L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano P ioneer Square is the heart of Seattle. Settled in 1852 by men and women who w e r e d r a w n t o i t s p r o t e c t e d d e e p - w a t e r h a r b o r , t h e a r e a burned to the ground in 1889 when a fast-moving blaze con- s u m e d 2 9 b l o c k s o f m o s t l y wooden structures. Q u ick ly r eb u ilt, th is time using brick and stone, Pioneer Square today offers some fine e x a m p l e s o f 1 9 t h - c e n t u r y Romanesque architecture. The neighborhood is home to quirky boutiques and a men's shelter, a r t g a l l e r i e s a n d h i s t o r i c s a l o o n s . N o w , o n e b u s i n e s s o w n e r h o p e s t o c r e a t e m o r e buzz by establishing a Little Italy there. The idea is being champi- oned by long-time restaurateur Luigi DeNunzio, a native of Puglia, who owns three restau- rants in Pioneer Square. His f l a g s h i p r e s t a u r a n t , A l Boccalino, opened in 1989 in an historic red-brick building that originally housed the Bedford Hotel. For many business owners, a fresh approach to marketing is s o r e l y n e e d e d t h e s e d a y s i n Pioneer Square. The neighbor- hood has several major con- struction projects underway, including a waterfront seawall restoration and a massive high- w a y t u n n e l p r o j e c t , t h a t a r e playing havoc with parking and ambience. By DeNunzio's count, there are 11 Italian food-related busi- n e s s e s n e a r b y , w h i c h h e believes is the densest concen- tration of Italian restaurants in the city. As a savvy business owner proud of his Italian her- itage, he hopes to encourage the other Italian restaurateurs to join him in creating and marketing a Little Italy. " I f w e w o r k t o g e t h e r , w e h a v e m o r e p o w e r , " s a i d DeNunzio. "When a new Italian wine comes on the market, we can all feature it. When the hol- idays arrive, we can all offer a traditional menu, focusing on our own regional specialties." D e N u n z i o i s a f i x t u r e i n Pioneer Square, acknowledged Karen True, director of business development at the Alliance for P i o n e e r S q u a r e , a n o n p r o f i t organization that promotes the neighborhood's businesses and public spaces. "Luigi believed in this neighborhood years ago when others were moving out," s a i d T r u e . " B u t w e h a v e 9 9 restaurants and cafes in Pioneer Square. All our chefs and restau- rant owners, Italian or not, are proud and passionate about what t h e y d o . P i o n e e r S q u a r e i s known for its diversity. That's what we're most proud of." Undeterred, DeNunzio con- tinues to create his own version of Little Italy. He offers a Little Italy food tour as well as cook- ing classes, and launched a web- s i t e c a l l e d S e a t t l e s L i t t l e Italy.com. In partnership with o t h e r I t a l i a n r e s t a u r a n t s , h e would like to start a series of sagre, or local festivals, where a particular food, such as cheese o r m u s h r o o m s , i s f e a t u r e d , a l l o w i n g p e o p l e t o t a s t e t h e product and learn more about it. More Italian events would bring more visitors to Pioneer S q u a r e , a g r e e d E m a n u e l e B i z z a r r i , w h o o w n s n e a r b y Caffe Umbria, but Bizzarri is uncertain whether the momen- tum could be sustained. Instead he would prefer a once-yearly festival. "We could hold it on August 15, which is Ferragosto in Italy and marks the beginning of the summer holiday period," said Bizzarri. "Or we could hold it on October 4, the feast day of St. F r a n c i s . T h e c h a l l e n g e , o f course, is getting everyone to agree and get involved and then getting someone to organize it." C a f f e U m b r i a f r o n t s o n a pleasant, brick-paved pedestrian mall with stylish new restaurants and art galleries nearby. The location would be an ideal spot for food vendors, music stages and other entertainment, accord- ing to Bizzarri. "We could close off the cross streets and make it interesting," he said. If it gets off the ground, a Little Italy festival in Pioneer Square would be the city's third Italian festival, each held in a different quadrant of the city. In s o u t h S e a t t l e , t h e r e i s a S a n G e n n a r o f e s t i v a l , n o w i n i t s third year. Festa Italiana, the "granddaddy" of the local Italian celebrations, is held at Seattle C e n t e r t h e l a s t w e e k e n d o f September. Now in its 28th year, F e s t a I t a l i a n a a t t r a c t s s o m e 30,000 visitors, with multiple venues offering Italian food, music, bocce, grape stomping, wine tasting and more. DeNunzio began his Little Italy campaign in earnest about six years ago. In 2009, he per- suaded then-mayor Greg Nickels to recognize 1 Yesler Way—a b l o c k c o n s i s t i n g o f a s i n g l e building where Al Boccalino is located—as representative of the area's "rich diversity of cul- tures" and the importance of retaining one's heritage. The signed document is framed and displayed in Al Boccalino's din- ing room. In reality, Pioneer Square never saw a great concentration of Italian immigrants. Most of the early Italian settlers lived southeast of the city in neighbor- hoods known as Rainier Valley and Georgetown. These less- urban spots appealed to immi- grant families who could enjoy the benefits of both city and country life. There was room to start a kitchen garden and raise chickens, yet the men were still c l o s e e n o u g h t o c o m m u t e t o construction or mill jobs. D e N u n z i o a d m i t s t h a t Pioneer Square may not have deep Italian roots but he is reluc- tant to give up his dream. "Little Italy's everywhere are dying," he said. "The older generation is gone. We must reinvent our- selves if we want to survive. Seattle's Pioneer Square may not be where a lot of Italians immigrants settled, but we can still offer culture, good food and f r i e n d s h i p . T h a t w i l l b e o u r future." RITA CIPALLA Seattle restaurateur dreams of creating a Little Italy in Pioneer Square Luigi DeNunzio, owner of Al Boccalino Restaurant, hopes to encourage other Italian restaurant owners to join him in creating a Little Italy Caffe Umbria, located in a pedestrian-friendly area of Seattle's Pioneer Square, is currently partnering with Luigi DeNunzio to offer a "Little Italy" food tour

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