Two Washington, D.C. Italian Food Icons, Joe Ferruggio and Amy Riolo, will appear at The 16th Annual Kensington Day of the Book Festival offering book signings, meet and greets and cooking demonstrations this Sunday, April 23, 2023. Event is Free and open to public. Enjoy the return of the festival in the heart of historic Kensington, MD and be charmed and dined all day! CiaoDC invites you to learn more about these Italian personalities!
If you are craving authentic Italian cuisine, look no further than Il Canale restaurant in the heart of Georgetown. Owner Joe Ferruggio has created an Italian trattoria that will transport any Washingtonian and their friends straight to bella'Italia in just one bite! CiaoDC recently visited Il Canale with friends from Rome and fell in love with the gnocchi bolognese! Era Buonissima! An Italian immigrant, Joe shares his experience in his book, "My Name is Joe, And I am a Pizza Man." Discover his journey from an Italian immigrant teen to an award- winning Restaurateur of one of the "World's Best Italian Restaurants and Pizzeria." Meet Joe this Sunday to hear his story and a meet and greet plus book signing at the Kensington Day of the Book Festival, Book to Plate event at 12:30 p.m. -12:50 p.m. in Kensington, MD. More information on festival here.Saturday, April 22, 2023
A Taste of Italy comes to Kensington, MD Sunday at the 16th Annual Kensington Day of the Book Festival!
Thursday, January 12, 2023
CiaoDC's Private Tour of Vittore Carpaccio at the National Gallery of Art
Discover the masterpieces of Venetian Renaissance Artist, Vittore Carpaccio presented in the first retrospective outside of Italy during a private one-hour tour at the National Gallery of Art on Tuesday, January 17, 1:00 p.m. Led by Senior Lecturer, David Gariff.
CiaoDC's Private Tour Tickets are $10 per guest. Lunch option available for additional fee. Meeting Location will be at the Gallery entrance of 6th Street. For more information or to purchase tickets, please click here.
Sunday, November 13, 2022
The new Italian American Museum of DC and Holy Rosary Church Tour Fall Series Launch!

Sunday, December 26, 2021
Buon Natale e Felice di Anno Nuovo!
Buon Natale!! The Christmas Season is truly the merriest time of year for my family. Growing up in an Italian American family at Christmas was magical. Christmas Eve was the star of the season. Traditionally we would gather to celebrate The Feast of the Seven Fishes or "Festa dei Sette Pesci." Fish only is to be served. This tradition honors the seven sacraments or seven virtues of Catholicism. The number 7 is biblically recognized hundreds of times. This tradition is celebrated among southern Italians, as my family is from Bari and Napoli.
Growing up I remember after my Dad, mom and three sisters and I celebrated Christmas in Bowie, Maryland, we would drive to New York to celebrate with our relatives - aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. We would visit Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island and the city for a Christmas Show and tree lighting. This was forever ingrained in my spirit and pride in being Italian. Oh the bread, oh the Italian bakeries, oh the homemade sauce and smell of garlic! No one does Christmas like New Yorkers - especially Italian New Yorkers. From the embellished decorations and lights to the abundant food and lavish celebrations. We grew up with the Rockettes, the tree at Rockefeller Center and the Christmas spirt of Queens and Brooklyn every year.
Walking into my grandparents home I would be welcomed by the smell of garlic and homemade gravy. My grandmothers dining room table was piled high with trays of my favorite Italian cookies: honey balls; little crescent cookies; jelly cookies; biscotti and pizzelles. My cheeks would be pinched by my Aunt Annette just in time to sneak in some of her stromboli while my grandparents paced around the kitchen stove critiquing the sauce, debating when the sausage should go in and how long to cook the meatballs.
The reverence of the holiday, the respect of the food, and the long-time traditions being served with such passion behind every celebration was a code of honor to be carried on for generations to come. We were Italian and this is how Christmas was to be celebrated - ALWAYS. Oh, and the presents! But yet, the presents I remember the least - We were the gift. Family, tradition and being together was the true gift on Christmas.
And from these beautiful traditions of family, food and festivities my sisters and I continue to honor and celebrate Christmas with the delicate touch that we learned from our ancestors. We'll gather this December 24, 2021 with our husbands and children, our mom and the spirt of our beloved father, Felice, in our memories at the table and beyond -- over linguine and clams, shrimp, crabs cakes and Italian vino. My children and nieces will make the Italian cookies and pizzelles, my nephews will make pizza and homemade pasta and our husbands will make the celebrated fish dishes.