Festa Italiana, Honolulu, Hawaii

Italians first visited Hawaii almost 200 years ago. And while their numbers are small on the islands, wherever Italians go, their pride in their culture follows.

The Friends of Italy Society of Hawaii (FOISOH) is a group promoting the culture of Italy and Italians. They sponsor several events including wine tastings, Italian language classes, and movie screenings.

October 6th was FOISOH’s second annual Festa Italiana. Featuring artists, music, food vendors, and, of course, wine, Festa Italiana is a street party on Cooke Street in Kakaako, Honolulu.

We enjoyed some penne with pumpkin and ricotta and then snacked on some tiramisu before getting some drinks. For $20 we shared a glass of wine, a beer and an Amerol spritz. The spritz was the highlight of the three, garnished with a slice of local citrus and a sprig of rosemary.

The Hawaii Opera Theater performed a nice set at the festa. They put of several performances during the year and we’re looking forward to seeing them again.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides to Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Monsaraz, and Evora in Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms and is distributed by the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.