It's a Roman Holiday! The iconic Academy Award winning movie, Roman Holiday, helped to position post-war Italy as a mecca for film, fashion and modern culture. A story of a nemph-like princess, played by Audrey Hepburn, it recounts her one glorious day on the lam in Rome. The 1950's viewer is introduced, possibly for the first time, to the seductive Eternal City through her experiences -- like riding on a run-away Vespa, dancing in a piazza, sitting at a sidewalk café or enjoying a gelato on the Spanish Steps. Our menu this week highlights some of Rome's most beloved and popular dishes - dishes that you will find in most every Roman Trattoria today. Will you join us for dinner...
Renaissance Masters and Food.
Italy boasts some of the longest living citizens in the world. A crucial reason is the Italian diet with its roots in the past. Much like today, food was the cultural center of life in Renaissance Italy. It played an important role in religious holidays and family celebrations and relied heavily on the use of seasonal ingredients. The Italians had some of the best chefs and cooks in Europe at the time.
This week’s menu is an interpretation using ingredients that Italians most certainly enjoyed in the early 16th century, including many fresh aromatics.
Lombardia: Where it All Began. Italy has lifted all COVID-related restrictions. "These are important measures that remove almost all the curbs that have restricted us. I would also like to thank all Italians for their altruism and patience over the years. We are often perceived as having little sense of civic duty, but instead we have done very well in this pandemic. We should be proud," said Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Italy and, most specifically, the region of Lombardia, was the first Western nation to be devastated by the disease. Despite all this, Italians have a truly unique take on life – maybe because they have suffered so many hardships through time, they have mastered a fundamental understanding of what really matters....
Waking Up – Springtime in Florence.
Isn’t it amazing how just a few notes of an old song can bring you back to a place you haven’t been in years? When thinking about this week’s menu, highlighting the first new vegetables of spring, I kept hearing the lyrics of an old popular Florentine tune – recounting the spectacular beauty of Spring’s awakening in Le Cascine, Florence’s Central Park.
This week’s menu highlights Florentine Spring rituals and ingredients Italian cooks are beginning to find in their local markets and that most likely will be included on their Spring tables.
Easter Feast - Special Menu for 4/17
4+ Course Menu ($69/person)Includes a large foil-wrapped Italian chocolate Easter Egg
Burrata di Bufala
Grilled zucchini ribbons, buffalo burrata, parsley breadcrumbs, balsamic reduction
Ravioli ai Funghi
Mushroom-stuffed homemade ravioli in a parmesan cream sauce
Choice of:
Herb-crusted Rack of Lamb with mint gremolata
or
Hazelnut thyme crusted salmon
Patate al Rosmarino
Roasted rosemary olive oil potatoes
Piselli alla Fiorentina
Sweet peas with prosciutto and spring onions
Easter Chocolate Silk Pie
BONUS TREAT!!
Large foil-wrapped Italian chocolate Easter Egg
