Our passion for good food here at Vespa's has been passed down through the generations in my family. My Nana, Caterina was born in the Abruzzo region in Italy and migrated through Ellis Island with her husband William back in 1922.
I have many found memories of my Nana and her wonderful cooking. I can still hear her voice, "Mangia Stevie mangia!" as she piled on a little more pasta and rolled a couple more meatballs onto my plate. Nothing seemed to make her happier then to see me inhale another bowl of her pasta.
Luckily my Nana passed on many of these fine skills and passion to my mother Nancy. My mother, coming from an English background, grew up with a version of pasta that included boiled pasta and ketchup. Yikes! Thankfully Mom's skill set and passion for good food quickly grew and her love to teach and pass along her knowledge was a key factor in my love of food today.
We love to entertain, and for me that means great food to celebrate the gathering of family and friends. There is truly nothing more enjoyable than hosting the party. Whether at home with family, off at a ski lodge with buddies from high school or getting together with a small group of friends who share a passion for good food and wine, I have always loved making great food for others.
Luckily, my youngest son Jake has been bitten by the bug and has developed a true gift in the kitchen. He too loves food and with a couple of years in a culinary tech program and a couple of years spent with a great local chef he has learned the skills necessary to manage a professional kitchen at the ripe old age of 19.
