Assaggi Mozzarella Bar Hosts An Exclusive Evening Featuring Italian Guest Chef Simone Proietti-Pesci of Le Delizie del Borgo

For one night only, Assaggi Mozzarella Bar will offer a special dinner prepared by Italian Chef/Owner Simone Proietti-Pesci of Le Delizie del Borgo in Bevagna, Italy.  Simone's restaurant, nestled in a corner on one of the medieval city's principal piazzas, is a magnet for gastronomes, attracting diners from afar with his menu of traditional and modern dishes and a wine list that draws heavily from Umbria, Tuscany, the Piemonte and across Italy.  On Monday, January 14th, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a five-course tasting menu priced at $58 per person (exclusive of beverages, tax, and gratuity), available from 4 PM to 10 PM.  Assaggi Mozzarella Bar’s regular a la carte menu, prepared by Chef/Owner Domenico Cornacchia, will also be available. 

Born in nearby Spoleto, Simone Proietti-Pesci learned cooking the Italian way - at his grandmother's elbow - and was raised in the Umbrian tradition of cooking that features fresh, seasonal ingredients, such as artichokes, favas, chick peas, onions and, of course, truffles and olive oil.  The region's abundance of cured meats and aged cheeses are featured on his menu, together with handmade pastas and sauces. Uncomplicated and elemental, Simone's cooking allows the ingredients and the flavors to take center stage, a hallmark of central Italian cooking.This year marks the third year that Simone has returned to the Washington, DC area to teach cooking classes and to cook for private dinner parties.  A naturally gifted teacher, Simone also excels at the language and vocabulary of food, offering guests an opportunity to understand and appreciate what they are eating at a new level.  He is likewise accomplished at food and wine pairings and describing in an accessible manner the dynamic that exists between the two.    

Simone's U.S. visit is being organized by Bella Italia, the Bethesda-based Italian import store featuring gourmet foods, hand painted ceramics and other Italian lifestyle items.  He is a regular guest chef and teaches classes at la Fattoria del Gelso, the rental villa in Umbria that is owned and operated by the owners of Bella Italia.  A complete menu is listed below:

Sformatino di melanzane in parmigiana con salsa di pomodorini e basilico

Eggplant parmigiana, Buffalo mozzarella, fresh cherry tomato sauce and basil

Tagliatelle fatte a mano can ragù bianco di manzo e parmigiano reggiano

Home-made tagliatelle pasta with white beef ragù and parmesan cheese

Zuppa di legumni e cereali con pane tostato e olio umbro
Mix cereal and legume soup with toasted bread and new oil

Spezzatino di manzo al sagrantino di montefalco
Beef stew with Montefalco Sagrantino wine

Crescionda spoletina con crema pasticcera al rum
Chocolate pudding crescionda with yellow rum cream

Limited seating is available and reservations are recommended.