Since our home is on Milano’s canals, known as the Navigli, “Living Like An Italian” has always been one of our mantras over here at LDJ. In lieu of being able to open our arms to all of our LDJBabes at Milan Fashion Week as usual, we gathered some of our New York contingent to have a slap-up Italian supper at our favorite restaurant Pietro Nolita, run by our man from Milan Pietro Quaglia (the whole thing is painted bright pink so obviously we love it). They share their New York hotspots and tell us how they Live Like An Italian stateside, mezcal negronis, killer carbonara and all.
“I met my husband in Rome almost ten years ago. It was love at first sight. A few years later we got engaged in Lake Como”
Nicky Hilton Rothschild, business babe and hot mama!
“Italy holds a very special place in my heart,” says the socialite and footwear mogul Nicky Hilton Rothschild. “I met my husband in Rome almost ten years ago. It was love at first sight. A few years later we got engaged in Lake Como. We have so many wonderful memories there.” For now, cacio e pepe at Pietro’s will have to do – “luckily I live in the neighbourhood,” she says. Though choosing just one all-time favorite thing about Italy is too much for Nicky – “I love the people, the food, the fashion, the culture. It’s allll fabulous!” – she is clear about her top NYC Italian joint. “ I love Rubirosa Ristorante in Nolita, it’s my favorite pizza in NYC!”
@nickyhilton
“I’m Brazilian with Italian heritage. I feel like we share the same joie de vivre as well as family-oriented values, both life essentials to me”
Renata Zandonadi, model and megababe
Renata knows New York like any girlfriend of an Italian restaurateur (her man is THE Pietro himself): through food. “Di Palo’s is a family-owned fourth-generation legit Italian shop where you can get the best cheeses, cured meats, pastas, sauces and other Italian specialties, friendly chat included.” What’s her favorite thing about her amore’s Italian culture? “Definitely the sense of humor, the abundance of laughter, the fact they don’t take things personally. I’m Brazilian with Italian heritage and I feel like we share the same joie de vivre as well as family-oriented values, both life essentials to me.”
On her must-visit list, she namechecks the rugged landscape of Capri, but back in New York the model’s must-go is “Officina Profumo, Farmacêutica di Santa Maria Novela’s store in Soho, a 400+ years old beauty brand from Florence where you can find amazing lotions, soaps, candles, diffusers. Their smell makes me travel to Italy instantaneously.” And we gotta know, if she had to order just one dish at Pietros? “The bucatini carbonara! It’s Pietro’s mamma special recipe, simple and light. No cream, no butter and it’s the most delicious ever. Nobody cooks better than Patrizia!”
@renatazandonadi
“Simple fresh food is the key ingredient to maintaining a sense of family”
Veronica Webb, model, muse and mother
Actor and former muse to Karl Lagerfeld and Azzedine Alaïa, Veronica Webb’s love for Italian culture starts with family. “[My favorite thing about Italy] is that it’s family first. Simple fresh food is the key ingredient to maintaining a sense of family.” But when it comes to eating out in New York, she’s got some gems. “Cipriani on 5th Avenue has old school elegance like no other place in New York. Think people watching wall-to-wall, a delightful bonus to every meal. Paola’s on Madison Avenue instantly transports you to Rome. As the name suggests, chef Paola – who started her career in the 1980s when female chefs were a rarity – still comes in and cooks her incredible menu.” Where is her favorite place to visit in this glorious country? “Firenze, because you can’t escape beauty and greatness. It’s a city of the arts. The walls are dripping with masterpiece paintings, statues sprout off the ground like blades of grass, and young people are everywhere laughing, studying, and living life. And then, of course there’s the food!”
@veronicawebb
“I order carbonara whenever a hangover tells me it’s a good idea”
Quentin Jones, artist and bellissima brainbox
What’s the British-born, NYC-based Quentin Jones’s favorite thing about Italy? “FOOD!!” The mixed-media artist and Cambridge graduate, whose lively style has been commissioned by Vogue and ID, orders the carbonara at Pietro’s “whenever a hangover tells me it’s a good idea” and says her latest Italian discovery is “mezcal negronis, which have been a little revelation in my NY cocktail life”. Italy’s impact on this British beaut hits harder than at the stomach, however. “I got married in Venice, having grown up visiting with my parents and then going for most art biennales. It is the most breathtaking place on the planet, and its impact never fades no matter how many times you visit.”
@quentin_jones
“I drink a cappuccino every morning, and I really try to sit and drink, savour it and chat with passing neighbours”
Sarah Slutsky, super stylist
How does Emma Watson’s stateside stylist Sarah Slutsky Live Like An Italian in New York? Simple. “I drink a cappuccino every morning, and I really try to sit and drink, savor it and chat with passing neighbors.” A little bit of conversation is exactly what she loves about Italian culture. “[My favorite thing about Italy is] the importance of actually conversing. Taking time to catch up with the people in your city, the livelier the conversation the better.” When she’s in NYC, Rubirosa is her go-to spot, no questions asked. In Italy, it’s the Amalfi Coast. “I will never get over all the lilacs and lemons. The winding roads, the leisurely strolling and taking it all in is all I ever want to do.”
@sarahslutsky
“Lucio Fontana and Alberto Burri are two artists I love so much. Last trip I took to Italy I was blown away by retrospectives by them”
Brianna Lance, artist, designer and the world’s best slashie
For the designer-cum-painter-cum-DJ-cum-all-round-creative-overachiever Brianna Lance, the Italian inspiration in New York is “unlimited”. When she’s not ordering the Healthy Bowl at Pietro Nolitas (“I like it mostly because it gives you a delicious Italian meal without the guilt of pasta”), she’s wolfing down an Italian Rainbow Cookie – “I honestly love them.” With an in-house design position at Reformation and multiple exhibitions under her belt, Italy for her is all about art, natch. “I love Lucio Fontana and Alberto Burri. They are two artists I really love so much and the last trip I took to Italy I was blown away by retrospectives by them.” What is she missing most about Italia RN? “Porto Ercole is my favorite place I’ve been in Italy. Swimming there felt like being transported to a time long ago. Even though they are all the same age the stillness of the Mediterranean makes it feel very ancient.”
@breez_lance
