Qiana Di Bari

O B S E R V A T I O N S O N

the journey to living soul, aloha, and la bella vita

THE LATEST

On the Daily

Featured
Ciao: It’s Summer Truffle Time!
Ciao: It’s Summer Truffle Time!

Summer truffles are more than a novelty. They represent a season, a signal, and a story. They remind me that luxury can be fleeting, rooted in something as humble as soil—and best when shared. Even from this little island in the Pacific, I stay tethered to those rhythms. And when that first shaving of truffle hits the heat of handmade pasta, it’s as if the summer whispers, “Ciao.”

Aloha: An Introduction (Part 3)
Aloha: An Introduction (Part 3)

Aloha. This one hits different. Unlike ciao and yo, aloha is more than a salutation. “Hello” and “goodbye” are only the tip of the spear. Aloha is a philosophy. Aloha is a way of life. Aloha is a perspective, an inclusive and love-colored worldview. Aloha is a spirit. It is an intuitive and connected way of being. Aloha is peace. It is humility. Aloha is rooted in honor and tradition and a universal love.

Yo: An Introduction (Part 2)
Yo: An Introduction (Part 2)

Yo. Where I’m from, this word is an invitation. It implies community. It carries an understanding. It is an energetic call of inclusion. It is ours; an elegant, Ebonic two-word distillation of an ethos. The opposite of formal, it means that we are the same, equal. It means that we have an understanding, an expectation. It is a call to listen.

Ciao: An Introduction (Part 1)
Ciao: An Introduction (Part 1)

Ciao. I use this greeting here because I assume that you are a friend. Or soon-to-be friend. Or maybe, at minimum, mildly curious about what Ciao. Yo. Aloha is and why I am bothering to write this blog at all. Lean in. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll explain.

Qiana Di Bari

Wife. Mom. Restaurateur.

I’m a native New Yorker, from Red Hook, Brooklyn. I’ve been living the dream on the beautiful island of Maui for the last ten years. And I share a home in south Italy with my husband and our two daughters. This is a space where I celebrate all facets of our lives- lifestyle, food, fashion, travel, family, business- the beautiful mix and mash of all the cultures that define our family, with the goal of inspiring you to take a second look at the unique beauty of your own lives and inviting the celebration of the culturally specific as a means of appreciating our universal experiences.