Italian American Cuisine

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The United States and Italy have been linked since the explorers Amerigo Vespucci and Cristoforo Colombo arrived on our shores. Italian immigrants have had major influences on our art, politics, business and culture. Not least of the cultural influences is cuisine.

The biggest influx of Italians to the U.S. came between the years of 1880 and 1914, with most coming from the South and from Sicily due to dire economic conditions. At one time, the newly unified Italy encouraged men of the South to leave and seek their fortunes elsewhere. Nearly 5 million came to the U.S. during that time.

Many of the new arrivals worked in factories and in agriculture. In the Northeast and in California, Italians started truck farms, selling their produce in markets in the cities. Many of those early farmers went on to establish large food companies: Chef Boyardee, Contadina, Progresso and Ghiradelli Chocolate. Some of the earliest grape farmers and wine makers in California were Italian: Gallo, Mondavi, Sebastiani, Seghesio, and Simi. These Italians pioneered winemaking until Prohibition came along in 1919. Many of these early wine makers survived by producing grape juice or sacramental wine for the Catholic Church, while others ripped out their grapevines and planted peaches or plums.

The cuisine brought from the South, la cucina povera (food of the poor), consisted mostly of vegetables, grains, pasta and rice. Southern Italian dishes formed the basis for Italian American cuisine. Pizza, dry pasta, tomatoes and eggplant all came from the Southern regions of Italy & Sicily.

In America, meat was relatively less expensive and it started showing up in some the traditional Italian dishes. Because of the availability of meat, meatballs and spaghetti became popular.

In 1906, Leone’s Restaurant opened in New York City, serving primarily traditional Italian food, but with dishes that were somewhat “Americanized”. Pizza first appeared in New York, Boston and Trenton, NJ around 1905, but didn’t gain widespread popularity until after the second world war. Soldiers returning from Europe had been exposed to Italian food and were a big market for pizza.

The concept of Italian American food was solidified by the introduction of packaged foods in the 1950s and 1960s. Growing up a in small Midwest town with zero Italians and no pizza parlors, we were introudced to Italian food by Chef Boyardee. Housewives (including my mother) were thrilled with spaghetti from a can and with “pizza kits.” Pizza from a box (before frozen) included a can of sauce, a package of dough mix and package of grated cheese. It was a popular item at our house on Sunday night. Today, I prefer M’tucci’s.

Later, during visits to St. Louis, usually to see a baseball game, we sometimes stopped at Ragazzi’s on the Hill (St. Louis’ version of Little Italy) for deep fried ravioli, a dish definitely not found in Italy.

Later, in my twenties, I traveled to San Francisco for the first time and was introduced to cappuccino and cioppino in the Italian area of North Beach. While cioppino might have been inspired by fish stews in Italy, it is definitely an Italian American San Francisco invention. Stroll along Fisherman’s Wharf and choose from Alioto’s, Capurro’s, Soma’s and Cioppino’s!

My favorite East Coast references to Italian American food came from “The Sopranos” television series. In it the housewives created dishes called pasta fazool (pasta e fagioli), and cooked with gabagool (capicolla) and rigoat (ricotta). Now that’s Italian American!

The menu at M’tucci’s is inspired more by traditional regional Italian cuisine, rather than Italian American. One of Company President John Haas’ early mentors came from Italy to work for awhile in the restaurant where John worked. Trips to Italy during the past few years have added more Italian inspiration to the food on our menus.

La Dolce Vita at M’tucci’s is inspired by Italy, not suburban New Jersey. Salute!

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Ravioli: House Made Ravioli filled with Wagyu Beef & Ricotta with House Pancetta, Artichokes, Crimini Mushrooms, Green Onions and a Light NM Red Chile Cream Sauce $27

24 oz. Hand Cut Herb-Rubbed T-Bone: Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction $36

Pan-Seared Alaskan Cod: Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichoke Hearts, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $29

12 oz. Fennel-Rubbed Braised Wagyu Beef Short Rib, Creamy Polenta, Sautéed Haricot Vert, Red Wine Fennel Braising Sauce $36

Weekend Cocktail

The Gambit: Starward Australian Whisky, Bigalet China China Amaro, Black Walnut Bitters


M’tucci’s Moderno

12 oz Hand-Cut NY Stript: Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Salsa Verde $28

Pan-Seared Icelandic Cod: Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Organic Baby Arugula, Roasted Artichoke, Lemon Butter Caper Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $25

Sackett Farms Pork Picatta: with Arugula, Tomatoes, Capers in a Lemon Butter Sauce topped with Feta over House Made Spaghettini $19

Weekend Cocktail

The Purple Rabbit: : Casamigos Mezcal, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, Raspberry Puree, Simple Syrup and Fresh Lime Juice


M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Seared Duck Breast: Bacon Sautéed Spinach, Roasted Beet & Mascarpone Risotto , Roman Artichokes, Vanilla& Thyme Oil, $21

14 oz NY Strip: Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Grilled Broccolini, Smoked Blackberry Bone Marrow Butter $28

Pan-Seared Norwegian Ocean Trout: Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Grilled Escarole, Stem on Artichoke Hearts, Lemon Butter Caper Sauce $29

Applewood Smoked Beet & Lemon Risotto: Wild Mushrooms, Thyme Oil $15

Weekend Cocktail

The Cure for What Ails You: Blended & Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Ginger Syrup, Fresh Lemon Juice, Ginger Beer and Aromatic Bitters

Live Music for January, February & March at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five and M’tucci’s Moderno

Thursdays @ 6:30 & Fridays @ 7:00

M’tucci’s Italian has soft cello or violin dinner music every Thursday night.


January

1/28

Jason Seel @ Moderno

2/3

RJ Perez @ 25

Eryn Bent @ Moderno

2/4

Lani Nash @ Moderno

2/10

Melissa Rios @ 25

Jason Seel @ Moderno

2/11

Cali Shaw @ Moderno

2/17

Kirk Matthews @ 25

Rj Perez @ Moderno

2/18

Lani Nash @ Moderno

2/24

Amy Faithe @ 25

Kirk Matthews @ Moderno

2/25

Eryn Bent @ Moderno

3/3

RJ Perez @ 25

Kirk Matthews @ Moderno

3/4

Lani Nash @ Moderno

3/10

Lani Nash @ 25

Nathan Fox @ Moderno

3/11

Melissa Rios @ Moderno

3/17

Amy Faithe @ 25

Jason Seel @ Moderno

3/18

Lani Nash @ Moderno

3/24

Eryn Bent @ 25

Melissa Rios @ Moderno

3/25

Kirk Matthews @ Moderno

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao