Food Club & Special Offers
For more information about the i Ricchi Food Club please click here.
- Food Club: March 2-7
It is a responsibility to carry the torch. Once you have been welcomed into the fold, nurtured, and taught, you feel you must carry on the tradition – you WANT to carry on the tradition. For generations, Italian women have preserved and passed on the recipes, rules, and secrets of their mothers and grandmothers in an ongoing rite of passage. They are the keepers of culinary folklore and memories deeply rooted in family history.
Every year, on International Women’s Day, my thoughts return to my mentors in our trattoria’s kitchen. This week, I revisit recipes handed down from my “Mamme Italiane”.
- Food Club: February 23-28
Sicily in Bloom
Beautiful almond trees adorn the Sicilian countryside and are the first to blossom in late February filling the air with an overwhelming scent and promise of Spring. The Valley of the Temples, just outside the southern town of Agrigento is the site of the annual Almond Blossom Festival celebrating Spring’s arrival and the miracle of life.
This week we taste our way through the rustic but ever beautiful (and flavorful!) Sicily all the while paying homage to the fruit of everlasting love and eternal hope – the almond.
- Food Club: February 16-21
Have you ever wondered why we wear masks for Mardi Gras/ Carnevale? Throughout history, this time of year was known as a time of abandon and excess. Disguised behind masks, one could banish imposed restraints and give into the human foibles of sexual and gastronomic orgies. Traditionally, at this time, rules and customs went out the window, social divisions were eliminated, and it allowed people to poke fun at the aristocracy.
The word “Carnevale” comes from the Latin, “carrum levare” meaning “take away meat”. Throughout the centuries, it was shortened to “carne vale” / good-bye, meat! For Christians, it represented the last moments of indulgences, the last great party, before the strict restrictions of Lent. There are hundreds of diverse celebrations throughout Italy this week. It seems almost every region and city has its own traditions of merriment. This week we highlight just a few.
- Food Club: February 2-9
Love Letter to Italy – Let me count the ways…
This affair has lasted well over fifty years. My love has never waned, in fact, it has grown stronger with time. Italy is my happy place. Nostalgia for better times has rekindled fond memories and COVID isolation has led me to reminisce about this extraordinary country.
For the last 46 weeks of our Food Club, we have visited 16 of Italy’s 20 regions. From the industrial and fashionable north to the warm and rustic south, it is a delightful mélange of contrasting energy. To celebrate Italy’s culinary diversity, this week our menu takes from the entire peninsula, from north to south and the islands.
- Food Club: February 2-7
VALLE D’AOSTA – Welcome Travelers!
Valle d’Aosta, bordering France and Switzerland to the west and north, has long been the connector between central Europe and the Italian peninsula. It is the place where people travel on their way to somewhere else.The locals have welcomed travelers since Roman times and have established a culture of hospitality. Travelers are given the same warm welcome now as they were then. The Valdaostani are welcoming and generous people, always eager to share their hearty mountain food. It is the place where cultures meet and eat.
Valle d’Aosta shares food styles with Alpine France and Switzerland. Its cuisine is simple, based on fresh ingredients from the mountains, streams, and plush valleys. Our menu this week will highlight many of the dishes for which they are well known.
- Super Bowl & Buckets: February 7th
Celebrate Super Bowl Sunday with some delicious fried chicken!
SPECIAL MENU
* Bucket of our famous Tuscan Fried Chicken (10 pieces)
* Winter Slaw
*Polenta Corn Pudding
*Pancetta Onion Focaccia Bread
*Cannoli chips & Ricotta Chocolate Chip DipIf you don’t want a bucket or you are not serving 4 people, you might consider ordering our individual fried chicken meal below.
- Valentine’s Day: February 12, 13 & 14
Cenone di San Valentino
Valentine Lover’s Dinner
February 12, 13 & 14, 2021
Available for indoor dine-in at 25% capacity safely distanced tables, or dine-out on the heated Piazza under tents
Menu
Misticanza Medicea
Italian greens, watercress, fresh mint, faro, marinated currants & pecorino
Zuppa Maritage
Wedding soup with mini meatballs, winter vegetables & orzo pasta
Polenta Tartufata con Funghi Farciti
Black truffle polenta timbale with wild mushrooms in balsamic reduction
Risotto d’Aragosta e Prosecco
Imported vialone nano risotto with lobster & sparkling prosecco
Mezzalune di Salmone alla Crema di Gamberetti
“Half moon” salmon stuffed ravioli with shrimp parmesan cream
Gemellini alla Fiesolana
Twisted pasta curls with homemade sausage, mushrooms & tomatoes
Pollo Saltimbocca
Chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto & fresh sage, potatoes mascé & haricot verte
Sogliola alla Mugnaia
Fillet of sole, lemon butter, white polenta, parmesan carrots
Filetto di Manzo alla Salsa di Mirtilli
Pan seared beef tenderloin with blueberry salsa, forbidden rice & asparagus
Semifreddo alle Fragole
“Semi-frozen” meringue tart, strawberry mousse, vanilla gelato
Meringata Amaro Dolce
Baked chocolate meringue bombs with chocolate mousse & raspberry coulis
Gelato al “Bacio” Corretto
Chocolate hazelnut gelato, Nocino walnut liquor, chocolate crumble, pizzelle
includes flute of Italian sparkling
$99*We will be offering the Valentine’s Day special all weekend long- February 12th, 13th, and 14th. On Friday the 12th and Saturday the 13th we are offering this special menu as well as our regular ala carte menu, but on Sunday the 14th, we are ONLY offering this pre fixe menu.
- Restaurant Week: January 25 – February 7, 2021
Restaurant Week: January 25 – February 7, 2021
It’s Time to Come to the Table!
Eating together helps build understanding and strengthens the bond between us.
It can foster an exchange of ideas, break down prejudices and connect
us on a most basic human level.
This is something Italians have recognized for centuries.
At the table sharing, reaching, pouring wine and eating food thoughtfully
prepared, links us to who we are and develops empathy for others.
Oh, how we’ve missed breaking bread together!Menu
ANTIPASTO SALAD
Italian greens, asiago cheese, fennel salame, artichoke hearts, olives,
cherry tomatoes, crispy farro & red wine vinaigrette
CALAMARI
Fried fresh baby squid with pomarola dipping sauce
FETTUNTA
Home-baked Tuscan bruschetta with garlic, EVOO, sage & cannellini beans
RIBOLLITA
Tuscan vegetable and bread soup
SALSICCIE
Braised Hot & Sweet Tuscan fennel sausages with roasted grapes & creamy polenta
EGGPLANT PARMESAN
Baked eggplant layered with fresh mozzarella, tomato & parmesan
POLLO FRITTO
Tuscan deep fried chicken with crispy potatoes
SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS
Homemade beef meatballs with spaghetti & Nonna’s slow simmered tomato sauce
GELATO ALLA FRUTTA SPEZZIATA
Homemade vanilla gelato, warm spiced apples, pears, cherries & chopped pistachios
CANNOLI
Hand dipped chocolate pistachio rimmed cannoli filled with ricotta cream
PANNA COTTA
Molded fresh cream & lavender with honey poached pears
TIRAMISU
Espresso infused ladyfingers, whipped mascarpone cream & chocolate$35
Dining outside under heated tents,
Dining inside at socially distanced tables,
Curb-side pickup also available - Covid-19 Safety & Precautions
Covid-19 Safety & Precautions
The health and safety of our team and guests is our number one priority. That’s why we have additional measures in place to ensure your dining experience is safe and pleasurable.
Our heated outdoor Piazza and dining room are both open for socially distanced dining. We have reconfigured both dining areas to promote a comfortable and safe experience and are currently serving indoors at 25% capacity. We perform daily temperature checks on our staff upon arrival and they are well-equipped with masks and gloves at all times. We have implemented frequent cleaning of all touch-points, and continue to enforce proper hand-washing technique and sanitation practices. We are enforcing all CDC and local guidelines.
We are dedicated to ensuring that Ristorante i Ricchi remains a safe place for you to enjoy a meal with your friends and family. We look forward to serving you soon!
Helpful Information:
Our Current hours are:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Sunday: Dinner only 5:00pm – 9:00pmMasks must be worn upon entering and any time you move throughout the restaurant.
Reservations are not required, but are strongly suggested.
We are strictly adhering to social distancing throughout the restaurant.
Take-out orders are available for pick up.
Call 202-835-0459 or at www.iRicchiFoodClub.com. - Food Club: January 26-31
Trentino-Alto Adige: Where the Mediterranean Meets the Alps
Some call is the sunny side of the Alps, others call it Trentin-Südtirol, and others Trentino-Alto Adige. It is extremely mountainous, covering a large part of the Dolomites and Southern Alps. The interesting historical past makes the region unique, neither completely Austrian nor Italian. It is a place where Austrian charm mingles with the stylish Italian flair.
This week’s menu will be a departure from the well-known dishes of the South – and interesting combination of the cuisines of two cultures.
- Food Club: January 21-24
Coming to the Table: Welcome Mr. President
Eating together helps build understanding and strengthens the bonds between people. Afterall, eating at a table means both eating and talking. It can foster an exchange of ideas, break down prejudices and connect us on a most basic human level. When people are seated at the table, as they are passing the proverbial salt and breaking bread, they are forced to look at each other and converse.
This week we are featuring a simple menu, showcasing some of Biden’s long-time favorite dishes, Italian, of course. These are dishes well known and loved by most Americans. How appropriate to serve these crowd-pleasers to entice people to the table. That, after all, is what we have attempted to do with our Food Club during the COVID shutdown – to recreate the experience of eating together. Restaurants are more than just places to fill our stomachs. They are havens to remind us that we are part of a larger global family – a hospitable place where all are welcomed and nurtured.
