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Meet Via Umbria

bill@viaumbria.com'
via-umbria
Chef + Traveler

Our Italian Library – The Name of the Rose

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Our Italian Book Club has read through many Italian classics. Every book on Leonardo Da Vinci has been turned over. Italo Calvino? Been there. So when we discovered that Umberto Eco’s classic The Name of the Rose had not been touched by our little group’s hands, we decided it was high time we dig in.

A smashing success in the 1980’s, this novel still holds weight today. The New York Times review of the book from 1989 is worth the read, and provides insight into why this book is considered a “classic” more than just a time-specific “bestseller.”

Next Tuesday, the 5th of May at 7PM, we will sit down in our Galleria space with some wine and crack open the hefty binding of this intriguing and semiological book.

If, upon reading these words, you find yourself balking at the task of reading such a novel in such a short period of time, we would like to provide another option: watching the movie, which is available on Netflix DVD. Starring Sean Connery and Christian Slater, the film is a classic in itself.

Either way, we look forward to the discussion on Tuesday.

Ci Vediamo!

— Via Umbria

Our Italian Book Club has read through many Italian classics. Every book on Leonardo Da Vinci has been turned over. Italo Calvino? ...

Noteworthy Notizie – April 24

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It’s been another eventful week. With the tragedy in the waters around Italy swirling all over the media, we choose to stay well-informed on the situation while also feeding you some lighter reading. We hope you are grateful for your week and excited to charge up over the weekend!

 

We have been posting articles about the migration in the waters around Italy for weeks now. Matteo Renzi writes and op-ed for the New York Times on how the European Union needs to step up and support Italy’s efforts in patrolling these waters to ensure everyone’s security. This is a news piece that we have been following consistently, and this week it exploded as the death toll ran past the thousands.

 

The Shroud of Turin is back in action for the first time since 2010. If you’re looking to know a bit more about this holy cloth, read up on their official website.

 

A new exhibition in Milan is exhibiting photographs of Italy like you have never seen it before. “’Italy Inside Out’ offers a chance to examine the people, events and off-the-beaten-path locations that make up Italy.” To us, they also look like some beautiful screen savers.

 

Did you hear we received an order of a dozen more types of artisanal pasta this week? So we went to Food 52, for 10 easy springtime pastas to make now to celebrate new, fresh, vibrant produce!

 

This weekend we will be out on the sidewalk at the Georgetown French Market! Some Geribi is going on sale for 40% off, and our Biagioli Ceramics will be 90% off! If you’re looking for a good food deal, we will have all of our Sorelle Nurzia Biscotti for $4, 40% off our gnocchi, gold oil, and select chocolates (plus some surprise items!). Come stop by and say hello!

 

We hope this weekend your plans involve visiting us!

Ci Vediamo!

– Via Umbria

It's been another eventful week. With the tragedy in the waters around Italy swirling all over the media, we choose to stay ...

Cocktail Corner – Vodka Cedrata

This weekend we have been outlandishly busy. With the Georgetown French Markein full swing we were clamoring to get everything done (though is anything really new?). After a long day, sometimes we just want a cocktail that is refreshing, delicious, and takes two seconds to make.

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Enter the Vodka Cedrata. Cedrata Italian Soda is our most popular flavor, and so we thought it was high time that we combined it with some booze. It tastes like a elevated, all natural Sprite, and is intensely refreshing, with notes of saffron flower and citron flower.

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Simply zest a little bit of a lemon, and pour one part vodka and two parts Cedrata Italian Soda into a shaker. Shake well and serve in a chilled glass, with a garnish of lemon. Sip for instant refreshment and relief.

 

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Cheers!

–Via Umbria

This weekend we have been outlandishly busy. With the Georgetown French Market in full swing we were clamoring to get everything done (though is ...

Noteworthy Notizie – April 17th

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This week found us with a new shipment of food (the porcini mushrooms are back!), some new artwork in our Galleria, and some newly flowering trees on our back area. We are looking forward to slowing down a little bit this weekend, and our round up of news from this week will provide some excellent conversation for your moments spend savoring life this weekend.

 

Italian Espresso gets sent into space, as a special treat for an Italian astronaut at the International Space Station. For a treat a little closer to home, we always go with Cafe del Doge.

 

The Today Show did a segment on “longevity soup.” Those who eat this soup in the South of Italy live longer than most…and this fountain of youth is only chickpeas, borlotti (cranberry) beans and the fregola (Italian couscous, which can be hard to find), as well as a giant can of tomatoes! Our own Deborah made it for friends to celebrate her birthday (may she live as long as the Sardinians!), and it was a big hit.

 

The migration struggle from Lybia to Italy is getting insreasingly complicated. This article from CNN does a just recap.

 

The New York Times covers an quirky story about how a quest to fix broken toilet for a would be trattoria owner ends in a huge archeological discovery. Oh Italy, you’ve done it again.

 

McDonalds made an add earlier this week suggesting that Italian children would rather have a Happy Meal than pizza. Neapolitan pizza makers retaliate against the MacDonalds add with their own hilarious and cute video. We’ll have the pizza too!

 

We hope you find the time to sink your teeth into an excellent pizza yourself this weekend.  We will be open for an extra hour tonight for the Book Hill Gallery Night, come say hello!

 

Ci Vediamo!

–Via Umbria

This week found us with a new shipment of food (the porcini mushrooms are back!), some new artwork in our Galleria, and ...

Galleria – La Musa Art and Design Studio

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Our Galleria recently received a facelift with a loan of artworks from La Musa Art and Design Studio.

 

The gorgeous watercolors from Geraldine Antoniotti add a soft touch to our modern space. Though she has an Italian name, don’t be deceived: Antoniotti is actually from Corsica, the island which has been possessed by both Italy and France at different points in history. Though she has spent much time in Washington, DC, she currently lives in Paris. Her works have an illusory tone, and they are spontaneous, with complicated brush strokes. Somewhat abstract, but harboring figural undertones, you should allow your mind to see whatever it wishes to see when admiring her work.

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We also are lucky enough to have a small collection of oil pastels from Sergui Gavrilita, an artist from Chișinău, Moldova, who was disovered by the curator at La Musa when she was a consultant with an international development project. His images of the streets are playful, colorful, and delightful, while his scene of poppies is active and enjoyable.

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All of these pieces are for sale with a price point ranging from $500 – $1,000, simply talk to AnnMaria at La Musa. We hope you will stop by tomorrow during the Georgetown Spring Gallery Walk to take a look at these stimulating works, and to check out our Galleria space above the store!

 

— Via Umbria

Our Galleria recently received a facelift with a loan of artworks from La Musa Art and Design Studio.   The gorgeous watercolors from Geraldine Antoniotti add ...

Noteworthy Notizie – April 10th

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Hello Italiophiles, and welcome to the weekend! You know the routine – grab a glass of the good wine and sip away as we take you through what we have been reading this week in Italian news.

 

A miracle of nature! A lot of flamingos land in Lake Trasimeno, in Umbria. Exciting stuff.

 

Some sad news regarding small business in DC – our city outpaces the nation in the disappearance of mom and pop stores. This is a subject we deeply care about, we greatly appreciate those who shop at friendly neighborhood stores that are the character and faces of their neighborhoods.

 

However, there is some good news for buoyancy in small business. This New York Times story from northern Italy takes a look at how small artisans pulling together in the face of a recession continue their craft.

 

Elizabeth Minchilli’s new book, Eating Rome, was just published a few days ago. Longtime fans of her blog, we are making this book our June book club selection!

 

The oldest samples of Neanderthal DNA have been extracted from remains embedded in a cave in southern Italy, confirming that the so-called Altamura Man was a Neanderthal who lived around 150,000 years ago. The photo is creepy but the news is cool.

 

We hope this weekend involves good wine and good food. We are planning on cooking up the rest of the season’s asparagus, artichokes, and peas and pairing it with some good Tabbarini Bianco dell’Umbira (pictured is the owner of the vineyard during our Vinopalooza tour). Spring is in the air!

— Via Umbria

Hello Italiophiles, and welcome to the weekend! You know the routine - grab a glass of the good wine and sip away ...

Noteworthy Notizie – April 3rd

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We are picking up some last minute items for our Easter and Passover weekends, but still found time to check out the latest in Italian news. We will be closed this Sunday for Easter, but we wish you and your loved ones a delightful weekend!

 

Garlic and wine will cure everything! Well, not really, but this thousand year old garlic based ointment is surprisingly effective in killing bacteria.

 

So today is good Friday. Archeologists and food historians are now piecing together what really comprised the last supper. 

 

This valet is really hating his life after slamming a Ferrari into a store.

 

The Vatican bank is aiming for better transparency and a healthier system of banking, hoping to stem Mafia ties.

 

Chef Crusoe the Dachshund will teach you how to make bruschetta, just in time for an imptomptu weekend party. Yes, you heard that right. Dog. Makes. Food.

 

— Via Umbria

We are picking up some last minute items for our Easter and Passover weekends, but still found time to check out the ...

Cocktail Corner – Sipping Spring

IMG_2897Lent is almost over. It’s ok to break out a little booze.

When this Easter Sunday rolls around, be sure you are prepared with the most floral of cocktails, to get you in the mood for spring, and to make Aunt Margaret slightly more tolerable.

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Violet scented Italian soda is the base of this cocktail, and gives it a truly floral tone, over which we layer rose syrup, peach nectar, and gin.

We love how spring-like this cocktail is, and we can sip it without risking any allergies!

The Italian soda smells like the first blossoms of spring but tastes surprisingly crisp. The Rose syrup adds another flower into the mix, and it is made from organically grown roses in a convent garden in western Liguria, making it an even more appropriate Easter selection.

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3 parts Violet Italian soda

A drizzle of rose syrup

1 part peach nectar

1 part gin

Layer and stir! Sip and enjoy!

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— Via Umbria

Lent is almost over. It’s ok to break out a little booze. When this Easter Sunday rolls around, be sure you are prepared ...

Vinopalooza Photo Diary

Things we love: geese working in the fields and then becoming dinner, biodynamic farming, glimpsing the sun. Our day at the Plani Arche Winery.

 

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Plani Arche Read more

Things we love: geese working in the fields and then becoming dinner, biodynamic farming, glimpsing the sun. Our day at the Plani ...

Vinopalooza Photo Diary

What we loved about the end of our day: unfussy yet superb antipasti, pasta, made from start to finish in front of your very eyes, flowing wine, and dessert to die for. Dinner at Ernesto’s is served.

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— Via Umbria

 

Dinner is Served Read more

What we loved about the end of our day: unfussy yet superb antipasti, pasta, made from start to finish in front of your ...

Vinopalooza Photo Diary – Day III

We continue our adventures in the Umbria countryside at the house of Pardi Linen. An explanatory tour with the always lovely Augusta Pardi was followed by a perfect, classic Umbrian lunch.

 

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Our adventures in Umbria countryside continues Read more

We continue our adventures in the Umbria countryside at the house of Pardi Linen. An explanatory tour with the always lovely Augusta ...

Photo Diary

Highlights:
A tour of the Diogini vineyardl, a fabulous view at from the winery, and dinner prepared by Chef Simone at the villa (pasta, and lamb stew, and artichokes).
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Vinopalooza Day II Read more

Highlights: A tour of the Diogini vineyardl, a fabulous view at from the winery, and dinner prepared by Chef Simone at the villa ...