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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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

Golden lobster arancini topped with grated cheese and herbs, served on a white platter

News

This Week in Italian Food News: New Restaurant Openings & More (July 31)

Isabelle Kellogg’s luxury lifestyle marketing career, along with growing up in Manhattan, gives her a unique perspective on topics like wine, which she enjoys drinking and writing about. Meeting wine makers and attending wine tastings with the wine community helps keep her on top of trends and changes in the wine industry, which is ever-evolving. She was the founding Luxury Editor at Cottages &amp; Gardens magazines, and her articles appear in Upscale Living Magazine, Luxury Facts and The Luxxe Mag. Isabelle is also a guest lecturer at Harvard Business School, having co-authored a case study with them on French heritage jeweler Mauboussin.

Isabelle Kellogg

Felice Flatiron's soaring dining room was designed to highlight the restaurant's expansive Italian wine collection. Photo courtesy of SA Hospitality Group

Features

A Look Inside Felice’s Flatiron Take-Over

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 Stefano Secchi sitting outside the entrance to Massara restaurant in New York City.

Chef Stefano Secchi and His Team Return to Massara’s OG Broadway Location

<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.

Sarah Campise Hallier

Candice Guardino performs on stage during her one-woman comedy show Italian Bred.

Comedian Candice Guardino Shares the Stories Behind Italian Bred

Two Sicilian Sodas topped with sweet cream at The Sicilian Butcher.

Italian Food News: New Restaurants, Menus and More (July 25)

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

Giada De Laurentiis Partners with Peroni to Bring Buchette del Vino Experience to the U.S.

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

Appetito

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, was released in July 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!

Mandi Casey of Low Country Bella on a foam green Vespa in a floral skirt.

Lowcountry Bella

Recipes

Oven-Roasted Chicken with Fresh Figs

Anthony Castelvecchi walking through a historic street in Sicily.

ORIUNDI’s Anthony Castelvecchi on Preserving Italian Heritage

Margaret Ross is a hospitality professional and <a href="https://www.foratravel.com/advisor/margaret-ross">travel designer</a> based in Milan. With experience spanning restaurant brands, culinary R&amp;D, and experience design, she explores the intersection of culture, cuisine, and interaction through writing and curating. Originally from California, she has a soft spot for farmers’ markets and underappreciated produce, and hopes that one day lupini beans and puntarelle will have their moments in the spotlight.

Black and white photo of Margaret Ross with buildings in the background.

Margaret Ross

The pool with views across the Monferrato hills. Credit: Beatrice Giacchero

Travel

Autumn in Monferrato: A 3-Day Culinary Escape to Northern Italy

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

Why Italians Say “Ci Sta Come il Cacio sui Maccheroni”

Chef Jennifer Bajsel is a Dallas-based private chef, culinary educator, food writer, and host of Getting Saucy. Her Italian-focused cooking combines approachable technique with regional history, seasonal ingredients, and cultural storytelling. She has appeared on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay and Chopped and contributes food coverage to Living Magazine Texas. Jennifer serves as President of the Dallas Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International and holds dual membership with the organization’s Italy Chapter. Season 4 of Getting Saucy, My Italy Travels, will retrace the places, dishes, and people that transformed her understanding of Italian cuisine.
<a href="https://jenniferbajsel.com/">JenniferBajsel.com</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_bajsel/">Instagram: @jennifer_bajsel</a>

Jennifer Bajsel

Lunch with friends around a table at Ruffino Winery

No Italian Blood Required: What Italy Taught Me About Italian Cooking

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

Aerial view of Villa Sparina estate in the Gavi region of Piedmont.

Villa Sparina: A Deep-Immersion Escape in Piedmont Wine Country

Appetito News

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The wine country around Italy's Lake Garda, home to the Lugana D.O.C.

Appetito's Andrew Cotto appeared on the Little Italy Podcast with Deborah Zara Kobylt.