Since this picture has been hanging on a wall in Coppola’s Restaurant men’s room it has stirred up so much commotion. This is a picture of General Patton on June 6, 1944, when the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy and invaded Europe. The Rhine River was Germany’s ancient line of defense; when American … Read more

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last post. So many things are happening in the restaurant. All good though! We have been busy dressing up the place. I will let you know when we are all done, complete with pictures. But first, let me tell you what happened this past Sunday. It was … Read more

It was the fall of 1992 the first time that America’s master of supernatural suspense, who set the standard for the wildly popular genre, visited Poughkeepsie. Stephen King, a renowned American author came to the Hudson Valley during the 1992 Vassar College Parents Weekend to visit his oldest son, Joe Hillstrom King. Where else would … Read more

As I write on this blog I am beginning to think that Poughkeepsie is so much more than just a silly quote from The French Connection, “You pick your toes in Poughkeepsie?” Bill Duke is an actor and director from Poughkeepsie, NY. The first time he came into Coppola’s my sons recognized him right away from the movie Predator, … Read more

I just can’t let Easter go by without writing about the Italian Easter tradition of Easter Bread. Everybody makes Easter bread in Italy, but does it turn into a competitive baking contest? In Coppola’s Restaurant and in the little town of Monte di Procida it is! During Lent not only do we fast and give up … Read more

Last night one of my Dad’s good friend and customer’s daughter and her husband came in for dinner. She started reminiscing of the days at 273 Main Street. It made me look back at such a happy time. I do remember her Dad, Dick Freeman. Every Christmas my dad would bring us all shopping to … Read more

Where else but in Dutchess County can you find a recipe with the ingredients of James Cagney, Floyd Patterson (world heavyweight boxing champion 1956-59, 1960-62) and Coppola’s Restaurant? I didn’t realize what good friends James Cagney and Floyd Patterson were. When we relocated Coppola’s Restaurant at 825 Main Street in 1979 my father so appreciative … Read more

James Cagney and his wife were loyal customers at our restaurant since the early ’70s. He was such a down to earth guy. He never conducted himself as an unapproachable celebrity. It wasn’t until we moved to this location that James Cagney and my father got very friendly. Mr. Cagney and his wife would usually … Read more

I always think of the parable of Jesus feeding a huge crowd of people with 5 loaves of Barley bread and 2 fish when I think about the huge snow storm of 2009. We were debating whether to close or not that ugly winter day when we received a phone call at home from a … Read more

Did you all know that John Travolta came to have dinner at our restaurant? Yes! He did… he really really did! It was in 1985. James Cagney was John Travolta’s idol. So he came to Dutchess County to visit James Cagney and of course Mr. Cagney brought him to his favorite Italian restaurant. Naturally, I … Read more