When our dear friends Marco Palermi and Chiara Cigogna come to Washington from Umbria, it might be an understatement to say that they bring the whole spirit of Umbria with them. With wit, warmth and wisdom, Marco and Chiara are the ideal ambassadors for this truly special region that we have come to call home.

Marco and Chiara are well known to anyone who has visited our Umbrian farmhouse but for those who are unaware, they are Umbrians through and through and have built quite a following among the guests whom have they taken care of during their visits to Umbria.

But the true treasure of the green heart of Italy is its people and no one better represents Umbria than Marco and Chiara. We relish that their annual visit coincided with Easter this year as we get the opportunity to celebrate with these cultural ambassadors discovering new foods and traditions.

But beyond their amazing personalities and hosting skills, their visit also means Umbrian delicacies are flying out of the Via Umbria kitchen at an even higher rate than usual! One of those specialties that is now available in our cafe, is the delicious Ciaramicola, pronounced Chara-mee-cola.

This special Easter cake is Umbrian to its core, and the tradition is that a woman would present this cake to her fiance on the morning of Easter Sunday,  But to be honest that traditional has been left in the dust because it is so good that everyone deserves the right to eat it!

So whether you join us around our communal table for Easter Brunch or Dinner with Marco and Chiara, or come in to the cafe to try some of their Umbrian delicacies, we guarantee you will be just as smitten as we are!

For the recipe for Ciaramicola, follow this link!