I labored on the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics as a school pupil. I used to be fortunate sufficient for the official meals service firm of the Olympics to supply me a job promoting sizzling buttered rums and warm-you-up snacks at occasions together with the luge, the bobsled, and the ski bounce. I additionally offered sizzling chocolate on the Opening Ceremonies, carrying an unlimited vat of the candy, wintery beverage by way of the stands. It was chilly, it was exhilarating, and it was game-changing.

After my shift ended every day, I met up with associates to hang around in one in all a handful of darling eating places and bars in postcard-perfect Lake Placid, New York — the mountains and timber frosted in white, with smiles at each flip. Everybody gathered within the village: the athletes, their households, spectators, media, and Olympic officers. We shared recollections of the day’s occasions, good meals, and hellos in dozens of languages. World warming of the guts.

I beloved watching Eric Heiden pace skate in Lake Placid (what a thrill!) and, in fact, the second when the U.S. pulled off the Miracle on Ice. However my greatest recollections of the Eighties video games are usually not watching the athletes win medals however watching individuals from everywhere in the globe win respect for one another. And the video games are an exquisite studying alternative to share with youngsters.

Winter Olympics 2026: Italian Festivities within the U.S.

The Olympic Winter Video games 2026 in Italy will supply an antipasto of occasions unfold throughout Northern Italy in Milan, Cortina, Bormio, and different wintry Italian spots. Olympic protection typically consists of titillating tales and images of the vacation spot’s tradition and delicacies. Italy, little question, shall be particularly drool-worthy because of its wealthy meals, wine, and espresso café tradition. However you don’t need to journey to Italy to benefit from the riches of the area and faucet into the spirit of the tradition in the course of the Winter Olympics, spanning February 6 to 22. You’ll be able to expertise a few of the flavors of Italian tradition proper right here in the US. 

The USA’s Italian neighborhoods can have all of the vibes you’re after. They’re at all times festive and vigorous — the Olympics will solely make them extra partaking. 

Whereas cheering on Group USA, expertise Italy’s la dolce vita tradition and recipes handed down by way of the generations at these medal-worthy American spots.

Boston

Boston Public Backyard / Picture by Laurie Bain Wilson

This New England city is among the most European U.S. cities, mixing outdated with new seamlessly. Boston is for mitten-in-mitten strolls on snow-kissed cobblestoned streets, wood-burning fire glows, snowball throws at Boston Public Backyard (the nation’s oldest park), and rather more.

Boston’s North Finish is like New York’s Little Italy. It’s a uniquely close-knit neighborhood, and Italian delight shall be on full show in the course of the Olympics. Boston delight shall be a serious theme, too: Three of Boston Skating Membership members are competing within the Video games. 

Slender streets flanked with genuine Italian eating places and bakeries outline the North Finish. Count on strains out the door at Mike’s Pastry, Fashionable Pastry, and Bova, three of the most well-liked spots for cannoli and cappuccinos. 

Observe: Bova is open 24 hours.

Order “The Milan,” an Olympics-theme sandwich at Bricco Salumeria & Pasta Store, and you’ll be rewarded with a rooster Milanese on focaccia with arugula. And sister Bricco Ristorante options all the things you’d anticipate from a standard Italian restaurant. You’ll discover veal ossobuco, a preferred dish in Northern Italy the place the video games are being held. A swanky enoteca right here is a well-liked late-night spot with Italian dishes and sips, enjoyable for teenagers to expertise. 

Regina Pizzeria can also be celebrating a birthday; the old fashioned pizza spot turns 100 this 12 months and is the oldest restaurant within the North Finish. 

Observe: The North Finish can also be the place you’ll discover Paul Revere’s Home and the Outdated North Church for historical past lovers.

Boston skates circles round different cities relating to out of doors winter sports activities. Lace up and go skating on the Boston Frequent Frog Pond and curling on the Liberty Lodge. And expertise the much-anticipated Frostival Lodge within the coronary heart of Copley Sq.: a partnership between Meet Boston, Eataly, Wayfair, and NBC Boston. Count on a comfortable winter lodge with cabin décor paying homage to the Italian Alps, warming nooks, heated out of doors patios, youngsters’ motion pictures. Eataly will supply Olympic-inspired meals and sips, together with pasta-making lessons. And NBC Boston will present protection of the Olympics for guests to assist the U.S. throughout Olympic watch events.

New York Metropolis

Little Italy in New York Metropolis / Picture by Laurie Bain Wilson

Within the late 1800s, Italian immigrants moved into New York Metropolis’s downtown Manhattan in a neighborhood that turned often called Little Italy. The neighborhood is distinguished by white and inexperienced decorations that hold throughout small streets. As you traverse lots of the family-run markets and eating places, you’ll hear many staff and regulars conversing in Italian. It’s additionally residence to the annual San Gennaro pageant in September. Subsequent month, Little Italy will certainly be obsessed with all the things Italian for the Olympics.

Ferrara Bakery & Café in Little Italy, NYC / Picture by Laurie Bain Wilson

Ferrara Bakery & Café opened in 1892 and is a standard favourite for lobster tails and sfogliatella loved within the café. The oldest restaurant in Little Italy is Puglia, and it’s been the spot for reside music and rigatoni alla vodka since opening in 1919 by the Garofalo household (who nonetheless personal it). Lombardi’s is on the map right here as America’s first pizzeria. It opened in 1905 as a grocery retailer and is understood for its traditional pies in addition to clam pies. Within the spirit of the Olympics held in fashion-forward Milan, the Rooster Milanese is a win.

NYC may also rejoice the Olympics in Bryant Park. Children can channel their Olympic spirit with curling and ice skating right here. There’s a winter lodge for warm-ups, Olympic viewing events, and a bobsled from Group USA for picture ops.

Make a cease at Rosetta Bakery. Based by lifelong associates from Milan, the bakery has a number of places together with Bryant Park. The café has plain “Milanese vitality.” Don’t miss the bombolini, focaccia, and tiramisu: all signature objects with substances imported from Italy. 

Observe: Arthur Avenue within the Bronx, lesser identified to vacationers, is one other fashionable Italian neighborhood that locals in-the-know can’t get sufficient of and the place the spirit in the course of the Olympics shall be on show within the retailers and eating places.

Windfall

DiPasquale Fountain in Federal Hill, Windfall / Picture courtesy of Kenneth C. Zirkel by way of Wikimedia Commons

Federal Hill in Windfall, Rhode Island, is akin to Manhattan’s Little Italy and Boston’s North Finish. On the coronary heart is DePasquale Sq.’s fountain, the place you’ll rejoice the video games with camaraderie with others braving the chilly winter nights.

And since Rhode Island produces essentially the most squid within the nation, calamari is the official state appetizer. Ready the Rhode Island manner with banana peppers and sizzling cherry peppers, you’re certain to heat up. 

Al Forno is a James Beard award-winning restaurant that opened in 1980. Its signature dish is grilled pizza on a hardwood charcoal-fired grill, and the grilled pizza calamari is a regional hit. 

Angelo’s Civita Farnese — named for Farnese, a small medieval city northwest of Rome — opened in 1924. Immediately, there are nonetheless cozy cubicles sitting on black and white checkered flooring. The menu signature pastina soup, aka Italian penicillin, transports households to the motherland. They’ve home made tiramisu, too, which is a Northern Italy specialty.

Posters of Frank Sinatra and the solid of “The Godfather” hold on the partitions of the bar at Andino’s, the place you’ll be able to rely on some Rat Pack music. That is one other calamari spot, however think about the veal and rooster saltimbocca, the home specialty.

San Francisco

North Seashore, San Francisco / Picture courtesy of Zachary Moneypenny

Whereas the Northeast is residence to many “Little Italy’s” across the nation, the West Coast has North Seashore, San Francisco’s Italian haven. The neighborhood, positioned simply north of Chinatown, turned residence to many Italian immigrants following the 1906 earthquake. Italian delight is at all times on show with the nation’s purple, inexperienced, and white flag colours hanging throughout slender streets. Baseball nice Joe DiMaggio grew up right here on his favourite spaghetti and meatballs. North Seashore can also be celebrated as the house of the Beat Technology with a wealthy literary historical past vibe; novelist and poet Jack Kerouac lived right here as effectively. 

The oldest Italian restaurant within the nation is Fior d’Italia relationship to 1886, working in a number of completely different places and finally touchdown in North Seashore’s San Remo Lodge. Traditional Northern Italian dishes which can be fashionable in the identical spots the Italian video games are being held embrace risotto alla Milanese and osso buco con polenta.

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana (impressed by a small pizzeria in Naples, Italy), Molinari Delicatessen (San Fran’s oldest Italian deli relationship to 1896), and Caffe Greco and Caffe Trieste (espresso!) are different particular locations to go to for a little bit style of Italy. As a bonus possibility, Vesuvio Café is a nod to each Italy and the neighborhood’s storied literary legacy.

It Takes an Olympic Village

The Olympic Video games are rather more than a sporting occasion. They’re about the very best in sports activities — and the very best in individuals. The Olympics are about coming collectively. To benefit from the candy life. La dolce vita!

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Concerning the Creator: Laurie Bain Wilson’s work has appeared in Actual Easy, Working Mom, OpenTable, PBS/Subsequent Avenue, Journey Channel, CNN Journey, Journey Market Report, Eat This, Chowhound, Mother and father, Salon, Wine Fanatic, VinePair, and New York Occasions. She can also be a longtime correspondent at The Boston Globe. Discover extra from Laurie at weekendsandcupcakes.com and her Muckrack profile. 

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