Italy Holiday Guide: Fabio Trabocchi’s Top Source for Truffles in Le Marche

Chef Fabio Trabocchi is known for creating elegant, decadent Italian dishes like the gingered lobster ravioli that he serves at Fiola, in Washington, DC. Here, his favorite places to visit when he goes home to Italy’s Le Marche region. Chef Fabio Trabocchi offers his top places to visit in Italy’s Le Marche region.

“This is a Michelin two-star seafood restaurant in the small coastal town of Senigallia along the Adriatic Sea. My friend Mauro Uliassi opened it 22 years ago, doing all of the painting and plumbing himself, and now it’s one of the best restaurants in Italy. Mauro and I met as teenagers cooking in Le Marche; it’s great to see him doing so well after all these years.” uliassi.it

“Caffè Meletti in Ascoli Piceno is one of the oldest cafés in Italy; it’s famous for its anise liqueur, sometimes called anisette on this side of the world. They make everything Marche-related for holidays, from panettone to small pastries that they’ve done for the past hundred years. They also have a lot of historic art on the walls that makes it particularly special.” caffemeletti.it

“This small town is famous for its vibrant Verdicchio white wines, but it also hosts a fun annual Nativity scene competition. The entries are stunning, using every kind of prop you can imagine, even recycled materials like office water tanks. Matelica is also an old and very scenic town, in the middle of a valley surrounded by hills. When it’s adorned with Christmas lights, it’s even more picturesque.”

“For about two weeks before Christmas, the main square in Loreto hosts a living Nativity, called a presepe vivente. It’s been perfected over many years, so it’s a beautiful sight.”

“This is the center of the region’s commercial truffle market, where the mushrooms are distributed and sold. From the end of October through mid-November it hosts a huge, open-air white truffle market. But throughout the truffle season every restaurant has them on the menu, and they’re sold in every salumeria or cheese shop. Even the local monks have truffles.” acqualagna.com

During Christmas time, this dish of potato gnocchi with duck ragù is as common in Le Marche as spaghetti with tomatoes is in Naples. It’s also hunting season, so sometimes the ragù is made from wild game like pheasant, partridges or boar.

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Mangiare E Bere in Abbondanza - Browse Wine and Food Specialty Shops in RI's Little Italy

The gateway arch with La Pigna (The Pine Cone) suspended from its center, overlooking Atwells Avenue, greets visitors from near and far. This traditional Italian symbol of welcome, abundance, and quality has become synonymous with Federal Hill, one of Providence's neighborhoods best known for its Italian-American community and predominant restaurants, wine, and food specialty shops. During the first two decades of the 20th century, an influx of Italian-Americans immigrated into the area, making it the city's informal "Little Italy." During the 34-year period from 1898 to 1932, more than 54,000 Italian immigrants arrived at the port of Providence with the majority of them settling on Federal Hill, a 300 acre land mass that stands high above Rhode Island's capital city.

Though the population of Federal Hill is more diverse today, it still remains a traditional center for the city's Italian-American community. Providence's annual Columbus Day parade marches along Atwells Avenue. Let's pick up the pace and loosen our belt for a tour of wine and food specialty shops within walking distance along and off of Atwells Avenue.

Scialo Bros. Bakery (257 Atwells Avenue): In 1916, when Luigi Scialo and his brother arrived from the Italian province of Pomigliano d'Arco, they established the bakery in the heart of an Italian neighborhood. In the 1920's Luigi became the sole proprietor and ran the business with the help of his family for the next seven decades until his death in 1993 at the age of 103. Since 1993, the Scialo Bakery tradition has been carried on by Luigi's daughters, Lois (Scialo) Ellis and Carol (Scialo) Gaeta. All products are made from scratch on the premises in brick ovens that date back to the 1920's. They do not buy any frozen or pre-prepared breads or desserts.

Gasbarro's Wines (361 Atwells Avenue): Established in 1898 by Antonio Gasbarro as Gasbarro's Liquors on Knight Street in the capital city, he moved the operation down the road to 481 Atwells Avenue where it prevailed for 70 years. During Prohibition, Gasbarro's was a malt and hop merchant as well as a retailer of wine making equipment. Progressing from selling whiskey and bourbon out of the barrel and a half dozen homemade wines, today the store has 2,300 products to sell, including 1,800 different brands of wine. Complimenting their Italian wine selection of over 900 labels, more than 450 Californian wines are featured, constituting over 80 % of their sales. A highway relocation project in 1973 forced the store to move a few blocks to its present location. Now In its fourth generation of proprietors, since 2009, the store front includes a new tasting area. The "Table for Ten" experience provides a private setting for wine education after store hours, and is customized to fit tastes and budget.

Antonelli's Poultry (62 De Pasquale Avenue) - The only store that kills and processes poultry while the customer waits, this 148-year old butcher shop is not for the squeamish. "Fresh" is the operative word when it comes to eggs, rabbits, and fowl - chickens, ducks, partridges, and geese. You can go into the back room and check out the live rabbits in their cages or poultry in their coops. Should you choose a bird for slaughter, the butchers will make a quick slice through the neck, drain the blood, and steep it in hot water, and pluck while you take a gander.

Costantino's Venda Ravioli (265 Atwells Avenue) - Offering more than 150 kinds of fresh and frozen pasta in the Old World tradition since the 1930s: jumbo stuffed shells, manicotti, tri-colored egg noodles, tortellini, tortelloni, agnolotti, angel hair and lobster ravioli; Italian meats and gourmet food too! Originally a tiny storefront, Venda Ravioli was purchased in 1972 by Alan Costantino. Over the past three decades, the operation has quadrupled in size, necessitating a move to its current location in 2001, and flourishing as one of the most respected Italian food emporiums in the Northeast. The glassed-in, state-of-the-art kitchen with its marble counter affords guests a glimpse of Chef Salvatore Cefaliello and his staff in action. The cafe offers 30 seats inside, 6 at the espresso bar, and 40 outdoors during warm weather. Their website features an on-line store.

Tony's Colonial Market (311 Atwells Avenue) - Since 1952, Tony's has provided discriminate shoppers with the finest imported and domestic Italian foods. Quality meats and cheeses, imported olive oils and vinegars, gourmet pasta products, antipasti, porcini mushrooms, Italian candies and confections, and freshly prepared foods can be purchased at their market or on-line. A cheesy fact - Tony's accepted delivery of a 610-lb. provolone in October 2000!

Pastiche (92 Spruce Street) - In 1983, Eileen Collins and Brandt Heckert started making desserts for local restaurants. Their dedication to "provide quality and consistency" is the heart and soul of their small shop. All desserts are made "in house" from scratch which you can nibble inside the intimate European style café. The building was erected in 1875 and seats 40 people. I can attest to the interior's cramped quarters as it's usually packed for desserts to go by the slice or whole. Then there are those of us who enjoy our desserts with a cup of tea or cappuccino by the warmth of the fireplace.

A digital or virtual tour of wine and food specialty shops along Atwells Avenue in the Federal Hill district of Providence is a cultural and culinary experience worth expanding your horizon and waistline. From points north of RI, take Route 95 South to Exit 21 (Atwells Avenue). From points south of RI, take Route 95 North to Exit 21 (Broadway). At the second light, take a left over the bridge on Atwells Avenue. A vast assortment of fine wines, breads, pastries, gourmet foods, meats, candies, confections, and decadent desserts is one mangiare e bere in abbondanza smothered with hospitality.

Eva Pasco - Author
UNDERLYING NOTES (238 pgs)

A Midlife Journey of Self-Discovery: Winding past Rhode Island's affluent coastal communities, prominent landmarks, cherished institutions, and olive oil spills of the underworld.

FREE EXCERPT (Chapters 1-3)/Convenient Ordering: eBook or Print

http://www.booklocker.com/books/4431.html

The Ultimate Wine Geek Road Trip: Italy

Heading north out of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I skipped the rest of the Rhône—St-Joseph! Hermitage! Côte Rôtie! Oh well!—then stopped for croissants and coffee at a bar overlooking the Isère River in Grenoble. From there, the road curved up into the Alps, then down into Italy and to Piedmont.

I’ve always harbored a fantasy of moving to Piedmont, so it was extremely convenient to find that the 17th-century castle at the top of the hill in Castiglione Falletto, next door to the Vietti winery, was currently for sale, according to Vietti’s Luca Currado. And only $2,500,000 for an entire castle! “But you have to maintain it,” Currado added. This was a good point; for instance, one might have to repair scratches to the exterior walls caused by people (like me) who drive by without paying attention to how far their side mirrors stick out.

Currado’s family has grown Nebbiolo grapes in Piedmont since the 1600s; today, they own vineyards in all nine villages of the Barolo region. They also produce some of the region’s most acclaimed wines, like the 2007 Vietti Barolo Rocche that I tasted with Currado over dinner in Alba that night, a polished, luscious red with tea leaf and dark cherry notes. Currado mentioned that when Alba was a Roman town, the emperor talked about “the fog grape” (nebbia is Italian for fog; hence, Nebbiolo). “In Tuscany, they have ‘under the Tuscan sun,’” he said with a shrug. “In Piedmont, we have ‘under Piedmontese fog.’”

“I’m still blown away by that castle being for sale,” I said.

“You know, in old times, the owner of a castle had the right to spend the first night with the bride of anyone who got married in the village,” Currado said thoughtfully. “I don’t think that’s the case anymore, though.”

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The ultimate wine geek road trip: Italy

North of Châteauneuf du-Pape, I the rest of the Rhone skipped over - St-Joseph! Hermitage! Côte-Rôtie AOC! Oh well! -then stopped for croissants and coffee in a bar overlooking the River Isère in Grenoble. Geschwungene from there the road in the Alps, then down to Italy and to Piedmont.

I have always a fantasy move to Piedmont, so it was very easy to find that the century had Castle at the top of the Hill in Castiglione Falletto, in addition to the winery Vietti, currently for sale, was the Vietti Luca Currado. And only $2,500,000 for an entire Castle! "But you have to make," Currado added. This was a good point. for example you could scratch on the exterior walls, caused by people (like me) to repair, which drive on how far their side mirrors stick out regardless.

Since the 1600s grew Currado of the family of grape Nebbiolo in Piedmont; Today, they have all nine municipalities in the region of Barolo. They produce some of the most celebrated wines of the region, such as the 2007 Vietti Barolo Rocche, which I tasted polished dinner in Alba, that night, a with Currado, lush red with tea leaf and dark Cherry notes. Currado mentioned that as Alba was a Roman city, "the fog of grape" the Emperor said (Nebbia is therefore Nebbiolo Italian for fog;). "" In Tuscany, they ' under the Tuscan Sun, "have", he said with a shrug. 'In Piedmont we have"under Piedmontese fog.' "

"I by the castle is to sell out and away am," I said.

"You know in the old days, the owner of the castle had the right that each spend first night with the bride in the village, married", Currado said thoughtfully. "I don't think that this is the case anymore, but."

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