New generation of Italian-Montrealers remake traditions

CBC Daybreak tookits show to Caf Milano in St-Lonard, the heart of Montreal's Italian community.

Here's what threeItalian-Montrealersare doing to remake old traditions for a new generation.

• BLOG:Catch up on what you missed at Daybreak's live broadcast atCafMilano

Old-school cooking

Danny ''Smiles'' Francis is a lover of old-school Italian cooking

He is head chef and co-owner Le Bremner restaurant in Old Montreal.

Danny grew up speaking Italian and cooking Italian-style at home with his parents and grandparents in the Montreal borough of Anjou.

He never expected to cook professionally.

In fact, his parents did notwant him to become a chef. They were hoping for a lawyer.

But once Danny decided toembark on that course, he persisted, building a career cooking classic Italian dishes like cacio e pepe (cheese + pepper).

Today, he shares his love for classic Italian recipes and cooking techniques though his video interview series for Vice, Old-School Italian Cooking With Danny Smiles.

Grande grandegrande

Alessandra Tropeano is a singer and organizer of arts events in the Montreal-Italian community

She sings classic Italian songs, in Italian.

She grew up in Laval, speakingand singingin Italian.

As a teen, she entered an Italian singing competition with her sister Felicia, and she hasn'tstopped performing since.

Now, 10years later, she sings regularly at fundraisers and community and private eventsand always in Italian.

Audiences love her renditions of classic Italian songs such asGrande grande grande, a number 1 hit in Italy more than 40 years ago.

Tropeano says people are surprised and happy to see a young Italian-Montrealer performing older songs in Italian.

Handmade suits

Sandro Battaglia is a tailor and the co-ownerof Battaglia and Aly, located in Little Italy.

That's where he and his team design and produce high-end menswear.

Battaglia grew up in Rivire-des-Prairies, watching and helping his tailor father, a Sicilian immigrant, at work.

His own flair for fashion showed itself early.

He wore bow ties to kindergarten, anda fur hat to church.

When he decided become a tailor professionally, his parents were opposed.They said it was a dying industry, and the work was too hard.

However, Battaglia was betting on a tailoring revival, and he was right.

Today, his thriving Montreal company creates more than 500 handmade suits a year.