The history of Italian American food runs through L.A., stunning new exhibit shows

Names like DiGiorno, Delmonico, Ghirardelli, Gallo and other Italian American food brands are so ubiquitous that most people don’t realize it took a minor miracle for such mainstreaming to happen.

That’s one of many insights gained from viewing “Mangia! The Evolution of Italian Food in the United States,” an awesome new exhibit at the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) on Olvera Street.

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.

Changing perceptions of Italian Americans

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’t that California’s present and future?).

Those immigration conditions led to decades of stateside stereotypes of Italians as poor and violent and their diet ridiculed as peasant grub. (To get the full history of that unfortunate moment in our nation’s history, make sure to check out IAMLA’s permanent exhibit — you won’t regret it.)

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.

“Mangia!” 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’s Peanuts, Tropicana orange juice and McDonald’s Big Mac.

A wall is even dedicated to clothing from Italian restaurants from across the country — T-shirts and hats, of course, but also bibs and even baby onesies — 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.

The legacy of Italian Californians

“Mangia!” is national in scope — but you can’t 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’s second-floor space is a giant sign for Little Joe’s, the beloved restaurant that stood in what’s now Chinatown but used to be part of L.A.’s own Little Italy. The restaurant shut down in 1998 after 101 years.

There are souvenirs from the Paris Inn Café, the longtime downtown establishment considered the city’s first Italian restaurant, and Casa D’Amore, 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, 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.

It’s the best type of exhibit: one that’s familiar yet surprising and where you not only leave smarter but also hungrier.

“Mangia!” is also the swan song for curator Marianna Gatto, L.A.’s indefatigable champion of the city’s Italian American history who recently stepped down as IAMLA’s 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 “leave 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.”

You’ve got until the summer of 2027 to check out “Mangia!” And no excuses, kids: it’s FREE. Afterward, hang out on Olvera Street and grab something to eat — heaven knows those businesses need the help.

Today’s 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.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Strong El Niño

• A strong El Niño 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’s what that means for California.

Boyle Heights aftermath

• City 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 about recovery.

So-called billionaire exodus

• California drew ten times more venture capital than any other state this year.
• Instead of uniting the left, California’s billionaire tax measure has split Democratic allies.

What else is going on

• Bonnie Tyler, husky-voiced singer of “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” died at 75. Here are her 5 essential songs.
• Bacteria levels spike at several L.A. County beaches: See which ones to avoid.
• A nail salon owner was charged in a scheme that bilked fellow Vietnamese immigrants.
• Los Angeles hotels were saved by a last-minute surge in World Cup bookings.
• LAUSD faces “severe” signs of insolvency; county warns it could take control of budget.

Commentary and opinions

• Bill Plaschke writes: The world came for soccer. What it discovered about America in 1994 was something else.

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For your downtime

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, under construction in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• Museum: The Lucas Museum will give free annual passes to South L.A. neighbors
• Movies: The titanically misguided live-action remake of “Moana” is missing the heart in its ocean

Staying in

• Television: At 90, K Callan is loving her moment in the limelight with “Widow’s Bay”: “I’ve been really lucky”
• 🥗 Here’s a recipe for Bill Addison’s perfect martini.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

Question of the day: What’s the craziest beach setup you’ve seen?

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And finally ... the photo of the day

Orsis Vega, 46, of L.A. does pull-ups as temperatures reach the low 90s at North Hollywood Park.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Today’s great photo is from Robert Gauthier, showing Orsis Vega’s skyline tattoo.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Hailey Branson-Potts, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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