Ben's Italian Night moves to Tuesdays
Chef Ben Mammina, the inspiration behind Ben's Italian Night, hosted weekly at the American Legion, Post 143, in Post Falls. Previously the event was held every Thursday night. Due to an outpouring of public interest, the event has moved to Tuesday evenings, starting tonight. Mammina is shown stirring his chicken scallopini, the evening of February 17.
POST FALLS — Ben’s Italian Night at the American Legion in Post Falls is moving from Thursday nights to Tuesdays, effective tonight.
Following a Press article, the popular weekly event drew many more visitors than expected.
Due to another recurring Thursday night event that restricted overflow dining space at the Legion, some guests had to be turned away. To avoid conflicting events in the future, and to ensure plenty of dining space, organizers moved Ben’s Italian Night, said Tim Shaw, American Legion public affairs officer.
Chef Ben Mammina credits his wife, Adeline, with all of his cooking skills. A Sicilian and Army veteran who served during World War II, Mammina joined American Legion Post 143 shortly after relocating to the area a couple of years ago.
While the Legion offered a weekly spaghetti night before Mammina showed up, he wasn’t satisfied with the offering. He volunteered to begin preparing his own authentic Italian dishes and the event has been dubbed Ben’s Italian Night ever since.
The 96-year-old chef draws upon the heritage of his large Italian family to create mouth-watering dishes like Italian steak and chicken scallopini.
Each week a different menu is prepared. Most meals are under $10 and include salad and garlic bread. The Legion is located at 1138 E. Poleline Ave. and can be reached by phone at 208-773-9054. Doors open at 5 p.m.