“I first got involved with the club in its early days, back in 1969, when I was about twenty years old,” Grilli recalls, “At that time, events were still held in the halls of the San Remo Ballroom.”
Like many young people, Grilli stepped away from the club for a period, only to return later in life. Eventually, he joined the committee, rising to his current role as vice president.
“The building we’re in now was purchased by the club in 1979,” he explained. Built in 1926 as a home for Brunswick’s first Boy Scout group, it was later converted into a cinema.
In 1981, the Toscana Social Club expanded the building with a side extension and carried out some small renovations. Then, nineteen years ago, significant changes were made to much of the premises.
“We pushed the walls out toward the eastern side, expanded the back area, the kitchen, the restrooms and what is now our new hall. We also installed air conditioning, which we didn’t have before,” Grilli explains like a true architect.
Despite these many structural changes, the mission of the Toscana Social Club has remained the same: keeping Tuscan culture alive. The committee remains united in this mission, supported by the delicious food prepared on-site by the club’s extraordinary women, a longstanding point of pride that always draws compliments.
“They never compromise on the quality of the ingredients we use,” Grilli says. “I especially enjoy getting the younger generations involved; I even ‘forced’ my own children to become members, but they’re always so busy.
“Life today is definitely more hectic. Still, I keep trying.”
Even though the club shows the marks of age, there’s a clear awareness and desire to “make space for the younger generation”.
A smaller committee, known as Le Rinascenti, seems to have already made strides in bridging the generational gap. “We have an event coming up on July 26 called Mangia, Bevi e Balla (Eat, Drink and Dance),” he reveals.
The evening is already set to be sold out, following the great success of last year’s edition. “They came up with the idea of dedicating a night to Italian bitters. They even invited an importer to host a masterclass.”
For the occasion, the hall, which usually hosts tables, was transformed into a true wine bar atmosphere. There were no tables or chairs, just a few wine barrels, a DJ, a bar area serving cocktails and a menu offering finger food.
“It’s a format that really appealed to the younger crowd. Though personally, I prefer to sit down and enjoy a traditional dinner,” Grilli admits.
It seems that the blend of tradition and innovation, along with a strong commitment to preserving Italian roots and Tuscan culture, may well be the winning recipe for another 56 years of the Toscana Social Club.
