Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood was once home to Jewish immigrants from Germany and Russia. Surprise! The 1850s Gold Rush in California brought some of the earliest immigrants from Italy, who rented rooms from homeowners in Fell’s Point and along the harbor as they made plans to continue west to seek their fortunes. Lucky for us, many put down roots in Baltimore and never left. Some even opened restaurants.

One of Little Italy’s longest standing restaurants is Chiapparelli’s. In 1925 at the age of 26, Pasquale Chiapparelli arrived in the United States aboard the Conte Rosso from Naples. A tailor by trade, he came to Baltimore to join other family members who had immigrated here before him. In the early 1940's he opened a pizza place with his brother that would later become Chiapparelli’s restaurant. He married Anna Mary Pizza (yes, this was her last name!), better known as Miss Nellie, who made fresh ravioli for the restaurant daily. Today, Chiapparelli’s remains in the family with daughter-in-law Kit Chiapparelli and grandson Brian at the helm.

Please join us for a glass of wine, some appetizers, and a short stroll around Little Italy. We’ll start at Chiapparelli’s and hear from owner Kit about what it’s like to be a part of the Little Italy community. We’ll then take a short stroll to see a few landmarks, learn why St. Anthony is celebrated today for saving the neighborhood from the 1904 Fire, and if the weather is nice see some bocce ball in action. We’ll get all this done in an hour and be back by 6:30.