This article is part of ITALY Magazine's Italian American series, where we aim to provide a glimpse into the lives and contributions Italian Americans have made and continue to make to their adopted country.
[Photo above: Chef Celestino Drago's Garganelli with Sicilian Sausage and Wild Fennel Pollen.]
October marks Italian Heritage Month in the U.S. A fun – and tasty – way to celebrate this heritage is by attending the Taste of Italy event, held in downtown Los Angeles next Saturday, October 10. For one evening, the square in front of the historic Pico House will transform into an Italian piazza, complete with Italian food and wine from some of the best Italian restaurants and wineries in Southern California (think Valentino, Drago Centro, Il Fornaio, Locanda del Lago, Celestino, to name just a few).
And, if you attend, you will not only eat good food and drink good wine; you will also contribute to a good cause. The event is in fact a fundraiser for the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA), the only museum in Southern California dedicated to the Italian American experience. The museum, which has now entered its final phase of construction and is slated to open in the coming months, is housed in the Italian Hall, just down the street from Pico House (for more about the IAMLA project, read my feature).
[Footrace beginning in front of the Italian Hall, circa 1917.]
Built in 1908, the Italian Hall is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest remaining structure from the city’s Little Italy. You may have never heard of a Little Italy in Los Angeles, yet the area now known as El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, the site of the city’s original settlement, was, in the 1800s, home to a vibrant Italian community, which greatly contributed to the development of early L.A. According to Italian Los Angeles, seven of the thirteen buildings on Olvera Street, the main street in El Pueblo, were either built or used for long periods by Italians and Pico House was rented or owned by them for more than half a century.
L.A.’s Little Italy
Italians started settling in L.A. in 1827, when Sardinia-born Giovanni Leandri arrived. Italian settlers soon became involved in the wine-making business, with many Italian-owned wineries occupying present-day Olvera Street, once called Calle de la Vinas, or Wine Street. By 1869, Los Angeles had become the wine capital of the country and many Italian immigrants were at the forefront of the business (Secondo Guasti’s Italian Vineyard Company was the world’s largest at the beginning of the 20th century).
Unfortunately, starting from the 1950s, Little Italy has been largely hidden by subsequent ethnic settlements, the largest being Chinatown. There are however some traces left of the once thriving Italian community, and, if you head downtown for Taste of Italy, why not arrive a little early and explore a bit of L.A.’s Italian roots. Below are a few suggestions within walking distance of Pico House – a good way to work up your appetite before Taste of Italy!
The oldest fire brick building still standing in L.A. is the Pelanconi House (17 Olvera St.), built between 1855 and 1857 by Italian vintner Giuseppe Covaccichi, who also owned a winery on Olvera Street. In 1871, Lombardy-born Antonio Pelanconi bought the house and winery, giving it its present name. The building now houses a Mexican restaurant.
[Photo: Olvera Street in the 1930s, with the Pelanconi House on the far right.]
Los Angeles’ oldest family-owned business is the San Antonio Winery, founded in 1917 by Lombardy-born Santo Cambianica. It is located in Lincoln Heights, just east of downtown (737 Lamar Street). In the 1920s, Prohibition devastated a lot of the wine-making business; San Antonio Winery survived by making communion wine. Today, the winery, which has been declared a historical monument in the city of L.A., hosts guided tours and features a restaurant and a wine shop.
An Italian community cannot exist without a church, and L.A.’s Little Italy had its parish too: St. Peter’s Italian Catholic Church (1039 N. Broadway). Established in 1904, it soon became the religious center for members of the Italian community and still plays an important role in the religious life of many Italian Americans living in the area.
The most important remnant of L.A.’s Little Italy is without a doubt the Italian Hall (entrance on Main Street, adjacent Olvera Street), once the social and cultural headquarter of the Italian American community of Los Angeles, built in the heart of the Italian enclave. After the 1950s, the building fell into disrepair, until the Iocal Italian community began raising funds to restore it and create a museum to commemorate the legacy of Italians in L.A.
Taste of Italy 2015
[Photo: Pico House plaza, where Taste of Italy is scheduled to take place on October 10.]
Italians moving to the U.S. brought with them their culinary traditions, but also created new ones by adapting traditional dishes to the ingredients they found in their adopted country. This year’s Taste of Italy explores both regional cuisine from Italy’s 20 regions, as well as food of the Italian-American diaspora.
Foodies will delight in the many stands offering authentic Italian delicacies, such as pasta, burrata, mozzarella, ricotta, olive oil, Neapolitan pizza, gelato, and more. Two Michelin-starred chefs will attend: Peppe Barone from Fattoria delle Torri in Modica (Sicily) will present guests with regional specialties, including stuffed calamari, eggplant flan and squid ink arancini (you can see him in action on the Chef’s Stage); Gianfranco Monuz, a native of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and the chef at Locanda del Lago in Santa Monica, will present highlights from the restaurant’s monthly communal five-course dinner Morso della Bestia (Bite of the Beast - intriguing, no?!). Nearly 100 Italian wines and spirits, both from Italy and California, will also be available. And if you want to bring a "taste of Italy" home, stop by the mercato (market), where you can buy authentic Italian products, including pasta and specialty sauces.
Who said you can’t eat delicious Italian food in the U.S.?
Get in the mood for Taste of Italy with this photo gallery from last year’s event.
Taste of Italy takes place Saturday, October 10, from 5 pm to 10 pm at Pico House plaza, 424 North Main Street, Los Angeles. Purchase your tickets here.
Stay tuned for updates about the opening of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles. More information is available here.
For more information about the history of Italians in Los Angeles, buy a copy "Los Angeles' Little Italy", written by IAMLA Executive Director Marianna Gatto.
