We visually take you though our day at Il Molino in our latest installment of our photodiaries.
Our food and wine crew!
The machine that removes the olives from their tree. 
A wonderful day was had by all. We can’t wait to serve this new pressed oil in Georgetown this winter.
Ci Vediamo!
–Via Umbria
We visually take you though our day at Il Molino in our latest installment of our photodiaries. ...
You know we like to get fancy sometimes over here at Via Umbria. But that doesn’t always mean difficult. To celebrate the on boarding of Vickie Reh, Bill took a crack at some roasted rabbit. We take you through the process, step by step, to create this untraditional and delicious roast.
INGREDIENTS:
Large rabbit
Salt and pepper
Fennel pollen
Sage
Rosemary
Olive oil, lemon
Step one: debone the rabbit. 
Step two: lay the boneless rabbit out on your work surface and rub the inside with chopped garlic. Season both the inside and outside of the rabbit with the salt, pepper and fennel pollen rosemary and sage and olive oil.
Step three: roll the rabbit tightly around itself. Tie with butcher’s twine.
Step four: drizzle the exterior with high quality olive oil. 
Ci Vediamo!
–Via Umbria
You know we like to get fancy sometimes over here at Via Umbria. But that doesn't always mean difficult. To celebrate the ...
One of the delights of doing a Food and Wine tour in the fall is truffle season. We get the amazing opportunity to see where and how this elusive fungus is obtained! 
The hunt is on as our truffle hound, Camilla, sniffs out the first treat of the day. 
Truffles cannot be cultivated by humans, and so these specially trained dogs seek them out, using their noses to find the hidden treasure slightly below a layer of dirt. 
The smell of the truffles is enchanting!
A successful hunt! And now, back to the kitchen to cook up the goodies…
Stat tuned for part II: in the kitchen!
Ci Vediamo!
–Via Umbria
One of the delights of doing a Food and Wine tour in the fall is truffle season. We get the amazing opportunity ...
All this week we have been receiving photos from Italy about the food and wine tour. Our guests went truffle hunting yesterday, with a special truffle dog, Camilla, and then got to cook up their findings! Luckily for us, we carry products from the same truffle hunters right here in the United states.
In other news…
Bon Appétite makes an homage to their best homemade pizza recipes. In the Via Umbria test kitchen we made a gorgonzola, red onion, and beet pizza on Monday, which was very tasty.
In more food news, a study says that Italian origin is the key to the buying decisions of 71 percent of Italian consumers. Italian origin is more important to Italians than any kind of quality guarantee—which only 67 percent of those polled look for. Furthermore, Italian origin outweighs the absence of preservatives, which 66 percent deem important. It even trumps organic certification, significant for 61 percent of the population. So what me mean to say is…Italians like Italian food.
Bill writes a personal post that sums up our business approach and nails why Umbria and Italy fill us up with life.
Sea salt, good dark chocolate, balsamic, olive oil, and part? Washington Post, we agree: always worth the splurge. Here are 10 healthful foods always worth the premium price tag.
More pizza news…Domino’s is now selling pizza in Milan. It is the first major pizza chain ever to enter the Italian market. Do you think it will work?
Italy became the world’s largest wine producer, ahead of France. But don’t get too excited – it’s mainly due to Italy’s perfect weather conditions this year and France’s poor ones.
We hope you are enjoying this beautiful fall and feeling “fed” by life.
Ci vediamo!
Via Umbria
All this week we have been receiving photos from Italy about the food and wine tour. Our guests went truffle hunting yesterday, ...
After a day of gathering, walking, and eating, what’s a slightly jet-lagged crew to do?
Head to Bevagna for the classic ritual of #spritzoclock, in the restaurant of our good friend, restaurant owner, and chef Simone.
Our group nestled into the evening hour, apperitivo drinks in hand.
And with a little visit from Salvatore, the hour was complete.
Then back to the nearby Fattoria Del Gelso, where our caretaker Marco was busy prepping a simple Umbrian dinner.
After a perfect, and perfectly tiring day, what you really need is a home-cooked meal and some local wine.
Stay tuned to see where our crew is off to tomorrow!
Ci Vediamo!
Via Umbria
Food and Wine Tour, Day I Part II Read more
After a day of gathering, walking, and eating, what's a slightly jet-lagged crew to do? Head to Bevagna for the classic ritual of ...
What’s hot, Italian and waiting for you at the bar?
That’s right—illy coffee at the all new Via Umbria opening this November! Paired with a fresh made croissant, and sipped at the bar—Via Umbria provides the traditional Italian coffee bar experience right in Georgetown.
“You can grab a cup of coffee anywhere; we wanted to offer people a real Italian coffee experience. Stop in on your way to work, order a small, delicious cup of illy and talk politics with your neighbor—just like in Italy. We will open at 7am for coffee and breakfast,” said Suzy Menard, one of the owners of Via Umbria.
Via Umbria’s coffee bar is perfect for those who crave the classic social European coffee experience instead of a cafe overrun with people on headphones and laptops.
Later this week, Via Umbria will announce its website’s new press page for up-to-date news, events and announcements.
CONTACT: Jenny Buck, Via Umbria (612)801-6056 jennybuck1@gmail.com
What’s hot, Italian and waiting for you at the bar? That’s right—illy coffee at the all new Via Umbria opening this November! Paired ...
As we prep to open the new store, we are gathering some fun new products – expanding our inventory to offer the best. When these sombrerini came off the shipment, we couldn’t wait to make them, as they are the the most fun and colorful pasta we have seen in a while!
While one could prepare these in a cream sauce or simply toss with some olive oil, onions, and spices to fully reveal all of their colors, we decided to make them in the traditional way. We stuffed them with a cheese mixture and baked them as open ended ravioli!
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4):
1 bag Sombrerini pasta
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated aged parmesan
3 cups spinach
1 onion
5 cloves garlic
1 jar organic tomato puree
Sea salt and bruschetta seasoning to taste
PROCESS:
Boil your pasta water, and pre-set your oven to 350 degrees.
Grate your parmesan into a bowl.
Add the ricotta. 
Chop your onion, and sauté with the garlic over medium-low heat. 
Gently place spinach on top to slowly wilt. You will have to do two batches of wilting, most likely.
Top the cheese mixture with the wilted spinach, stir. 
Prep your pasta sauce by combining the tomato puree, bruschetta seasoning, sea salt, and a dash of oil, then blend with the onion mixture. 
Boil your pasta for 5 minutes. They will be undercooked – this is the point as they will be further baked, and need to maintain their structure for filling. 
Pour your sauce mixture onto a large baking pan. Now to stuff your sombrerini! With a spoon, scoop the mixture into an upside down pasta, and place in the sauce. 
Keep creating rows until the whole sheet is filled. Cover with tin foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
We were surprised at the structural integrity of the pasta – we assumed that the cheese would just fall out of the pasta, or the pasta would get to soggy or hard, but it turned out fantastically! Our taste testers all agreed that this pasta is a visual treat, and tastes like the ravioli we all know and love, and has a fantastic presentation. We voted it best to serve at a dinner party.
Until we open, you can find all of your ingredients on our online store, direct from Italy. And once we do, you can find dishes like this coming our of our kitchen.
Download your recipe card here: Stuffed Sombrerini.
Ci Vediamo!
–Via Umbria
As we prep to open the new store, we are gathering some fun new products - expanding our inventory to offer the ...
Welcome to the Food and Wine tour!
The team started off the day exploring the gorgeous city of Todi. A stunning medieval hill city, Todi is perched on a tall hill that overlooks the east bank of the River Tiber.
Then off for a lunch filled with traditional Umbrian fare and stunning views.
And then a little walk to wake up after lunch!
Stay with us on the blog to see the rest of our amazing first day!
Ci Vediamo!
–Via Umbria
Food and Wine Tour Day I Part I Read more
Welcome to the Food and Wine tour! The team started off the day exploring the gorgeous city of Todi. A stunning medieval hill city, ...
Well, this rain is bleak. We hope you all are staying warm and snuggly. Bill and Suzy are avoiding this mess by heading off to Italy for two food and wine tours. You should be able to keep up with them here, on the blog!
The New York Times interviews a Monk from Norcia about his daily life. His activities are pretty interesting. If he even feels the stress of email, is anyone safe?
We’ll just leave this here… where to find the best pizza in DC. You’re welcome.
7 things you might be doing wrong with pasta! This list is essential, please take a look before you cook your next pot of pasta.
The wild boars of Italy are going on birth control.
Now that we are officially in October, we can start the slow move towards Halloween…so here are the 10 Best Dario Argento films to keep you transfixed and freaked out all month.
Stay dry, friends!
–Via Umbria
Well, this rain is bleak. We hope you all are staying warm and snuggly. Bill and Suzy are avoiding this mess by ...
What happens when passions collide? In this case, amazing flavor as Via Umbria opens its doors in a few short weeks. One of its many new offerings will be Italian cooking demonstrations paired with the perfect wine—and who better to bring these two together than DC Chef and Sommelier, Vickie Reh.
“Joining Via Umbria is the perfect opportunity for me—it combines my passion for cooking, wine and tourism. Via Umbria’s owners, Bill and Suzy Menard bring quality to everything they do and I am looking forward to being part of their new Italian Marketplace in Georgetown.”
Many DC Foodies will remember Reh in her position as Chef at Buck’s Fishing & Camping. Reh is a Certified Sommelier and a recipient of the Level Three Award from the Wine Spirits and Education Trust, passing with Distinction. Since leaving Buck’s she has been a wine consultant and personal chef and is currently working on a book about food and wine. “I’ve been waiting for the next right opportunity and this is it. I met the Menards when I was Chef at Buck’s years ago, and we became friends. I’ve travelled with them to Italy and cooked with them in their home. I am really excited to join this enticing endeavor. More than a restaurant or market, Via Umbria is an authentic Italian experience and I get to help make that happen.”
Via Umbria will operate café style during the day with guests enjoying freshly prepared fare from the onsite kitchen. Cooking and wine classes in the exhibition kitchen will be offered.
“Introducing our customers to the complete experience of Umbrian food and wine is going to be great fun! Via Umbria will have everything needed for those looking to learn about cooking specialty Italian fare at home–fabulous authentic ingredients and an enthusiastic staff ready to advise every step of the way!”
Via Umbria will open in early November, with a tentative date of November 7th In the meantime, you can read about the adventures of Chef Reh and the Menards as they lead an upcoming Food and Wine Tour at their Italian farmhouse, right here on the blog. To read more about Vickie Reh’s ideas about food and wine and her culinary odyssey with Bill & Suzy, check our her blog http://www.vickieswinetable.com/blog.
Ci Vediamo!
–Via Umbria
What happens when passions collide? In this case, amazing flavor as Via Umbria opens its doors in a few short weeks. One ...
Here at Via Umbria, you know we love a good Spritz, and this week we created another classic twist. We got a little fruity with notes of peach nectar and clover honey, balanced out with a double dose of Martini Rosso. Scroll on down to see our recipe, and then we invite you to submit your own at elsa@viaumbria.com, for #spritzoclock!
Ingredients:
1 part Aperol
2 parts Martini Rosso
1 part Prosecco
1 tablespoon Pisaroni Peach Nectar
1 tablespoon Sorelle Nurzia Wildflower Honey
Take a tablespoon of wildflower honey and dip into your glass.
Add one tablespoon of peach nectar.
Add two parts Martini Rosso and one part Aperol.
Fill with ice, top with prosecco.
Enjoy!
–Via Umbria
Here at Via Umbria, you know we love a good Spritz, and this week we created another classic twist. We got a ...
Redesigning our store would have been difficult without the help of premium architects and designers. One of these influencers is Ezio Mattice, the man behind Artemodus Design Studio, who helped us create our wine display for the new Via Umbria.
On Thursday, we hosed a wine tasting in his studio in Georgetown, where guests got a taste of what the new Via Umbria will be offering in the way of food and wine.
Redesigning our store would have been difficult without the help of premium architects and designers. One of these influencers is Ezio Mattice, ...
