Nicole Doyle is a Philadelphia native with Italian American heritage, and that heritage is something she seeks to share with others through food, writes Laura Ellis for LoveFood.
In May 2024, she opened Taste of Philly, an Italian American restaurant in Lurgan, a city in Northern Ireland.
This venture came to fruition after hearing the positive remarks her friends often made about her food.
She finds a certain uniqueness about Philadelphia’s flair when it comes to Italian American cuisine.
“It combines the ingredients and family-style food culture of Italy with the fast moving, ‘big portions with extra cheese’ style of the USA,” Doyle said.
While Lurgan is a long way from Philly, Doyle has visited the city often over the past two decades. Plus, her husband is from there.
In addition, the couple moved there during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Taste of Philly, Doyle — alongside her mother, grandmother, and sister — create dishes that are family recipes. Some of them are passed down from as many as six generations. The recipes are usually from Southern Italy and Sicily.
The ingredients are locally sourced, which is deliberate as Doyle wants the recipes to “taste like home.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to expand beyond just Lurgan or Northern Ireland.
Read more about it Taste of Philly and how Philly and Italy are being brought to Ireland at LoveFood.
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