From Disguise to Festivals


venice-carnival_of_venice-venetian_maskWe often associate carnivals with masks. In fact it is impossible to separate those fancy masks from the Carnevale or Mardi Gras celebrations today. But when and how did this tradition even begin?

The earliest of these masquerade festivals is known to be Carneval di Venezia, which dates back to 13th century. It is believed that the tradition of wearing the mask started as a tool to conceal their identity when Venetians would hold celebrations before Lent started. These celebrations were the only times when the upper and lower classes would socialize together. Hidden behind their masks, both aristocrats and peasants would engage in illegal activities such as gambling or underground affairs (as well as partying and dancing!). After all, the city was relatively small and not everyone wanted to share their personal life with others… The Venetian masks therefore at first symbolized freedom and class equality, allowing all citizens to indulge in behaviors that were otherwise seen as inappropriate. 

As Venetians started wearing the masks in their daily lives besides the celebrations, illicit activities started to become very popular and sexual promiscuity bcarnival8ecame publicly acceptable. Eventually, the Republic limited the wearing of masks to only certain months of the year, which included the Carnevale period. The tradition quickly spread out across the world and today masks have become iconic symbols of festivals. Whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras, Carneval di Venezia or Brazilian Carnival, you will be surrounded by glamorous masks full of long feathers, elegant hats and lavish patterns.

Now that you learned all about the history of carnival masks, grab one for yourself and celebrate this exciting festival with us at Via Umbria!

For more information on our carnival events, please visit viaumbria.com/events

How masks became iconic carnevale props Read more

We often associate carnivals with masks. In fact it is impossible to separate those fancy masks from the Carnevale or Mardi Gras ...

Your Essential Food Guide to Mardi Gras

new-orleans-beignetsAround the world, thousands flood the streets of major cities to celebrate Carnival. Here in the United States this festival is celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana. Similar to Carnevale di Venezia, Carnival in the Big Easy is host to parades all month long leading up to Mardi Gras and the closer it gets the crazier it gets. Some dress in full costume where some barely dress at all. Bourbon Street is lined in swaths of glimmering green, gold, and purple. With faces covered in extravagant masks, beads constantly flying through the air and feather boas flowing across the crowd Carnival is a unique cultural experience not to be missed. little-jewel-best-po-boy-los-angeles-anne-fishbeinCentral to any cultural experience is the food. If you don’t eat what the locals eat, have you actually been there? Famous for it’s Cajun and Creole Cuisine, New Orleans is the perfect place for a crazy party like Carnival. This festival gives the local eateries a crowd to showcase their traditional dishes. From Crawfish to Beignets, New Orleans Carnival food is quick and easy. Stop into any restaurant in the French Quarter and you’ll easily find great places to eat. Some standard fare include crawfish and other shellfish which are commonly boiled and served with corn and potatoes. Another easy meal is the Po’boy: a submarine sandwich on french bread filled with fried seafood such as shrimp or catfish topped with lettuce, tomato and a remoulade. Pat O' Briens HurricaneTo pair with these foods, you’ve got to have Hurricanes the classic New Orleans cocktail made with Rum, fruit juice and grenadine. If a sweet drink isn’t your preference you can always find a Sazerac (cognac based cocktail) in NOLA. It just wouldn’t be Carnival without a Hurricane or a Sazerac. And for dessert: Beignets. New Orleans is famous for this French version of the Italian zeppole, a beignet is a sweet fried dough ball topped with powdered sugar. Another important dessert in NOLA during this festival is the King Cake. Made specifically for the Mardi Gras celebration, the King Cake is a pastry filled with raisins, cinnamon, and pecans. In true New Orleans style, an additional ingredient fills this holiday treat: a trinket, originally a porcelain baby that represented Jesus, that promises luck to the finder. The person who does find the trinket is in charge of next year’s king cake and hosting the Mardi Gras party. Celebrate, reinvent old traditions, forge new ones, it’s Carnival!

For Information about our Carnevale Events visit: viaumbria.com/events

From King Cake to Hurricanes... Read more

Around the world, thousands flood the streets of major cities to celebrate Carnival. Here in the United States this festival is ...

Via Umbria’s Very Older Brother Roscioli

It is difficult to overstate just how well regarded the name Roscioli is in Rome and throughout Italy.  A complex of food businesses (described by Anthony Bourdain as “an empire”), Roscioli is a family affair built over 4 generations that started with a renowned bakery, and now includes a wildly popular salumeria, ristorante, caffe/pasticceria and more recently the Rimessa and wine club.  Roscioli built its reputation on unrivaled quality and the breadth of their offerings.  They have been recognized through features in the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveller and even garnered a visit by Anthony Bourdain on his show No Reservations.

 

For the past several years they have sought to meet the customer where he is through a program of curated tastings they call Rimessa Roscioli.  Sommelier Alessandro Pepe and a team of top rated food and wine experts lead small groups on food and wine tastings in a relaxed, casual setting that they describe as “an educational and convivial lab.”  We think it describes perfectly Via Umbria.
Roscioli-blog-2
Rimessa Roscioli tasting dinner on left; Via Umbria Laboratorio on right.
When we first met the acquaintance of Alessandro and his partner, American born ex-pat Lindsay Gabbard, we were immediately struck by just how similar our passions were.  They, like us, love food and wine because they can create connections between strangers.  And they strongly believe that food and particularly wine, can and should be “democratic.”  Although an expert sommelier, Alessandro scoffs at wine tastings where the conversation focuses on arcane trivia such as malolactic fermentation.  Enjoying wine and getting in touch with your own tastes and sharing that with others is the what sommelier should strive to teach and it is precisely what Alessandro and Lindsay have been doing for the past decade.

 

Rimessa Roscioli is taking their show on the road and coming to Washington, DC and for one night Via Umbria is honored to be hosting them, preparing a special evening of food and wine tasting in the company of these fascinating and engaging people.  Limited seating is available on Wednesday, March 8 at 7pm for an evening that promises to be unforgettable – a small group tasting around a communal table featuring eight hand selected wines paired with a dozen small tastes, including a pasta dish and a dessert and lots of conversation and enjoyment.  This is a rare one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience and savor true, authentic flavors imported directly from Italy by one of Rome’s most respected sommeliers.  Tickets, which are non-refundable must be purchased in advance and can be bought online or at Via Umbria.

Our favorite stop in Rome Read more

It is difficult to overstate just how well regarded the name Roscioli is in Rome and throughout Italy.  A complex of food businesses (described ...

Frenching Meats

Not too long ago, I had my first experience with frenching a rack of lamb. For those of you who don’t know what that means – frenching is a technique in which you “beautify” the meat by exposing the rib bones, thereby making the chops more attractive. Nearly every rack of lamb in the grocery store, as well as beef ribeye, and pork loin goes through this process.  While it does indeed make the chops more attractive for plating, and removes quite a bit of fat from the dish, as I was removing the “extraneous” meat from the lamb bones, I felt a pang of sadness. How much goodness we were wasting! Succulent layers of meat and flavorful soft fat was all going to end up in the trash can just for the sake of appearance.

lambchetta_cookedFlash forward a few months and I found myself eating in a small restaurant (the where and when of this meal isn’t important) and noticed a framed article from the Washington Post Food section on the wall. The article was an interview with the restaurant’s chef and included a recipe for a lamb roast, the photo of which looked more like a porchetta than any lamb roast I’ve ever seen. But something seemed familiar about it and I couldn’t shake that feeling. When I got home I opened up a few of my meatiest cookbooks and butchery books and found that same recipe in a pop up in few different places- one of which went so far as to call it a lambchetta. This particular roast was a rack of lamb, but rather than remove the meat from the bones and waste pieces of perfectly good lamb, this roast was based on the premise that only the inedible part of the lamb should be discarded: basically, cut out the bones rather than the meat. What this leaves you with is a “flap” of meat, which is essentially the lamb’s belly, which you then season and roll around the lean loin (the part you are used to seeing as the lamb chop). The first time I made it for myself I kept the seasoning simple, using only salt, pepper, red wine, garlic, and rosemary, but you can really go wild with flavors here. The simple seasoning created flavors that were out of this world, but next time I have visions of testing out a yogurt and feta marinade on the inside.

Lambchetta love story aside, this isn’t the end of frenching meats for my case but I am intrigued by and committed to trying out new ways to avoid waste. With this track record, I think that I may be able to stumble into some pretty incredible flavors this way. So why not join me? Stop by the counter and let me know what unique recipes and preparations you’ve tried and love, let’s brainstorm new ways to create amazing dishes, or just give me a call and I’ll make you a lambchetta that will change the way you eat lamb forever. Either way, I have a feeling that the next few months are going to be pretty tasty.

Scott Weiss
Scott Weiss

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Not too long ago, I had my first experience with frenching a rack of lamb. For those of you who don’t know ...

Jennifer’s Saffron Risotto

Along with truffles, saffron is another traditional product from Umbria.  Found throughout Umbria, the most precious is found in Cascia.
Risotto Recipe

Saffron from Cascia Read more

Along with truffles, saffron is another traditional product from Umbria.  Found throughout Umbria, the most precious is found in Cascia.

Cicchetti Carnevale Cuisine

Venice is a city of wonder, from the extensive canal system to its unique culture Venice is one-of-a-kind. Around this time of year, thousands from all over Italy and the world head to Venice for Carnevale. Even our owners, Bill and Suzy were lucky enough to experience Carnevale di Venezia a few years ago. This party, which lasts for an entire month, is an attempt to relive the culture and traditions  of 18th century Venice. From head to toe people all over this magnificent city dress in traditional garb. You’ll see men in tights and wigs, women’s hair intricately piled miles high atop their heads, and masks, lots and lots of masks. Yet, the most important aspect of any Italian celebration is the cuisine.romantic-restaurants-venice

For young travelers, like myself, frivolous spending on food and drink can kill your budget and eventually ruin your trip. Venice is one of those cities where you’ll easily break the bank on food, unless you know what to look for. Similar to the French canapés or Spanish tapas concepts, Cicchetti is the Venetian version of small plates. Generally served with a glass of wine, these small bites vary depending on the restaurant you are dining in. Pricing however, is ideal for lunch and evening eats and rarely ventures outside a range of 1€ to 3€ a plate. The best place to find cicchetti is in a bàcari, small local (and often hidden) bar. Some bàcari lean toward the fried foods while others specialize in fresh fish, meats, and cheeses. Cicchetti is the perfect cuisine for Carnevale: quick and easy food that can only enhance the celebration.

Carnevale is a celebration that takes place around the world, just because you can’t make it to Venice doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate. This week and next: get out, put a wig and a mask on and enjoy the party!

For information on our Carnevale Celebrations please visit our website: viaumbria.com/events

Wednesday February 22 – Carnevale Masquerade

Tuesday February 28 – Cocktail Class: Fat Tuesday

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Venice is a city of wonder, from the extensive canal system to its unique culture Venice is one-of-a-kind. Around this time of ...

Celebrate the true Venetian-style Carnevale in DC

Grab your masks and celebrate Carnevale with us!

carnevale di venezia

Ready to pack your masks and fly to Venice? No worries if you can’t make it to the other end of the world for a weekend, because we are here to give you the real Carnevale experience (without the long flight)!

To give a little bit of background, Carnevale is the final celebration before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. During the 40 days of Lent, many Christians commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penance – hence, people have to get rid of all of their rich food and drink (and partying of course!) out of the way before then. In fact, it is often rumored that the word Carnevale itself may have derived from the Latin words “carne” and “vale”, meaning “farewell to meat”!

Although there have been some interruptions and political bans throughout years, Italians started celebrating Carnevale in the 13th century. Traditionally, the fanciest and most glamorous celebrations take place in Ivrea, Viareggio, Putignano, Acireale and -of course- in Venezia! Today, Carnevale di Venezia is celebrated for two weeks by about 3 million tourists from all over the world, and is best known for its elegant masks. Even though many events- especially the most glamorous masquerade balls- are invite only and have expensive ticket prices, many others such as the concerts and street performances are free and open to public.

Have you already started feeling upset that you are missing this exciting and trendy festival? There is no reason to! Luckily, Via Umbria is hosting a Carnevale Celebration, a raucous party featuring all-you-can-eat Carnevale foods and special Carnevale cocktails. Join us for food, fun and masquerade and cut loose as we count down the days toward Lent.

For information on our Carnevale Celebrations please visit our website: viaumbria.com/events

Wednesday February 22 – Carnevale Masquerade

Tuesday February 28 – Cocktail Class: Fat Tuesday

Buon Carnevale!

Ready to pack your masks and fly to Venice? Read more

Grab your masks and celebrate Carnevale with us! Ready to pack your masks and fly to Venice? No worries if you can’t make ...

Our Umbrian Valentine

ebsvxw5atk8-patrick-schopflinEvery year we mark the fourteenth of February as a meaningful day in our hearts; in celebration of San Valentino, the patron saint of courtly love, people around the world take the time to make their loved one feel special. This third century bishop was from Terni, the second largest city in the region commonly referred to as “The Heart of Italy,” Umbria. As a region, Umbria has brought the world Saints Francis, Benedict, and Rita in addition to Saint Valentine. Though San Valentino was one of many saints from Umbria his remembrance is the most fun to celebrate. Legend has it that San Valentino handed a rose to a pair of quarreling lovers, he told them to hold it between their hands without getting pricked by the thorns. He walked away and after some time the couple found him and asked him to marry them. Just one example of San Valentino’s ability to understand the inner workings of the heart easily explains why we celebrate love on Valentine’s Day. Heart shaped candies, secret admirers, endless roses, and fine dining are only a few ways Washingtonians celebrate this Saint.

Here at Via Umbria, as Georgetown’s unofficial ambassadors to the Heart of Italy, we are spending the whole week celebrating San Valentino.

Starting on February 8th, we have a variety of events featuring the most Umbrian/Italian aspects of this homegrown holiday, Valentine’s Day. Discover the perfect vino for your Valentine’s dinner at our Wine Tasting: Stop and Smell the Rosé. Wines featured are hand selected by our experts to epitomize the flavors we seek on such a special occasion. On Thursday, Friday or Saturday come enjoy an intimate meal featuring a special Umbrian Valentine’s menu at our Italian Dinner Party: Love is in the Air. We are also hosting a Couple’s Cooking Class featuring Baci Chocolates. Made famous by the Perugina Chocolate company these chocolate kisses will make your sweetie even sweeter. And no week of celebration would be complete without an exclusive Valentine’s Day Cocktail Class taught by guest mixologist Matt Demma from True Syrups. With drinks inspired by classic romantic movies this class will make your heart swoon. In honor of our own San Valentino we are doing the things we love with the ones we love.

For a full calendar and to sign up for these events visit our website: viaumbria.com/events.

Rachel Enoch
Rachel Enoch

The patron saint of courtly love Read more

Every year we mark the fourteenth of February as a meaningful day in our hearts; in celebration of San Valentino, the patron ...