One of Italy's best-kept wine secrets comes to New York City for two weeks of curated dinners. Get to know the wines of Lake Garda at these events.

The Wines of Lake Garda Come to NYC

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Appetito Editors

The Settepani family, whose Brooklyn bakery has expanded to five locations across New York City.

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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.
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?
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.
Mandi loves to be a guest of events, signing books and donating a portion of her net proceeds to local charities. Her second cookbook, Mangia Y&#8217;all &#8211; Make Everyday Delicious, is scheduled to be released on July 19, 2025.
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.
Mangia Y’all!

Lowcountry Bella

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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 (any many others), Sarah enjoys covering everything from cultural identity to the evolving Italian-American food experience. A California girl at heart, when she’s not crafting stories, she’s chasing down the best food and drink 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

Executive Chef Michele Minchillo of La Vetta.

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Appetito

Assorted pizzas displayed in a glass case at Anto's PIzza Romana

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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

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Michael Politto Jr. is a retired Italian chef and accomplished journalist whose life’s work bridged the passionate artistry of traditional cuisine with the storytelling power of the written word. Born into a proud Italian-American family, Politto developed his culinary foundation under the mentorship of master chefs in Italy, refining his craft in some of the country’s most revered kitchens. His early career took him through the historic halls of Osteria Francescana, the elegance of Le Calandre, and the legendary La Pergola, where he became known for his disciplined technique and deep respect for regional Italian traditions. Over decades, Politto cultivated a reputation as a chef who could elevate rustic dishes into refined experiences, earning admiration from peers and critics alike.
In the later stages of his career, Politto transitioned seamlessly into journalism, bringing the same authenticity and depth to his writing that defined his cooking. As a contributor to leading culinary publications across Europe and the United States, he documented the evolving landscape of Italian gastronomy, profiling iconic chefs and preserving disappearing regional recipes. His work captured not just food, but the culture, history, and people behind it cementing his legacy as both a craftsman and a storyteller. Now retired, Michael Politto Jr. is regarded as a respected voice in the culinary world, a man whose life embodied the spirit of Italy’s kitchens and whose words continue to inspire a new generation of chefs and food writers.

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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>