Coffee Talk (Cawfee Tawk) with Tara Cannistraci

In this solo episode of  Cawfee Tawk , I break down the very Italian-American phrase  "finalmente."  Technically it means "finally"… but culturally? It means, "About time. What took you so long?" Finally got engaged. Finally had a baby. Finally bought a house. Somehow a win turns into a subtle roast. I talk about how living in a constant "finalmente" mindset keeps us chasing the next thing instead...

This week on  Cawfee Tawk , I'm sittin' down with my friend and hilarious comedian Greg Baldwin for a real one. We're tawkin' about everything from how to train yourself into a legit New York accent (it's not just yelling "I'm walkin' here!") to the highs and hangovers of chasing greatness in comedy. Greg opens up about his journey — how addiction started at a young age, how he found himself deep...

In this solo episode of  Cawfee Tawk , I define the very Italian-American condition known as  agita —that constant low-grade stomach churn you get when other people's words, actions, and choices affect you way more than you want them to. I talk about how much time I spend fixating on things I can't control, and how that mental spiral eats up entire days of my life. We get into why my divorce video...

On this episode of  Cawfee Tawk , I sit down with chef and restaurateur  Tara  Punzone , a woman whose destiny was written in the sauce. From her grandparents' Italian grocery in Brooklyn—organically becoming a neighborhood hero shop—to opening the country's first all Southern italian vegan restaurant and wine bar,  Tara 's journey proves that passion really can be genetic. Warm, gracious, and a l...

In this solo episode of Cawfee Tawk , I introduce the Italian American word of the week:  SPOOSTAD  — from the Italian  spostato , meaning moved, displaced, spaced out… or whatever is currently happening to me. I talk about walking into rooms and not knowing why I'm there (is it perimenopause?), why I say H-U-G-E as y uge  and not  huge  (New York accents need boundaries), and I debut my very best...

Adam Ferrara joins  Cawfee Tawk  for a real, funny, and thoughtful conversation about the moments that shape a comic — onstage and off. We talk about Adam's first time performing stand-up, growing up in a chaotic, but loving household, and learning comedy through a Walkman filled with stand-up albums, with Richard Pryor as his first and favorite. Adam shares the surreal moment Pryor told him he wa...

On this solo episode of  Coffee Talk , I'm introducing the Italian American Word of the Week:  Mushad . Mushad is how you say you're feeling low, sad, or emotionally heavy… and it's also what happens when your pasta is overcooked and turns to mush. Either way, nobody wants to stay there too long. I use Mushad as a way to open up about how difficult the holidays and December were for me, and how ea...

In this solo  Cawfee Tawk , I finally answer the question people always ask me:  How did I get here? Before comedy became my full-time life, I was living a full-time  double life  — school counselor by day, comedian by night. Two worlds that felt like they had to stay completely separate… until they didn't. In this episode, I talk about why I never merged those two identities at first, how scary i...

This week on  Cawfee Tawk , I introduce the Italian-American word of the week:  Shangad — disheveled, run down, and very much the vibe. I'm keeping it real about how hard this past holiday season was, the disappointment that comes with family, and why December can be heavy even when you're preaching joy. I talk about owning what I couldn't practice, the actions I need to take to never feel this wa...

In this solo Cawfee Tawk, I talk about the energy of the Year of the Horse — movement, momentum, and not overthinking every step forward. We get into why the first Monday after the holidays is one of the biggest divorce-filing days of the year, why January brings up so much truth, and how dwelling keeps us stuck. This is about starting small, trusting yourself, and choosing forward without burning...

This week on  Cawfee Tawk , Tara puts her husband in the hot seat and asks the question everyone's thinking—what is it  actually like being married to her? From loving someone with PMDD, to navigating fierce loyalty with very little room for error, to surviving her New York delivery (no preface, straight to the point), nothing is off-limits. It's funny, real, and refreshingly honest—no humble brag...

In this solo episode, I break down the Italian-American phrase  "fatti gli affari tuoi"  — mind your own business — which is basically the unofficial holiday motto whether we want it to be or not. With the season of opinions, questions, judgments, and unsolicited life advice rolling in like a stampede of Nonnas, I talk about why keeping your nose in your own gravy is sometimes the greatest gift yo...

On this episode of  Cawfee Tawk , Tara chats with Vinny Fasline — one of her first friends in LA, a natural crowd-pleaser, and a man who could turn any conversation back to food.  We dove into the real stuff too: Vinny's natural "it" factor, how his Italian mom lied about his age to sneak him into a comedy class at age 16 after his brain tumor, and how one of his earliest opening weekends was for...

On this episode of  Cawfee Tawk , Tara sits down with writer, comic, Marine, producer, and director  Royale Watkins . We talk about how the comedy world isn't just about the laughs you get  on  stage, but the time we spend together  off  stage, the back-in-the-day shows that shaped us, and being ready when opportunity knocks. Royale opens up about serving in Desert Storm, remembering moments where...

In this week's  Cawfee Tawk , we dive into the Italian-American Word of the Week:  ashpet —from  aspettare , "to wait." A word New York Italians famously  do not  live by. I talk about how patience has never been our community's strong suit… and honestly, it hasn't been mine either. I share a personal story about growing up with a brave single mom who put herself in therapy when I was six so she w...

In this episode of  Cawfee Tawk , Tara Cannistraci sits down with the hilarious and wildly talented  Arianna Papalexopoulos  — actor, writer, creator, and proud half–Italian & half-Greek American. They dive into her beautifully blended upbringing, from growing up with two cultures to defending her long Greek last name (she had  just  learned how to spell it — no way was she giving that up!). Arian...

In this short solo episode, Tara checks in before the holiday chaos kicks in. With Thanksgiving around the corner and the new year not far behind, she admits she's been so busy she almost broke tradition and  didn't  host Thanksgiving — because honestly, the idea of just going to a restaurant and being served sounded real good. Tara talks about how she doesn't believe in New Year's resolutions, bu...

This week's Italian American Word of the Week is  mamadelle  — a little girl who acts like an old lady… and let's just say, Tara  was  that kid. In this episode, she shares what it was like growing up an only child surrounded by adults, taking life way too seriously, and watching soap operas in the 3rd grade like a tiny nonna with homework. Now, as an adult, Tara reflects on learning to be gentler...

In this very special episode of  Cawfee Tawk , I take you with me on an emotional journey back to Forza D'Agrò, the small Sicilian town my grandparents once called home. I returned not just as a visitor – but as family. I renewed my vows in the very church where my grandparents were married… the same church made famous in  The Godfather . And if that wasn't surreal enough, the town welcomed me wit...

In this solo sit-down, I share a favorite Bronx memory of my grandfather finally snagging a coveted parking spot right outside our project building—and how nothing could make him give up that perfect spot to actually drive. It got me thinking about my "Plastic Couch Theory," and how sometimes we save life's joy ride for later instead of taking the wheel today. I even toss out a Bronx quiz: do you...

This week's Cawfee Tawk comes to you a little differently—I pre-recorded it because I'm in Sicily with my dad, celebrating his 80th birthday and bringing him back to his parents' hometown of Forza d'Agrò, where  The Godfather was famously filmed. In this solo episode, I share why this trip feels so emotional—thinking of the family who are no longer with us, and how precious real, unhurried time to...

This week on  Cawfee Tawk , Tara Cannistraci sits down with the one and only  Johnny Roastbeef , whose journey from running a deli to landing a role in  Goodfellas  is straight out of a movie itself. Johnny shares how being his authentic self — mustard stains and all — landed him opportunities most actors only dream of. From Harlem to Hollywood, from Rao's to red carpets, Johnny tells hilarious an...

Tara  sits down for a solo  Cawfee Tawk  to share the honor of being named  Grand Marshal of this year's Bronx Columbus Day Parade —a celebration that feels like coming home. She reflects on the smells, sounds, and heart of the Bronx that shaped her childhood, and why anything that blends  Italian heritage with her beloved borough  means so much.  Tara  also speaks candidly about the frustration o...

Billy Gardell joins Tara for a heartfelt (and hilarious) sit-down that's as warm as a fresh pot of Sunday morning coffee. Billy opens up about the life-changing advice his wife gave him—"grow where you're planted"—and how it guided him from a humble Pittsburgh upbringing to finally embracing Los Angeles and landing  Mike & Molly after more than two decades in comedy. Together, they swap laughs abo...

In this episode of  Cawfee Tawk , Tara breaks down the Italian-American phrase "mezza morte"—literally, "half dead." It's the perfect way to describe how we run ourselves ragged these days, working to the bone until we collapse and then convincing ourselves we've "earned" one day off. But where's the balance? Tara gets personal about how losing a family member suddenly shook her perspective, and h...