Guests who love fine Italian ceramics and delicious authentic cuisine, will want to book a reservation at Executive Chef/ Owner Domenico Cornacchia’s Assaggi Mozzarella Bar for an Umbrian-inspired luncheon. The lunch is priced at $26 per person, excluding tax and gratuity, and will take place at 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 3rd. The special occasion is to meet artist Gerardo Ribigini, the owner of Geribi one of Deruta’s premiere ceramics studios with a worldwide customer following. He is returning to the Washington area by popular demand, and his stunning hand-painted plates line the walls of Assaggi Mozzarella Bar (Bethesda) and Assaggi Osteria (McLean). His work will be on display for purchase at Bella Italia in Bethesda.
A complete menu for Gerardo’s welcome lunch is posted below for convenience. The restaurant will also showcase a selection of Umbrian wines for the occasion on its wine list. Assaggi Mozzarella Bar is located at 4838 Bethesda Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814. To make reservations, please call (301) 951-1988.
Deruta, the ancient hilltop town in the central Italian region of Umbria has a fabled history of ceramic-making. Gerardo builds on the local traditions dating back to the 1300s, and he adds a fresh, modern sensibility to his pieces, spinning new colors and designs into the tradition of hand painted majolica pottery.
Originally developed in the Middle East, majolica (maiolica in Italian) describes a process of glazing earthenware. After arriving in Italy, Renaissance artisans in Tuscany and Umbria began to pioneer new styles and colors, many of which remain popular today. Gerardo was trained in the Renaissance style, and alongside his wife Assunta, has been painting ceramics in his family-owned studio since 1980. In 1994, he opened a small shop in Deruta’s historic city center, and in 1997 they began to export their pieces to the United States.
Gerardo Ribigini will be in town on March 2-6, attending various events and performing demonstrations, at Bella Italia (4934 Hampden Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814) - Please visit www.bellaitaliaonline.com for more information about his ceramics.
Assaggi Mozzarella Bar’s Umbrian Menu
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Minestra di farro e prosciutto croccante
Organic Umbrian spelt soup with crispy prosciutto
~~~~
Fettuccine alla norcina di vitello
Homemade fettuccine pasta in a braised truffle scented veal ragu
OR
Spezzatino di manzo al sagrantino con patate croccanti
Sangrantino wine braised beef stew with crispy fingerling potatoes
~~~
Torta al cioccolato e nocciole con gelato al ciocoolato e salsa alla vaniglia
Hazelnut and chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream and vanilla sauce
$26 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Add Events
Food, Wine & Travel News
Print view