Stephanie Pietropinto, Melissa Cook, and Tiffany Klinger help prepare the Taste of Italy banquet. (Frank Mecum – News Herald)
On an unseasonably warm Saturday night, the newly opened Mayfield Heights Aquatic and Community Center featured Italian food, more than 50 bottles of wine, and live music.
Taste of Italy returned to Mayfield Heights on February 10th. The fundraising event had to be suspended due to the pandemic and because the city was building a new community center at 6080 Marsol Road.
Taste of Italy was the first official event for the center, which features meeting rooms, a waterslide, an outdoor seating area with a fire pit, and a modern kitchen and dining area. There was a long line for the open bar, but the new building was buzzing with activity.
Mayor Anthony DiCicco, standing in the kitchen as trays of food went flying about an hour before the event was scheduled to begin, said he was happy to see the new facility being used for the first time.
The mayor said the revival of Taste of Italy would not have been possible without the help of chef Cecilia Paponetti and her daughters Stephanie Pietro Pinto, Melissa Cook and Tiffany Klinger, who were busy preparing for the evening at the time. said it was impossible.
“We’re so happy to have Taste of Italy back,” DiCicco said. “This is always a great community event and we couldn’t do it without all the amazing volunteers we have here.
“It’s much easier to work here. It’s much bigger and much more efficient,” he added. “It’s really nice to be back and do something and have a community center again.”
In between pasta samples, Cecilia Paponetti said she started cooking for Taste of Italy because she wanted to give back to the community. Despite her lack of professional cooking experience, she and her daughters quickly created appetizers, main courses, and desserts for the more than 210 attendees. This year’s new equipment made it easier to hold the event.
“After years of doing it, I just got burnt out and needed some time off,” Paponetti said. “But they asked me to do it again this year because they built a new building, and I was very happy. As you can see, it’s a great facility and they have all sorts of things going on.
“I’m just a housewife and I’m not an expert in the kitchen or anything like that, but I’ve done a lot of work in catering and things like that,” she added. “The kitchen is phenomenal as we had very limited kitchens in our old building. This facility is truly amazing with state-of-the-art equipment and I couldn’t ask for anything more. Makes this evening a great one. I hope so.”
Visitors had a lot to do before their meal was served. After signing in, attendees were able to take photos in a photo booth, enter a 50/50 drawing, and tour some of the Aquatic Center’s outdoor areas. City officials said the estimated amount raised was $10,000, with the proceeds going to the recreation department’s budget.
At a previous City Council meeting, City Council President Pro Tem Donald Manno said all funds used are intended to be returned to residents in the form of new and better programs.