Italia Unita

05/07/2026

May brings spring, good food, and company. Our Monthly Cena was awesome and exceeded expectations! Oh, and Happy Birthday to Sal and Lisa!

04/22/2026

04/02/2026

April Cena, April Birthdays and Easter blessings. How blessed were we tonight with a special dinner prepared by Chef Tony! Fluffy ricotta gnocchi with cacio e pepe, lamb shank over risotto (in Season for Easter) and fritto misto to start with smelts. Chef Tony spoils us along with staff, Debra Panzini-Wright , Sadie DiCenso Tammy Pacitta and almost birthday girl Anna Tony Panzini Dicenso !

Lest we forget Anthony Avallone's big day! Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🇮🇹 Buona Pasqua!

01/04/2026

Scenes from La Befana!

01/04/2026

We are at Dello Sport East Boston! From 10 to 12. Join us!

12/27/2025

Dear Members,

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and look forward to a Happy New Year!

Please join us on

Sunday, January 4, 2026 for a Befana event!

Where: Caffe Dello Sport (EAST BOSTON LOCATION) 973 Saratoga Street.

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

A great opportunity to meet other members or bring a friend to join! *Event is for members in good standing, if you would like to join you may do so at the event.

Complimentary espresso, cappuccino and pastry!

Please RSVP to [email protected]

12/05/2025

🐟✨ The Epic Origin of Baccalà: A Venetian Story of Survival (1432)
The Veneto region believes the history of baccalà began in 1432, thanks to a Venetian nobleman named Pietro Querini.

Querini set sail from Candia (modern-day Crete) heading toward Flanders. But fate had other plans. Repeated storms shattered the ship’s rudder and mast, eventually forcing Querini and his surviving crew to abandon the vessel and hope for a miracle.

That miracle came in the form of land — the remote island of Sandøy, part of Norway’s Lofoten archipelago.

There, Querini and his men were rescued by the fishermen of Røst, a community known for their mastery of catching and drying cod on outdoor racks. Querini and his crew stayed with them for four months, learning their methods of preserving cod — the same method that would soon travel across the world and enter Italian cuisine as baccalà.

Querini recorded the entire experience in his written account,
“Relazione del viaggio in Fiandra” (Account of the Voyage to Flanders),
making it one of the earliest Italian sources describing stockfish and its preparation.

When he finally returned home to Venice, he brought the dried cod with him…
and unknowingly ignited a culinary tradition that would spread from Veneto to every corner of Italy.

🙏✨ Why It Became a Staple in Italy

Once baccalà made it to Italy, it didn’t take long for the Catholic Church to turn it into a household essential.

For centuries, Italians were required to avoid meat on Fridays and during Lent.
So what was inexpensive, nutritious, and preserved long enough to feed entire families?

💡 Baccalà.

From monasteries to market stalls to Sunday tables, preserved cod became one of Italy’s most relied-on foods.

🍽️🇮🇹 Different Regions, Different Love Stories

Every region turned this humble dried fish into something uniquely their own:

✨ Veneto – Baccalà alla Vicentina (slow-cooked with milk, onions, olive oil)
✨ Campania – Fried or stewed with tomatoes, olives, capers
✨ Calabria & Basilicata – Crispy fried baccalà with peppers on Christmas Eve
✨ Puglia – Baccalà with chickpeas
✨ Liguria – Brandacujun, a creamy whipped cod dish
✨ Sicily – Tomato-based baccalà stews for the holidays

Same fish. Completely different stories. That’s the beauty of Italian cuisine. 🇮🇹❤️

🎄✨ Why It’s Still on Our Christmas Tables

During La Vigilia (Christmas Eve), many Italians still avoid meat. For some families, baccalà isn’t just a dish — it’s a memory, a tradition, a link to ancestors who made the most with what they had.

It’s a food of faith.
A food of history.
A food that survived shipwrecks, storms, and centuries.

❤️✨ Your Turn!

Do you love baccalà or hate it?
👇 Tell me your region and how YOUR family makes it!

And if you want more Italian food history, traditions, and recipes, Follow Me 🇮🇹💕

12/04/2025

Our final Cena for 2025 and Christmas celebration! Rino's Place has once again exceeded expectations. Thank you Chef Tony, Anna, and exceptional staff for making it extra special! Buon Natale! Rino's Place Anna Tony Panzini Dicenso

Photo credits: Dr. Sherri (2025)

11/22/2025

Feeling nostalgic when someone shares a photo from the Italian Festival taken 20 years ago, then you meet them as a young adult. Yamina, thank you for sharing!

11/19/2025

Event Details - Regent Theater Arlington

Kick-off the holidays with world-renowned Italian-American tenor, songwriter, entertainer, and Carnegie Hall headliner Anthony Nunziata as he serenades and transports you with his soaring tenor voice singing timeless songs from the Christmas, Italian and Broadway repertoires. This proud Boston College graduate is excited to be returning to the Boston area for an exclusive concert of your favorites.

Described by BroadwayWorld as “America’s new romantic singing sensation” and hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “…a world-class pop singer,” Nunziata brings a heartfelt celebration of love, family, and holiday cheer to every performance.

This special concert event also marks the release of his highly anticipated new album and limited-edition vinyl, Anthony Nunziata: Christmas & You.

The brand-new show features Nunziata’s soulful take on “The Prayer,” “O Sole Mio,” “O Holy Night,” “Ave Maria,” “The Christmas Song,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Santa Lucia,” and so much more. Nunziata’s 70+ dates per year schedule includes concert halls and prestigious venues around the world including Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops Orchestra and Café Carlyle in New York City.

Let the season begin with this unforgettable evening of music & joy! Artist website: www.AnthonyNunziata.com.

SEAT PRICES

Premium: $49
Preferred: $44
Reserved: $39
all fees included