There are conversations that feel academic, and then there are conversations that feel personal. This one was very much the latter.
In December, I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion that explored a question many of us who live and work in hospitality, especially Italian and Italian-American hospitality, have been circling for years: Italian vs Italian-American cuisine—what’s the real difference? Is it a divergence? A dilution? A continuation? Or something far more nuanced?
The idea for the panel came from my friend, the Consul General of Italy, Mario Bartoli, after many thoughtful conversations about the Italian kitchen versus the Italian-American kitchen. Not as opposing forces, but as living, evolving expressions of culture. The event took place at Eataly Chicago, and was moderated by food and wine writer Ari Bendersky, whose ability to guide dialogue with both curiosity and respect made the evening feel less like a debate and more like a shared table.
Italian vs Italian-American Cuisine: A Conversation About Identity
What struck me most wasn’t any single answer, but the collective acknowledgment that food, especially food rooted in migration, carries memory, adaptation, and identity all at once.
Italian cuisine is deeply regional, deeply specific, and fiercely protected, and rightly so. Italian-American cuisine, on the other hand, was shaped by circumstance: by ingredients that were available, by communities forming in new places, by families recreating flavors from memory rather than proximity. It is not “less than.” It is different. And difference does not negate legitimacy.
Understanding Italian vs Italian-American cuisine is not about ranking authenticity. It is about recognizing how culture survives, evolves, and remains meaningful across generations.
Preservation Without Stagnation
Panelists including Angelo Lollino, Ron Onesti, Elio Bartolotta, Leonardo DeBiasi, and others brought perspectives shaped by generations of lived experience; chefs, restaurateurs, and cultural stewards who understand that preservation does not mean stagnation. That honoring tradition does not require freezing it in time.
This conversation felt especially resonant for those of us working in hospitality today. Culture is not static. It is carried forward through intention, through how something is prepared, shared, and remembered.
When Food Becomes the Answer
One of the most meaningful moments of the evening came after the discussion formally ended, when Chef Silvia arrived with pasta, because of course she did. Because food continues conversations in ways words alone cannot.
Plates passed. Stories lingered. The room softened. And in many ways, that felt like the truest answer of all.
Hospitality, Legacy, and Why Intention Matters
As someone who lives at the intersection of hospitality, legacy, and celebration—both through Gene & Georgetti and through my work at Michelle Durpetti Events, I’m constantly reminded that what matters most is intention. How something is made. Why it is shared. Who is welcomed to the table.
Not Rivals, But Relatives
Italian and Italian-American cuisines are not rivals. They are relatives. Sometimes brothers. Sometimes cousins. Occasionally strangers. But always connected.
And if you were paying close attention that evening, you may have caught a quiet preview of something new we’re working on—an endeavor rooted in that same belief: honoring where we come from while thoughtfully building what comes next.
Stay tuned. 🍝✨
