New Orleans will get a new celebration of Italian and Sicilian food and culture this fall with the inaugural Carla Pesono’s Taste of Italy, presented by The Italian Barrel. The all-inclusive, 21-and-over event is set for Thursday, October 8, from 6 to 10 p.m. on Fulton Street between Lafayette and Poydras Streets, adjacent to Caesars New Orleans.
Carla Pesono is a former television news anchor, MasterChef Season 13 Top 40 contestant, entrepreneur, and founder of CarlaMedia. She creates food, travel, and lifestyle content across social media. Taste of Italy reflects her passion for authentic Italian cuisine, storytelling and celebrating the rich Italian heritage of New Orleans.
The event will bring together a selection of New Orleans Italian restaurants, chefs, food vendors, wine and spirits brands, and live entertainment. Proceeds will benefit the Italian American St. Joseph Society.
Participating restaurants include The Italian Barrel, Copeland’s, Fausto’s, Procida, TANA, Venezia, Rizzuto’s, Pulcinella!, Saint John, Gattuso’s, Sala, DiMartino’s, Pascal’s Manale and Prestige Oysters.
Dessert offerings will include gelato, sorbetto, tiramisu and Italian cookies from Angelo Brocato, along with cannoli from Bae’s Bakery. Ruffino will provide wines and Prosecco, with additional cocktails including Campari Negronis, Aperol Spritzes, limoncello from Mid City Pizza, and Tito’s Vodka Espresso Martinis. Lyle Coffee Co. will serve espresso and affogato.
The event will also feature custom cigars from Casa Molina Cigars, Ruffino wine tastings and entertainment from Glo Worm Trio, Dohm Collective, and Frenchmen Street Productions.
One of the evening’s featured displays will be a more than 30-foot antipasti board weighing nearly 200 pounds and representing all 20 regions of Italy. The board was built by Jonathan Bertuccelli and will be part of the event’s celebration of Italy’s regional culinary traditions.
Sardinia-born, New Orleans-based artist Mariana Canu has also created a custom artwork for Taste of Italy. The original piece will be offered in a silent auction, with a limited number of posters available for purchase during the event.
Taste of Italy is presented by The Italian Barrel with support from Caesars New Orleans and a range of local sponsors and partners.
VIP admission begins at 6 p.m., with general admission beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are all-inclusive and the event is limited to guests age 21 and older.
Tickets: Purchase tickets through Eventbrite
Follow Taste of Italy on Instagram at @tasteofitalynola for event updates.
Dining and Cooking