It can be difficult finding and keeping track of all the best Italian events around San Francisco. Experiencing the most out of the local cultural scene requires that one gets out of the house to join the community, whether it be admiring Renaissance art or drinking some delicious Nero d’Avola with newly made friends. To make your life easier, each week’s upcoming and ongoing events will be featured in a Monday post, so you’ll always be informed about what’s going on. If you have any suggestions or additions, please feel free to message me via email or Twitter.
ITALIAN CULTURAL EVENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 1/16 TO 1/22
Wednesday, January 18
Meet the Author of All Roads Lead to Rome: Jojo Capece (6:30 a.m.)
Italian Cultural Institute
814 Montgomery St., San Francisco
Author of All Roads Lead to Rome, Jojo Capece, and Carol Marcelli, wife of the Consul General of Italy in SF, present a story centered on Rome, traveling also to Turin and Sicily.
Il mercoledì incontro (7:00 p.m.)
Cafe La Scala
1655 N. Main St., Walnut Creek
If you’d like to meet some Italian speakers over a cup of coffee in the East Bay, head over to Cafe La Scala and look for the Italian flag. You’ll quickly make some new friends at this regular Meet Up event.
Thursday, January 19
Wine, Cooking and a Movie (6:30 p.m.)
Right Blend and Hands Gourmet
2325 Third St. #409, San Francisco
Executive Chef Stephen Gibbs teaches the culinary arts at this Italian-themed multi-course meal in the Dogpatch. Wine and a movie complement the evening, as well as plenty of new friends.
Saturday, January 21
Barbary Coast Trail Docent Tours - Part 3 (10:00 a.m.)
City Lights Bookstore
261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco
The SF Museum and Historical Society generously offers a free walking tour starting in front of Vesuvio Cafe and City Lights Bookstore. Part 3 of this series focuses on the cultural history of San Francisco's North Beach.
Watson Adventures' Munch Around Chinatown and North Beach Scavenger Hunt (12:00 p.m.)
Washington Square Park
Columbus Ave. at Union, San Francisco
Watson Adventures presents a fun and appetizing scavenger hunt through the history of Chinatown and North Beach. Bring a camera and your appetite, as you'll be exploring the neighborhoods in more ways than one.
Giochiamo a Bocce! (2:00 p.m.)
Lincoln Park
1450 High St., Alameda
Join the Alameda Italian Language Meetup Group for an afternoon playing bocce in Lincoln Park. Have no fear if you haven't played before, as they are more than happy to teach you how to play (in Italian, mind you).
Sunday, January 22
Discover Italy Sunday: Umbria and Le Marche
Museo Italo Americano
Fort Mason Center, Bldg. C, San Francisco
Wells Fargo sponsors this fascinating illustrated lecture conducted by Alessandra Giardino. The night is concluded with a tasting of regional foods and wine.
Caffè con gli amici (11 a.m.)
Caffè La Scala
1655 N. Main St., Walnut Creek
If you couldn’t make the Caffè La Scala Meet Up earlier this week, you have a second chance on Sunday. Look for the Italian flag and enjoy the smell of freshly brewed espresso.
ONGOING EVENTS
November 17 - February 19
Bernini's Medusa at the Legion of Honor
Legion of Honor
100 34th Ave., San Francisco
Bernini's Medusa makes her way to San Francisco, on loan via the Musei Capitolini in Rome. For more info and photos of this poignant piece of work, check out this article on Bernini's Medusa at the Legion of Honor.
November 17 - February 19
John Grillo: The Birth of Abstract Expressionism
Museo Italo Americano
Fort Mason Center, Bldg. C, San Francisco
The Museo Italo Americano celebrates an artist who is not only Italian-American, but also Italian-San Franciscan. John Grillo was an active artist during the post-war period when art was shifting from the “old world” to the new. His resulting style was regarded as a “truly homegrown art style,” with its inventiveness and dramatic intensity. Here are five reasons to visit the Museo Italo Americano.
October 29 - February 12
Masters of Venice: Renaissance Painters of Passion and Power
The de Young Museum
Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco
The ongoing exhibition at the de Young Museum presents 50 Renaissance-era paintings by great Venetian painters on loan from the Gemäldegalerie of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The exhibit includes artists primarily from the sixteenth century, including Titian, Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto, Mantegna and more.
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