Join us for FREE coffee as we celebrate the launch of our coffee bar!
July 1 – 3 • Soft Opening
7am – 3pm
Find us at the dog park in Little Italy (Date and Union Streets)
Get a free cup of freshly brewed coffee when you stop by to say hello.
Bring your friends and help spread the word of our new coffee bar in Little Italy’s Amici Park!
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When you don’t see Neapolitan tenor and Little Italy favorite Rosario Monetti belting out a favorite aria in awe-inspiring programs and venues locally and globally, you can find him overseeing his newest venture — Meshuggah Shack in Mission Hills — serving up a great cup of coffee, and often with a tune at no additional charge. You can also see Rosario perform in Little Italy at Amici House in the coming months where he assembles unforgettable shows. We sat down with Rosario to ask him about his latest endeavor.
What attracted you to this new venture?
It was by chance. A friend told me about the coffee kiosk on sale, and the funny thing is that we always talked about this little place and how much we loved it. Everything started from the previous owner who, about 10 years ago, turned a bank ATM into a coffee kiosk — yes, it was an ATM before. The quirkiness is basically the creativity of the old owner but even more the contribution over the years of the loyal customers — each of them has put in a bit of his own vision of the place.
As an Italian entrepreneur in San Diego, what have you noticed about differences in business (and lifestyle) practices between Italy and the U.S.?
The main difference from a business point of view is the easier approach to bureaucracy here, from the very beginning to the final step for the business to be active and alive. In Italy, the bureaucracy is a nightmare, which pushes away many entrepreneurs from my native country. The lifestyle also is very different —everything in Italy is delayed — breakfast at 8 a.m., lunch at 1:30 p.m., and dinner at 8:30 p.m. And, of course, the nightlife as well — and I mean daily nightlife — you go out at 11 p.m. over there, and here at 11 p.m., you are already in your dreams, sleeping.
What advice would you give to new entrepreneurs coming here?
To learn the American and Californian culture and lifestyle first, which gives you a better perspective and perception of who your future clients will be. What works in our own country, no matter how effective it is and how good we are over there, can be a failure over here. Long story short — whoever comes here for the first time and wants to be an entrepreneur has to put his native cultural ego on the side and be willing to accept the cultural differences of this place and be willing and happy to work with it; compromise and melt in with it; without, of course, losing his own authenticity and flavor.
Tell us about your passion and singing career.
My passion for music started when I was a kid even if I was not really aware that I was able to sing. Eventually some friends of mine were playing in a bar, and because they previously heard me singing in the car with them asked me to sing something and join them at this club. The song was “With or Without You” by U2, and it was a success. The people went crazy and requested me even the day after, and so I became officially part of the band. That was the moment I understood that I had the potential and the talent to be a professional singer. The real game changer came later on when I started studying music and voice, and my first teacher told me that my voice was naturally made to sing classical and opera, and here I am as an opera singer now.
What new musical projects are you working on?
I am working on organizing a beautiful concert with a 25-piece orchestra with the collaboration of an acclaimed orchestra director and music arranger who has arranged and directed the music for Andrea Bocelli and many other famous Italian singers. I am also going to Sicily for a week as a guest singer for an archeological and wine tour, and there are other projects that I will tell about and promote very soon.
What do you want people to know about Rosario Monetti?
Come see me at the Meshuggah! When I am there, most likely I will be singing while making coffees! Remember that a smile is always something available for everyone. For me, it’s all about my love for life, music, and a cup of great coffee.
Visit meshuggahshack.com for more information.
Meet Tom Cesarini, Convivio founder and executive director, and learn more about Convivio in our community!
This week, the Brunetto Family of Mona Lisa laid to rest its patriarch, Stefano Brunetto (known to me and most of the community as “Zu” Stefanu, meaning “uncle” in Sicilian.) He touched the lives of many of us and was a fixture in our community. When I would see him, he would remind me of my importance: “Tu si numero uno,” he would say to me. (“You are number one.”) Yes, he called everyone that, but he had an uncanny ability of making you feel like you were truly the only number one—this was just a small part of his unique charm.
It is no surprise that many of my memories of him revolve around soccer, as he remained passionate about the game throughout his life. I fondly recall an exhibition soccer match where I served as a ball boy, with Zu Stefanu and my dad at the field as organizers, and I proudly donning my Juventus jersey. (Juventus was Zu Stefanu’s Italian soccer team of choice.) I also remember watching the 1982 World Cup in his company amid our shouts as the match concluded with Italy reigning as champion. I still picture his excitement at the victory and can see his beaming face.
Zu Stefanu came to this country as most immigrants—with an entrepreneurial mindset and a family-focused spirit, building both a business and family with love and care. One important aspect of Zu Stefanu that remains today is his embodiment of the elements an individual must have in helping shape a community and how that can result in a business becoming much more than a mere space. Mona Lisa is a fixture, its reach extending beyond the confines of the Little Italy neighborhood. Many of our Italian-community members who have long since left the neighborhood often return to shop and eat at Mona Lisa, once again highlighting the importance of place, not just space, and its symbolism in our community. Zu Stefanu, at the helm of Mona Lisa and serving as an architect of place in Little Italy, has taught his children and grandchildren well, as they now carry on a grand tradition, maintain a strong work ethic, and emphasize a focus on the community they continue to shape and to which they contribute so much.
In his later years, Zu Stefanu would always ask me about my uncles back in the old country, his paesani with whom he was very close, also emphasizing his remembrance of the people and place of his past and how that connection remained important to him.
I wish the Brunetto family much solace during this time. Zu Stefanu will always have a place in my heart as well as in our community’s collective one. Thanks for all the love you gave, Zu Stefanu. You are the true Numero Uno. —Tom Cesarini
We are privileged to have an article on our organization and community work featured in the April issue of Giving Back! Check it out online!
Read on > (Page 24)
It is our privilege to announce that Stephen Ferruolo, the dean of the USD Law School, is the recipient of the 2016 Convivio Communitas Award for Leadership! We will present the award at the Communitas Award Leadership Luncheon at USD in January, 2017. More details will follow soon!
Most visitors to the Convivio Center would first see the paladino, the knight in armor standing in view through the front window (and donated by Umberto Falcone, resident of Little Italy), just as Hillary and Justin did last year and noted it in their blog, An Uncontained Life.
(Read their blog post, Celebrating Little Italy’s “Fishy” Past.)
It’s a nice piece about walking through the Little Italy neighborhood, but it also accentuates the charm of the Convivio Center and its focus on community and bringing people together in a third place, a core component of the Convivio vision and mission.
We opened the Convivio Center in May of 2013, and for a couple years served the community as a venue for the Italian and broader cultural communities of San Diego, a space in which to engage in arts, culture, and heritage programs and find that third place as a means for connection. Many visitors would immediately comment on the center’s vibe, its welcoming look and feel, which made them feel right at home.
Perhaps some of the more enduring impact comes from the many children, young adults, and college-aged students who performed at the Convivio Center, such as the Carlsbad Showcase Company (under the direction of Ric Henry), Point Loma Opera Theatre, and SDSU School of Music and Dance Opera Theatre. As a result, the Convivio Center not only provided a multicultural venue but a space that gave opportunity to these rising stars to showcase their artistry. And for this, we are privileged.
This overview video below from Louis Cutino encapsulates some of the musical events we featured at the center. You can find many of our events captured on video, and for that we are grateful to Louis for his work and generosity–manifesting the very spirit of community though his time and talent.
But this commentary is not meant to be merely a nostalgic saunter down memory lane–it is meant to honor an important resource in bringing people together, and it also serves as a nod to our active pursuit of a new space and once again bringing to San Diego an Italian cultural institute through which culture, connection, and camaraderie will be the order of the day.
In the interim, we are busy with our cultural programming in partnership with other venues in the county and our important work in preserving the quickly diminishing Italian American history of San Diego. And this fall we launch our scholarship program, and we are already planning our Communitas Award festivities for next year.
Ultimately, we wish to express our immense gratitude to all our Convivio donors, center co-founders, volunteers, and of course, all the talented artists and guests for their support through the years in helping to realize this dream of a cultural and educational space, a dream for many Italian Americans in San Diego.
For everything the Convivio Center represented, it was merely a start, a stepping stone on a path to greater things. We look forward to continuing to pursue our vision with you.
Sempre avanti!
The lights dim, the near-capacity crowd begins to settle, and on the screen above the stage where the musicians are poised for greatness, the Paramount logo materializes, and then…the solo trumpet begins its wail and the credits appear. You know the tune…The Godfather Waltz…dark, foreboding, and unforgettable. Thus, the San Diego Symphony’s The Godfather Live event begins–quietly, without fanfare–and an evening of pure magic follows. A cinematic capolavoro. A musical masterpiece. And another testament to Italian and Italian American influences on cinema and music, as well as the artistic merits of our own San Diego Symphony.
The event was brought to you by the San Diego Symphony, CineConcerts, and the San Diego Symphony conductor Justin Freers. You can read more about the event, the score restoration, and the conductor here through the Film Music Society.
Convivio is privileged to have been a part of this special evening, and we look forward to more San Diego Symphony events celebrating the masterful Italian film scores accompanying some of the silver screen’s greatest achievements by Italian filmmakers.
For more information on the San Diego Symphony, please visit the San Diego Symphony online.
As part of its Fox Theatre Film Series, the San Diego Symphony will perform the iconic score to The Godfather while patrons watch the film. The San Diego Symphony will also host a pre-film “Mafia party.”
In response to recent criticism from professional friends and city neighbors of the San Diego Symphony’s “The Godfather Live” event on April 24, we feel compelled to share Convivio’s position:
We empathize with the sentiments that have been expressed. Many community members assert that any “celebration” of the Mafia stereotype reflects poorly on Italian Americans. Some viewpoints have urged that the event be cancelled and our support withdrawn. But this suggestion, often framed as an imperative, raises serious concerns.
Others in our community choose different lenses through which to view Italian American cultural identity. Moreover, the apparent perceptions about the origin and planning of the event, the intentions of the event organizers, and the reactions to the event are elements that should be explored further—without a rush to judgment.
We support the San Diego Symphony and are happy it continues to raise vital funds for its important programs. We look forward to further opportunities to partner with the San Diego Symphony on more programs highlighting the broad and rich artistic contributions that Italian Americans have made to American culture.
Given our organization’s mission, vision, and values, Convivio will be organizing an event (coming soon) around the appropriation of Italian culture so that our community can have an open and useful conversation—not a debate—about these relevant issues. Many viewpoints exist, and this is a time that calls for reflection and deliberation rather than reaction and ethnic defensiveness, in order to work even more harmoniously as a community—and further educate others in San Diego about our vibrant and special culture.
In our view, the issue is initially about the Mafia party and event. Upon further scrutiny, it is also about the Italian American experience writ large, in both historical and contemporary contexts. Because Convivio is devoted to providing opportunities for dialogue around how our truest values and rituals continue to enrich American culture, we intend to conduct a forum in which these relevant issues can be explored. Questions should address the degree to which negative depictions of Italian Americans continue to persist; the effects of these images on people of Italian descent; the goals of protests (as a mechanism for response); and why, arguably, there has not been more of a focus (as a collective) on fostering alternative images of Italian Americans. What we propose is to consider this issue in a broader context. Overall, what does this current dynamic mean in the larger context of Italian Americana today?
The word Convivio itself conveys our commitment to dialogue, and so we invite the San Diego community to consider that space be offered to other viewpoints. That is a key priority for our organization, in addition to promoting positive Italian-cultural programming in San Diego, of course. Indeed, an obvious example is the Convivio Communitas Award for Leadership launched this year (and the celebration of our inaugural recipient, Joe Panetta, CEO of Biocom). We see this as an important initiative for the Italian community of San Diego, one that promotes the great elements and individuals in our local academic, business, and civic communities.
Ultimately, Convivio, through its mission, promotes all the great aspects of Italian culture, establishing many innovations that have been lacking or absent in San Diego regarding Italian culture and heritage. Our commitment is to continue to do this important work while also emphasizing the cultivation of fellowship and dialogue.
About Convivio
Convivio cultivates community and fellowship while celebrating all things Italian, advancing Italian cultural identity through education, community engagement, and innovative programming. For more information, please visit www.conviviosociety.org.
