On January 11, 1989, Ristorante i Ricchi opened its doors in Washington, DC . . . before fax machines and the internet; before Apple and downloading, emails and texting; before pocket cell phones, cable TV and 24/7 instant access; before Americans knew of risotto or polenta or gelato; before authentic Italian menus . . . when eating Italian meant spaghetti and meatballs. The Ricchis (Christianne and Francesco) packed up their belongings together with their recipes and dreams – and their kids, Olivia and Daniele -and left the hills of Tuscany for the Golden Triangle and 19th Street. The plan was to prepare authentic food – to demonstrate how Italians really ate – as they have for hundreds of years – using fresh herbs, oak embers and handed-down family recipes. It wasn’t long before Washingtonians were eating multiple courses; grilled Tuscan bread (bruschetta) with white beans; their pasta BEFORE their entrees; and finishing their meals with homemade gelato or biscotti “dunked” in sweet wine.
Over the past 30 years we’ve witnessed a lot – including 5 presidential administrations and all that has meant – Republican, Democrat, Republican, Democrat and Republican again. We survived 9/11, an economic downturn, and now the explosion of new restaurants everywhere. It seems like it’s a big deal for a restaurant to have stuck around for so long, so I didn’t want to let this anniversary pass unnoticed. I thought it would be fun to team up, once again, with Francesco to mark the occasion. (For those of you who didn’t know, we parted ways a very long time ago, and he now operates his successful Cesco’s Osteria in Bethesda.)
Join us on Saturday, February 9 at 7 pm for our Trent’Anni 30th Anniversary Dinner – a communal feast of Ricchi family favorites. We want to recreate the feeling and the menus we so loved from our little trattoria in Cercina. We’ll be celebrating the flavors of “cucina rustica” – rustic Italian country cooking – with six courses and plenty of “vino sfuso” (traditional Tuscan wine) on tap. It’s going to be a great party! See our special anniversary menu here & reserve your ticket
Please come to help us celebrate our Trent’Anni!