Italian Festivals
/Italy has no shortage of food festivals and Saint’s days - all a great excuse to have a party and to eat well.
In the North, festivals celebrate everything from truffles to polenta to gnocchi. The Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo is held in Piedmont every October and November with truffle specialties in the restaurants, seminars on truffle hunting and truffle markets. The most well-known celebration is in Alba.
You can sample polenta pasticciata cooked in large copper kettles in Tossignano in Emila-Romagna on the last Tuesday of Carnival and sample gnocchi and pastissada sauce on the last Friday of Carnival in Verona. In Camogli, a seaside town east of Genoa, a community-wide fish fry using 12-foot frying pans is held on the main square on the second Sunday in May.
The Fiera Del Cacio is held on the first Sunday in September in Penza in Tuscany and features music, games, large wheels of pecorino and copious amounts of wine.
The Bravio delle Botti (barrel race)is held in Montepulciano in the last of August and is a competition between the eight districts of the town. The weeklong event culminates with a race where men roll large wine barrels up a hill in the historic center.
The Palio di Siena is held twice a year (the first one was last Friday) to celebrate the Madonna of Provenzano and the Assumption of Mary. The famous horse race began in 1633 and is held in the Piazza del Campo, with 10 horses and riders from 10 of Siena’s 17 neighborhoods (contrade). They race bareback for three laps around the square. Fours days of feasts surround the festival. The second race is August 16.
In the South, the Festa della Pasta di Gragano is held in early September in Gragnano, the town where the pasta industry began. The Gran Gala del Pesce Spada Bagnara celebrates the swordfish catch during early July with swordfish involtini (rolled and baked filets) served throughout the town. In late April, Sicily celebrates their ricotta and all the related products, especially cannoli in the town of Vizzini.
But, you don’t have to travel to Italy for cannoli, you can enjoy one every day at M’tucci’s Italian.
Pasta della Forma
Every Thursday through Sunday you can enjoy this special dish for two, only at M’tucci’s Italian. House made spaghettini is prepared table side in a wheel of Piave Vecchio, a cheese from the Veneto region near the Dolomite mountains. You have a choice of two toppings:
Mushroom Duxelle: Baby Portobello Mushrooms, Thyme, Garlic, White Wine
Roasted Red Bell Pepper/Sun-Dried Tomato Relish
Pasta Della Forma: Minimum of two people, Prepared Table side $38 Chef’s Condiments Add $3
M’tucci’s Chef/partner Cory Gray explains the process to our guests.
Weekend Specials
M’tucci’s Italian
16 oz Hand Cut NY Strip: Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Broccolini, Balsamic Reduction $38
Pan-Seared Ruby Trout - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichoke, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $23
Pasta Della Forma: House Made Spaghettini & Piave Vecchio Cheese, Minimum of two orders, Prepared Table side - $38, Chef’s Condiments Add $3
Appetizers
Beer Battered Herbed Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms: Capers, Oil Pickled Zucchini $10
Clam Toasts & Pancetta with Fennel, Sun-Dried Tomato, White Wine Butter Broth $12
Weekend Cocktail
Twilight Hour: Caravedo Pisco, Aperol, Sherry, Lime & Simple Syrup
Sunday Only
Half Rack of Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, House Made Cole Slaw and House BBQ Sauce for $18
M’tucci’s Moderno
12 oz. NY Strip: Crispy Saltwater Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Salsa Verde $32
Pan-Seared Swordfish: Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Roasted Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $27
Jumbo Shrimp Pasta: Patagonia Pink Shrimp, Shallots, Grape Tomatoes, Seafood Sauce and M’tucci’s House Made Spaghettini $19
Weekend Cocktail
Banana Hammock: Bacardi Rum, Fresh Juices and Blue Curacao
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five
12 oz. Ribeye: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Broccolini, Smoked Blackberry Bone Marrow Butter $32
Pan-Seared Ruby Trout: Seared Artichokes, Grilled Escarole, Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $21
Five Cheese Ravioli:Preserved Jalapeños with Mint and Smoked Sage Oil, Roasted Peppers, Artichokes, Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese Pomodoro Sauce $24
Weekend Cocktail
Royal Oak Celebration: Busker Irish Whiskey, Yellow Chartreuse, Honey Lemon & Bubbles
Great Italian Sausage at Albertsons Markets and M’tucci’s Restaurants
Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!
