Italian Clubs, Events, Lifestyle; Travel Italy

A new Italian restaurant is set to open Wednesday, March 1, in Louisville, Kentucky.

The new “Proof on Main”, has been described as a restaurant that will serve American food with an Italian flair, or as featuring “modern American cuisine with Tuscan influences.”
You’ll also be able to order octopus and Neapolitan-style pizza; the kale will be Tuscan; the fries will be sprinkled with herbs and Parmesan cheese.

- Proof on Main is scheduled to open at 702 W. Main St., Wednesday, March 1. For reservations, call (502) 217-6360(cq). ( Source: The Courier-Journal )

Here are two Italian clubs in Bradenton, Florida, with the meeting schedules.

- Bradenton Sons of Italy
The Sons of Italy meet at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday.

- American-Italian Club

The American-Italian Club meets for potluck dinner at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month at the clubhouse at Bayshore on the Lake, Phase 2, 6519 Lake Bayshore Drive. There are no dues or rules. Cost: $1.50 per person to cover minimal expenses such as coffee and cake. Information: 756-0067.

(Source: The Herald)

Among the fun stories about Italian culture I read in the American newspapers in these Olympic weeks, one is about our dining habits.

How an American reporter sees Italian dining habits.
Thom Gabrukiewicz, who is covering the 2006 Winter Olympics for the Record Searchlight - Redding, Calif., and Scripps Howard News Service, writes:

..Italians do not eat to live, they live to eat…

Exaggerated!

…First, forget about dining at 6 p.m. A lot of restaurants aren’t even open, and if they are, you’ll be seated near the two other tables of American tourists trying to make heads or tails out the Italian menu….

It is completely true.

About the ‘Aperitivo’, says:

First, you must start with an apertivo. At about 8 p.m., you leave your flat and seek out a bar or an enoteca - a wine shop that offers tastings, and has little finger-foods to help with your wine choices. ….The apertivo can be a glass of wine, or something like a Campari and soda…Once you’ve had your apertivo, it’s time to move on to the restaurant, and only after 9 p.m…

Thom, keep in mind, just when we dine out keep to the schedule you are telling about. That doesn’t happen any day. The same for the Aperitivo habits.

…If a restaurant’s food isn’t as good as what Italians can make at home, they don’t go out. …We’ve been to places where they didn’t serve a single vegetable; the explanation being the cook couldn’t get anything worth serving that day.

That’s true!
Here you have the ( full story )

I spotted a couple more interesting stories by American reporters in Turin for Olympics, so I added it to ‘What Americans are saying about us’ series.
Wayne Fish, phillyburbs.com, about ‘how do the Italians view TV show The Sopranos‘, writes:

The Sopranos…might not be the most popular American show on Italian TV. That distinction reportedly goes to Desperate Housewives….The question is: ‘How do the Italians view this show (The Sopranos)?’ A 20-year-old Turin University student working for the staff at the place where I’m staying , says he believes Italians aren’t upset with the portrayal, and for two reasons.
-First, this type-casting has been going on for generations, long before the Godfather became a movie in the ’70s…..
-And second, Italians don’t take any of the stuff that comes out of America too seriously.

Here the ( full story )

Samantha Hayes, ksl.com, about the Italian markets, writes:

…If you like an organized and planned approach to shopping, the Italian market may be a little overwhelming…..As an American, maneuvering your way through the Italian market can be quite an adventure, there is really nothing quite like it at home. Be ready to barter, and brush up on the metric system…

And finally American athlete Lindsey Kildow, from St. Paul, Minn., on ohio.com, about the the lack of fans, says:

…”Italians. There are no public Italians here”
That was Kildow’s way of saying the locals don’t appear to be supporting the Olympics.
….