A brand new slice of Italy in Mount Lookout | Daily Briefing

Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer
Updated ·2 min read
Melissa De Giorgi and her husband, Andrea Stafano, the Italian Experience and VV Just Italian owners, stand inside the Italian Experience in Mount Lookout.
Melissa De Giorgi and her husband, Andrea Stafano, the Italian Experience and VV Just Italian owners, stand inside the Italian Experience in Mount Lookout.

Good morning, readers. This is Keith Pandolfi, Enquirer food and dining writer. Years ago, I traveled with a photographer to Naples to explore the origins of pizza – buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes and all.

While we were navigating that chaotic city (the birthplace of great-grandfather Luigi Caputo) with our guide, we would often stop at small, rather modern-looking cafes for a quick shot of espresso and a pastry or two.

I love the Italian way of drinking coffee. Instead of sitting in a drive-thru waiting for a 20-ounce coffee that’s so piping hot you have to wait 15 minutes to drink it, they down theirs quickly, usually while standing and conversing with whoever happens to be there, before they’re on their way.

I thought about these little pitstops in Naples while reporting on VV, a new Italian cafe and market in Mount Lookout Square. It is, no doubt, the most Italian Italian cafe Cincinnati has ever seen.

Since it opened a few weeks ago, I’ve visited VV at least five times for lunch, as well as apertivo – a sort of Italian happy hour, but better.

Check out my story today to learn more about the newest addition to one of the city’s most popular town squares and learn why the owners feel like Southern Italy and Cincinnati have more in common than you might think.

What else you need to know Thursday, May 25

☀️: Weather: High of 71, cooler with plenty of sunshine

🏛️: History in Cincinnati: 5 historic local places you won’t find in tourism guides

🏬: Planning for Memorial Day: What stores are open and closed in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky

✈️: Changes to CVG: New security in the airport

🎰: Hard Rock Cincinnati: Here's what's coming to the casino

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Before you go: Who's a good photo of the day?

Nicole Condrey takes a photo of her service dog, Via, at the Arlington Memorial Gardens in Springfield Township.
Nicole Condrey takes a photo of her service dog, Via, at the Arlington Memorial Gardens in Springfield Township.

Nicole Condrey – with Team Fastrax, a professional parachute demonstration team – takes a photo of her service dog, Via, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois. Condrey was helping with the flag install at the Arlington Memorial Gardens in Springfield Township for the “Field of Memories” on Wednesday.

The flags cover 10 acres and include names of individuals, both in the military and first responders. There are activities to honor these men and women throughout the Memorial Day Weekend. Check www.amgardens.org for the full schedule.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: A brand new slice of Italy in Mount Lookout | Daily Briefing