A makeshift Napoli, Italy was creatively constructed and temporarily tucked between The Hotel Roosevelt, Hollywood High and El Capitan Theatre in celebration of San Gennaro’s 9^th Italian Street Festival this past weekend. American flags, the vivid green, white, and red flags of Italy, shimmering banners and realistic murals of Italy aligned the alleyways in an appealing and multicolored hue. Amidst the food stalls, vendors, checkered tablecloths, roaming musicians, cigarette girls, stages, cooking demonstrations and games were memorabilia depicting heroic Italian Americans and The War Years.

Amid a jovial Neapolitan-like setting, fresh clams on the half shell, pizza, grilled sausage and peppers dripping its fragrant juices between Italian bread, crispy fried calamari, pasta and simmering chicken with a touch of garlic and spicy dried chili peppers were some of the Italian traditional dishes. Street festivals like these have been enjoyed on the East coast for 80 years where special treats such as zeppole, (a deep-fried dough ball rolled warm in powdered sugar) can be devoured fresh and hot! Napoli’s culinary famous temptation, the sfogliatelle, a multi- layered pastry dough expertly shaped into the form of a clam and filled with a savory-not-too-sweet- ricotta filling were dusted with powdered sugar and sold from trays carried through the streets.

The hot summer nights of last weekend brought children, couples and our war veterans together under main sponsors Jimmy Kimmel and Precious Cheese’s stage to hear traditional and modern Italian songs that provided enjoyment for people of all ages.

 

To recreate some of your own Italian recipes enjoyed at the festival visit: http://www.preciouscheese.com.    The San Gennaro Feast is a yearly event where all proceeds benefit The San Gennaro Foundation, a non-profit organization.