Ways to Explore Italian Roots in Buffalo

Last updated on January 3rd, 2023 at 09:20 pm

The Alex half of Wanderlust Marriage’s mother’s side is from Buffalo, New York, near world famous Niagara Falls. This is where I spent my early childhood before we moved to Orlando when I was 9 years old. Two months ago Bell and I moved from Dublin to Boston. So we had the opportunity to revisit Buffalo and Niagara Falls for the first time in several years. Re-connecting with my mom, uncles, aunts and cousins was a great time. It also offered us the opportunity to explore Italian roots in Buffalo.

An Influx of Italian Immigrants to the USA in the early 1900’s

The United States, like many countries in the world, is a melting pot of cultures. Its seen waves of various immigration over the centuries of its existence. The early 1900’s saw an influx of Italian immigrants. They largely came from what’s still the poorest part of Italy, the south, from places like Sicily and Calabria. Scores of people came to America for a better life, but many never found it in their new homes of New York City, Boston and elsewhere. Many people were packed into what became slums, and this hardship saw the birth of the Italian American mafia.

Fear of Immigrants

As with all waves of new immigration, many Americans were scared that these new people would destroy the American way of life. But as the last 100 years of history has shown the United States, those Italian immigrants would assimilate to contribute in all walks of American life. They brought a cultural richness to enhance the nation. For us the most notable contribution the Italians brought to the USA is delicious food. And we have especially enjoyed it in our new hometown of Boston and in the restaurants and bakeries of the Buffalo area, as well in in my families homes there.

Italian Roots in Buffalo Spawned from Sicily

My great grandparents came from Sicily in the early 1900’s and eventually made their way to Western New York state. Today Buffalo boasts some of the best Italian American food in the United States. Large proportions of Buffalonians have kept cooking customs passed down in the family and often still refer to themselves as “Italian.” My family in Buffalo all know how to make incredible pastas and are firm believers in using fresh ingredients to make these dishes.

Italian American Dining in Buffalo Spanning Multiple Generations

A great Italian restaurant we thoroughly enjoyed while visiting Buffalo was Marco’s. My Uncle, Joe Kulpa, has frequented the restaurant since childhood. He witnessed many changes, but a constant has been delicious food. Joe enjoys food more than anybody we know. He could hardly contain himself with excitement at the flavors of Marco’s.

We started with spicy stuffed peppers stuffed with ricotta cheese, which were one of the most delicious starters we’ve eaten anywhere in the world. My uncle had an incredible eggplant parmesan which he rated the best he’s eaten in Buffalo, I had a delicious penne pasta with spicy sausage and Bell had gnocchi (the only weak link of the dishes we tried). It was delicious.

Bell and I recently visited the beautiful Lombardy region of Italy, so our expectations were high. We also enjoyed a chat with the table next to us. They were two older couples of Italian decent themselves. They discussed their upbringing, including how speaking Italian in Buffalo schools as children was discouraged. While none of these Italian Americans had visited Italy, they identified with Italian culture and referred to Italy as “the old country.”

Childhood Home in Niagara Falls

My childhood home was located in Niagara Falls. It has subsequently been demolished. Across the street, DiCamillo Bakery has been owned by the same family for generations. It’s located in the same spot since their humble founding in 1920. The bakery is rightfully proud of their tradition. They’ve now expanded to have several locations across the Buffalo area.

While the sweet and savory items are very different from what you’d find in Italy. They’re still delicious and we highly recommend visiting DiCamillo Bakery. If you have a rental car and want to organize a picnic near stunning Niagara Falls, DiCamillo Bakery has some of the very best donuts you’ll find in the United States. They also sell fantastic Sicilian influenced pizza including tomato pie. Delicious cakes and scores of fresh baked bread varieties are in abundance.

Italian Heritage Festival

The annual Italian Heritage Festival takes places in North Buffalo. It draws around 500,000 visitors over four days. The festival celebrates Italy’s 20 diverse regions with great food, great times and lots of Italian flags. They even have computers set up for Buffalonians to research their family lineage back to Italy. If you’re ever in Buffalo in mid-July, the Italian Heritage Festival is worth checking out!

There are Italian Roots in Buffalo, But it is a Quintessential American City

But make no mistake, Buffalo is still a quintessentially American city with no shortage of American flags and a general belief that the American way of life is best. Asides from cooking delicious Italian influenced food, my family grills great American barbecue and we had a wonderful time catching up over scrumptious hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken legs and deer steak at a campsite in Batavia and at my families beautiful lakeside cabin near the Six Flags theme park.

Buffalo rests just across Lake Erie from Canada. So Canadian influence has also infiltrated Buffalonian culture. Labatt’s beer and Tim Horton’s coffee and donut chain, both large Canadian companies, are very popular in Buffalo. Labatt’s is one of the major sponsors of the Buffalo Bills football team. Tim Horton’s is a sponsor of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team. The origins of both companies are Canadian.

The more we discover of the world, the more we realize how inter-connected we are. Centuries have spawned a dynamic fusion of cultures.

Do you have a favorite spot for experiencing the Italian roots in Buffalo?