La Mia Famiglia & Our Mission
Welcome to Mercata Imports! My name is Linda! I'm really glad you stopped by!
Mercata is the Italian word for Marketplace.
I was born and raised in an Italian-American home north of Boston, Massachusetts, and discovered a rich love for food, fashion, and travel at a very young age.
My Moms Dad (my Papa is from Praiano, a town of the province of Salerno in the Campania region of southwest Italy. It is situated on the Amalfi Coast between the towns of Amalfi and Positano. My Moms Mom is from Basilicata.
My Dads Dad (my Grandpa) is from Avellino and my Dads Mom (my Nonni) is from Genoa
Growing up, the kitchen was the heart of our home. Incredible fresh aromas were always cooking as my Mom would make delicious meals every night for her family.
She took pride in serving her creations and various imported specialties on beautiful platters that always came with a story. She made every meal seem like a special occasion; and according to her, every meal was a special occasion :)
She taught me and my brothers to be comfortable in the kitchen as we Iearned to make recipes that were passed down from previous generations like “Sunday Gravy”, homemade sausages, and “Pizzelle Cookies”. Oh my goodness! There are so many recipes!
People would stop by just to say hello and be greeted with a warm welcome to the dinner table and share whatever dish my Mom had made. I don’t know how she did it, but somehow she always had enough! My Dad would often say, the best restaurant is right here at home!
Our grandparents were called Grandpa & Nonni (on my Dad's side), and Papa & Nonna (on my Mom's side). I thought everyone's grandparents had these names :)! We had Auntie's and Uncles, and cousins, and second cousins, and friends of the family who we thought were family. Our grandparents played such a central role in our entire family. They are gone now but their influence and love still remains with the next generation as titles change, cousins are true friends, and new traditions are beautifully merged with old.
My love for fashion was discovered when I was very young. I would sit on my parent’s bed watching my Mom get “dressed up” to go out with my Dad or had “company” over and would beg her to please save whatever “cool” outfit she had on for me to wear when I grew up.
Styles have changed since those days but they inspired me to study fashion in school. I learned how style and trends evolved over the years and how they impact how we feel.
Layering new with traditional items is a great way to create fresh modern looks with a classic touch. Whether we believe it or not, what we wear is an authentic expression of our personality.
Over the years, my career in corporate America has led me on many exciting paths around the world. My favorites have always been memories made rich in color, design, and food, and where warm friendships were formed.
I’ve met many beautiful people who take humble pride in their creations such as
unfiltered olive oil from family groves in Tuscany, intricate hand-made music boxes from Sorrento, beautiful pottery from Deruta, or a simple dress made with rare silk from local shops in the beautiful Tuscany city of Lucca.
Getting to know the people and hearing their interesting stories behind these
creations have always brought me to a happy place.
Combining my business experience with my passion for authentic food, fashion,
and travel has inspired me to open Mercata Imports.
Embracing your heritage whatever it may be, and celebrating your traditions with those you love, are such beautiful, powerful ways to stay connected.
The very treasures that I love, I now make available to you in hopes they will, even in a small way, bring you to a happy place too.
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It's really nice to meet you!
