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October 5, 2007

Christopher Columbus! The Hill's in USA Today's top 10

PROVIDENCE -- Federal Hill, where red, white and green stripes being painted on Atwells Avenue make the obvious more obvious, has made USA Today's Top 10 list of America's great Italian neighborhoods.

Mayor David N. Cicilline's office issued news release trumpeting the designation -- In just in time for this weekend's Columbus Day festivities.

The top-10 listing comes from an interview in today's USA Today's travel section with chef, restaurateur and TV personality Mario Batali, who offers quotes on where to go in each neighborhood around the country.

Of Federal Hill, Batali is quoted as saying:

"Stop by Scialo Brothers Bakery and then head to Venda Ravioli for a beautiful lunch with fresh pasta made every day from scratch, all served in a delightful little piazza with opera music blaring from tiny speakers in a Fellini-style setting."

The item suggests catching a WaterFire -- one of which is indeed on for tomorrow night in downtown Providence.

The others in the top 10 are Boston's North End, Murray Hill in Cleveland, Ohio, Little Italty in Manhattan, North Beach in San Francisco, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, Chicago's Little Italy, the 9th Street Italian Market in Philadelphia, the Hill in St. Louis, and San Diego's Little Italy.

Yesterday, Cicilline's office announced crews would start painting permenant stripes in the Italian flag's colors down the center of Atwells Avenue starting at 11:30 last night, in time for the Columbus Day parade and festival, which starts tomorrow.

Officials will kick off the Columbus Day Parade and Festival tomorrow with opening ceremonies at noon in DePasquale Square, 265 Atwells Ave. The parade is Sunday at noon, heading east on Atwells Avenue to Bradford Street.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 4:12 PM | Permalink

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