You’re reading the Essential California newsletter <\/p>\n
L.A. Times reporters guide you through the most important news, features and recommendations of the morning.<\/p>\n
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service<\/a>, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy<\/a> such as personalizing your experience and ads. <\/p>\n The cuisine conjures up images in the American imagination of red-checkered tablecloth joints serving rich, heaping plates over multiple courses to loud, large, loving families. But it took decades for non-Italian Americans to embrace the culinary tradition, a process equal parts assimilation, celebrity endorsements and the sad-but-true fact that American eaters needed to get over their dining bigotry.<\/p>\n Changing perceptions of Italian Americans<\/p>\n Millions of Italians came to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, according to the seven-minute film that starts the exhibit, for one reason: hunger brought on by years of droughts, bad harvests and devastating earthquakes (hey, isn\u2019t that California\u2019s present and future?). <\/p>\n Those immigration conditions led to decades of stateside stereotypes of Italians as poor and violent<\/a> and their diet ridiculed as peasant grub. (To get the full history of that unfortunate moment in our nation\u2019s history, make sure to check out IAMLA\u2019s permanent exhibit \u2014 you won\u2019t regret it.)<\/p>\n Things began to change in the 1950s. The rise of companies like Chef Boyardee and Rice-A-Roni reduced complex dishes to cans and boxes. Italian American celebrities like Joe DiMaggio and Dean Martin opened their own restaurants. <\/p>\n \u201cMangia!\u201d showcases the different trends of Italian cuisine in this country via exhibits-within-exhibits devoted to their origins, including produce like tomatoes, products like cheese and coffee, and the Italian immigrants behind such all-American brands as Planter\u2019s Peanuts, Tropicana orange juice and McDonald\u2019s Big Mac. <\/p>\n A wall is even dedicated to clothing from Italian restaurants from across the country \u2014 T-shirts and hats, of course, but also bibs and even baby onesies \u2014 along with a map of the United States dotted with the locations and names of the oldest Italian restaurants in different regions of the country. A placard urges visitors to add any places the exhibit missed by writing them down in provided cards and leaving them with IAMLA.<\/p>\n The legacy of Italian Californians<\/p>\n \u201cMangia!\u201d is national in scope \u2014 but you can\u2019t tell the story of L.A. without its paisanes, so there are many nods to local pioneers. The first thing you see when exiting the elevators that take you to IAMLA\u2019s second-floor space is a giant sign for Little Joe\u2019s, the beloved restaurant that stood<\/a> in what\u2019s now Chinatown but used to be part of L.A.\u2019s own Little Italy. The restaurant shut down in 1998 after 101 years. <\/p>\n There are souvenirs from the Paris Inn Caf\u00e9, the longtime downtown establishment considered the city\u2019s first Italian restaurant, and Casa D\u2019Amore, the former Hollywood restaurant credited with introducing Southern California to pizza. Especially cool is the certificate by the Italian government bestowing knighthood to chef Nancy Silverton<\/a>, the San Fernando Valley non-Italian gal who helped to place Italian food in the upper echelons of U.S. dining through her tireless advocacy and delicious meals.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the best type of exhibit: one that\u2019s familiar yet surprising and where you not only leave smarter but also hungrier. <\/p>\n \u201cMangia!\u201d is also the swan song for curator Marianna Gatto, L.A.\u2019s indefatigable champion of the city\u2019s Italian American history who recently stepped down as IAMLA\u2019s executive director after 16 years at the helm and 21 years working with the nonprofit. Knighted by the Italian government like Silverton, she hopes that visitors \u201cleave with a deeper appreciation not only for the richness of Italian American culinary traditions, but also for the immigrant stories that continue to shape the American experience.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019ve got until the summer of 2027 to check out \u201cMangia!\u201d And no excuses, kids: it\u2019s FREE. Afterward, hang out on Olvera Street and grab something to eat \u2014 heaven knows those businesses need the help<\/a>.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s top stories A pedestrian crosses the street in the rain with an umbrella and a view of the Sixth Street Viaduct in Los Angeles on Feb. 5, 2025. <\/p>\n (Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Strong El Ni\u00f1oA strong El Ni\u00f1o is virtually a certainty later this year, federal scientists say, It is headed to being among the largest in the historical record dating back to 1950.Here\u2019s what that means for California.<\/a> Boyle Heights aftermathCity officials, local leaders and residents met with executives with Lineage after a devastating fire affected Boyle Heights. Officials said the company has provided few answers<\/a> about recovery. So-called billionaire exodusWhat else is going onCommentary and opinionsBill Plaschke writes: The world came for soccer. What it discovered about America in 1994<\/a> was something else.This morning\u2019s must readOther must readsFor your downtime The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, under construction in Los Angeles\u2019 Exposition Park. <\/p>\n (Myung J. Chun \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Going outStaying inQuestion of the day: What\u2019s the craziest beach setup you\u2019ve seen?<\/p>\n![\"Rain](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783696634_404_.jpeg\")
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