SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Every morning, a group of Sicilian San Diegans gathers to talk and even laugh around a table in what the Little Italy Association calls the country's biggest Little Italy.
This is their home, but it’s also a foodie’s paradise, as traditional and contemporary Italian restaurants and beyond line the block.
Trying it all can be a bit overwhelming, but the Little Italy Association is giving the community a chance to try the dozens of restaurants in the neighborhood during the Taste of Little Italy event on June 18-19.
“The great thing about this event is actually over the last 16 years it’s helped us raise over $300,000 to benefit the programming, the beautification and the maintenance of our community," said Chris Gomez with the Little Italy Association.
Gomez said dozens of restaurants will participate over the next two days.
Participants will walk away with a full stomach and a history lesson about the neighborhood that’s been serving as a hub for Italian culture since the 1920s.
“Little Italy is actually an Italian fishing community. There were other cultures and ethnicities here, but it was predominately Italian. That’s why it’s called Little Italy," said Gomez.
You’ll find some fishermen's stories inside Filippi’s Pizza Grotto.
“If you’ve ever noticed up, they have these kainate bottles that are hanging from the ceiling. When the fishermen used to go in and get provisions at the cash and carry store -- Filippi’s cash and carry -- before they would go out to the boats. They would write their ‘IOUs’ of how much they owed the DePhilippis family, and they would come back and pay their bill," said Gomez.
The Taste of Little Italy event is sold out, but visitors are encouraged to try out any of the restaurants in the neighborhood.
