Sunday Sauce is a monthly Milwaukee Record series about the area’s Italian food and the places, people, and traditions that make a meal feel like home. I’m chasing how these restaurants, grocery stores, events, and small details keep feeding people into comfort, community, and a sense of belonging in a loud world.

Few places gather all of that into one footprint quite like Festa Italiana, where food, family history, and music come together on Milwaukee’s lakefront. This year, I went with my parents, David and Kathy DeSantis, my wife, Shelby DeSantis, and my sister-in-law, Tiffany Clark, to eat our way through the festival and see what makes it feel like a little slice of Italy.

Once inside, we had our priorities in order: grab a round of wine and make it to the opening ceremony, which featured the United States and Italian national anthems, a speech from Mayor Cavalier Johnson, and a blessing from the Catholic Church. With the all-clear from the Almighty, it was time to tumble down the rabbit hole of traditional Italian entertainment.

We watched Milwaukee’s Tradizione Vevente Italian Dance Group and the Sicilian Serenaders who drifted through the grounds playing classic street music on accordion, guitar, and mandolin.

Later, we caught The Russo Brothers on the Miller Lite Oasis stage, where I was pleased to see them taking a break from what I can only imagine is a demanding post-production schedule for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Wait, never mind. Wrong Russo Brothers. These brothers worked through crooner standards like Dean Martin’s “Volare” and Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life.”

Between the Florentine Opera music, dancing, food stands and Vespa raffle, there was always something pulling us in another direction, even when the soundtrack occasionally wandered a long way from Italy. I’m looking at you Campari Club DJ, who could have delivered a killer Italo Disco set but instead played Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps.” Thankfully, a Campari spritz soothed my Larry David-like frustration with the selection.

The heritage tent offered a quieter kind of entertainment. My father and I crowded around a map of Italy, tracing the DeSantis side of the family back toward Rome in the Lazio region and Capestrano in the Abruzzo. Nearby, a display of Milwaukee’s Italian family history featured photographs that were not of our own relatives but still sparked memories of grandparents, great-grandparents, and the stories passed down with them.

Of course, at Festa, those traditions are not just preserved in memories. They are stuffed into calzones, piled on to sausage bombers and baked into cookies, and passed around the table one bite at a time. With that in mind, it’s now time to focus on the other half of the assignment: eating.

Casa Ranieri – Italian Stallion Calzone

My mom chose this calzone from Casa Ranieri to share with the family. Loaded with Italian sausage, cheese, olives, pepperoni, and green peppers, its flaky, oily crust reminded us of the pasties from Rigoni’s Bakery in Ironwood. Those hearty meat-and-potato hand pies became part of our family story after my great-grandfather emigrated from Rome to Ironwood, Michigan, to work in the iron mines.

We loved it and awarded it 4.25 Joe Pescis out of a possible 5 Joe Pescis.

Nadi Plates – Tree Hugger Calzone

Shelby chose the vegan calzone from Nadi Plates. The dough was not quite as flaky as the Italian Stallion, but it was still sturdy enough to hold a generous mix of dairy-free cheese, roasted vegetables, peppers, and mushrooms.

For vegans, this calzone earned 5 Ariana Grendes out of a possible 5 Ariana Grandes. For non-vegans, it received 2 Danny DeVitos out of a possible 5 Danny DeVitos.

Nadi Plates – Pizza Fritte

Tiffany brought the Nadi Plates pizza fritte to the table, topped with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and a slightly pesto-like flavor, all resting on dough that looked like and tasted like elephant ear without the cinnamon sugar. The entire table loved it, awarding it 4.25 Ray Romanos out of a possible 5 Ray Romanos.

Campari Club – Campari Spritz

Everything a Campari spritz needs to be: bitter, bubbly, and refreshing. It was Dad’s first time trying one, and together we rated it 3.5 Dean Martins out of a possible 5 Dean Martins.

Peter Sciortino Bakery – Cookies & Cannoli

Peter Sciortino Bakery is a Milwaukee landmark as far as I’m concerned, and its cookies are part of the foundation. They earned a 5 Marisa Tomeis out of a possible 5 Marisa Tomeis.

The cannoli was also great, though not quite as good as getting one directly from the bakery on Brady Street. We gave it 2 Nancy Pelosis and 1.5 Antonin Scalias.

Festa Sausage

My father and I split this one after spending several minutes ogling and admiring the gentlemen working the outdoor grill. We were both blown away. The marinara was right on target, the sausage was beautifully cooked, and the first bite delivered a sharp punch of fresh fennel.

From our brief conversation with the grill crew, it sounds like this sausage is made exclusively for Festa. It was the best damn Italian sausage sandwich I’ve had so far in 2026, and I eat a lot of them. Credit to the guys behind the grill, who honestly looked like they had the best job at the festival. I would gladly spend a weekend the way they were spending theirs.

5 Al Pacinos out of a possible 5 Al Pacinos, plus one Martin Scorsese for fun.

A Festa To Remember

By the time we left, we had reflected on old family memories and created a new one of our own. We passed food around the table, and I collected a respectable number of olive oil stains on my shirt. We probably will not win the Vespa, but for a few hours, it was nice to pretend we were in Italy without leaving Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront.

Depending on when you are reading this, you may still have time to experience Festa Italiana today, its final day on the grounds. Otherwise, mark your calendar for next year. Saluti!

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