Typically a spring event in the past, the Italian Community Center's annual A Taste of Italy food-focused fundraiser takes place in October this year.
In the past, "Taste" was in April and Festa followed in July. But post-covid, Festa moved to September at the ICC. Now that the grande Festa has returned to the Summerfest grounds and kicks off the festival season in spring, "Taste" has shifted.
This longstanding tradition at the ICC, 631 E. Chicago Ave., is set for 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6.
"Since October is Italian Heritage Month, this affords us the perfect time to again share our culture with the community," says Sandy Winard, who is both executive director of Festa and president of the Italian Community Center.
A Taste of Italy is run entirely by ICC volunteers, and helps support the annual Festa Italiana.
As always, there will be a 50/50 raffle and musical entertainment in Festa Hall, but the food will be the real star.
Familiar favorites will be back, including meatballs, stuffed shells, eggplant spiedini, pizza, sausage sandwiches, pasta with marinara sauce, Italian beef sandwiches, sfincione (Sicilian-style pizza), arancini (rice balls), pizelle made on-site, Italian cookies, cannoli, tiramisu, gelato and more.
Tickets are $4 and samples are one ticket each, except for calamari, which will run you a pair of tickets.
"Come hungry and treat yourself to an afternoon of food and fun at the ICC," says Winard.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
