La Piazza Dario wants to help you and your family get into the holiday spirit, Italian style!

The holiday season is now officially upon us and, as always, we want to help you celebrate the best way we know how: the Italian way! As Christmas is a largely celebrated holiday in Italy, we wanted to share a few fun and festive Italian holiday activities that are offered right here in Vancouver. Below are a few of our Italian-themed suggestions for you and your family to partake in this December. Enjoy!

Italian Holiday Activities in Vancouver

• Try your hand at making a few our of favourite Italian Christmas recipes, such as baccalà or panetonne and pandoro. 
• Attend Il Centro's School Christmas Concert, featuring songs and scenes from students of the Italian Cultural Centre's Italian Language School. (Feel free to come by afterwards for lunch!)
• When: December 13th, between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm 
• Where: Grand Ballroom in the Italian Cultural Centre 
• Cost: Free 
• Learn how to speak Christmas Italian!
• Discover what Christmas in Italy is all about! Watch Rick Steves' European Christmas Part 8: Italy video. 
• Visit us at La Piazza Dario and celebrate the holiday season with family, friends and Chef Claudio's authentic Italian cooking. 

We hope you enjoy getting into the holiday spirit and we look forward to welcoming you to our table at La Piazza Dario!

(Image via Pixabay)

Today's spotlight features the charms and flavours of Montepulciano!

Italy is filled with wonders beyond its incredible cuisine. Today we're taking a mini tour of the gorgeous little Tuscan hill town of Montepulciano!

This gem of Italy is one of many charming places to visit. It is a medieval and Renaissance town located in the province of Siena in Southern Tuscany that is renowned for culinary delights as well as its Vino Nobile. In fact, connoisseurs consider its Vino Nobile among Italy's best! Although labelled as a medieval and Renaissance town, recent findings are uncovering roots that date it back to the 4th and 3r centuries BC!

Enjoy this video and discover the history, flavours and wonders of Montepulciano! Then come visit us for a taste of some exquisite Italian wines! ;)



(Image: Montepulciano, Toscana, Italy; by Alex Pears, via Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Eat like royalty, eat like Italians!

You don't need to be a part of a monarchy or old world nobility in order to eat like kings and queens! Italians pride themselves in creating beautiful food, full of simple, fresh ingredients, all whipped together with love. Food has always been a sacred experience in Italy. Wine and delicious, home-cooking bring generations of friends and family together to celebrate the every day and experience true Italian culture! 

Join us for that authentic Italian experience and feast the Italian way! Here's a delicious video to inspire your tastebuds! Don't worry, you don't need to fly all the way to Florence in order to enjoy Italy's cuisine. Just come on by to La Piazza Dario and Chef Claudio will make sure those cravings for Italy are taken care of for the evening. ;)

Have a happy long weekend! 

Usually the perfect time for a weekend getaway, long weekends just aren't long enough to get us to Italy and back before the work week begins again. But we do have a two solutions for you to help you take care of your Italian cravings!

Join us on Friday or Saturday for a delicious and authentic Italian meal that will have your tastebuds completely satisfied. In fact, as you take your first bite of perfectly al dente pasta, close your eyes and let the flavours transport you to lively Italian piazzas! Then, once you have your fill, sit back and relax with a beautiful dessert and Italian espresso!

We'll be closed on Sunday and Monday but we home to you very soon! For now, enjoy these travel bites from Rick Steves!




(Image via Pixabay)

So you're planning to visit Italy… 

Where do you begin? Italy is beautiful, diverse and vibrant country filled with life and an abundance of places to see and experiences to be had. When you are planning a trip, there is a lot that goes into to creating the perfect Italian experience. 

When to go, where to go, what to bring, how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, what to see… Don't let the details overwhelm you! With proper planning and the best advice, you can easily plan your most amazing trip yet! 

To help answer all of these questions, travel expert and Italian enthusiast, Rick Steves, is sharing his tips and tricks to planning the perfect vacation in Italy 101 with Rick Steves!

Here are our top two recommendations for planning your vacation:

1. Come to La Piazza Dario and get inspired by the delicious, authentic Italian cuisine of Chef Claudio. Chat with us and ask your questions!

2. Add the idyllic Abruzzo region of Italy, homeland of our talented head chef, to your Italian itinerary!

See you soon and happy planning!

(Image via Pexels)

Christmas is fast approaching...
Learn all about Italian Christmas traditions!

Italy has a wealth of culture. It comes as no surprise then that the Christmas season is filled with unique traditions and practices that one can experience for more than just the 25th of December! Here in North America as we approach Christmas Day, our minds are full of Christmas shopping and gift lists.

*PAUSE: Come visit us for a delicious and traditional Italian food that will leave your taste buds and tummies oh so satisfied! In fact, treat your friends and family to the La Piazza Dario experience for a tasty Christmas gift! UNPAUSE*

But in Italy, people have much more that just shopping and one special day to prepare for! The Christmas season includes many important feast days and different characters. Watch this video from Rick Steves to learn just a little bit about Italy during Christmas time!

Enjoy and of course Buon Natale!

Discover an Italian tradition: the passegiata!

Coming from the Italian word, passeggiare, to stroll, la passeggiata is the the Italian ritual of the evening stroll. Before dinner, it's a healthy habit that gets you moving and relaxed after a day of work and routine. It's a social affair where people go to see and be seen, often dressed to impress. If you find yourself out and about in almost any Italian city, town or village for la passeggiata, you'll be able to observe entire families with children on proud display, young women fluttering eyelashes, acquaintances tipping hats, stories of the day being exchanged... It's a cultural performance that is a quintessential part of the Italian way of life.

It's a tradition enjoyed by all generations and one of the best times to people watch. As the sun goes down, the people come out and the passeggiata commences. Watch...



Come by La Piazza Dario to fuel your love of Italy and inspire the Italian lifestyle!
Learn more about the passeggiata from Fodor's Travel and discover the most Italian time of day. Ciao! :)

Yet another Tuscan gem that sparkles with the architecture, history & culture of Italy!

Never heard of it? Well we are sure you've heard of a famous composer that called Lucca home: Giacomo Puccini.

But there's more to this beautiful town than the operatic wonders of Puccini. Watch this charming video snap shot of Lucca from Rick Steves and we're sure you'll be inspired to wander it's winding streets.

Join us this weekend for a delicious, authentic Italian meal as you dream of the Italian life in Lucca...

Shakespeare may have been English, but even he couldn't resist setting a great piece of literature in Verona, Italy!

Verona: it's a household name thanks to jolly ol' Shakespeare and yet it's not often on the list of must-see places for the thousands of visitors Italy welcomes on a regular basis. Some even say it is one of Italy's most underrated cities!

Well, today we are showing some love to the city known for being the home of the mythic feuding Capulet and Montague families and doomed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Enjoy this video hosted by travel guru, Rick Steves, as he introduces the charms of yet another beautiful Italian destination...