné Spritz, the latter of which includes equal parts Le Moné & Prosecco over ice. Best of all, it’s low ABV. Pucker up, bella!
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