FALL NEWSLETTER 2015 LA LOCANDA WWW.LALOCANDAPA.COM - 610.353.7033

Thanksgiving Dinner A Note from our GM

Thursday, November 26th Let me first start by thanking you for even opening this letter and taking a look at what 11am – 7pm we have to say. We always have something Italian Holiday Menu & newsworthy going on here. That is why I started Traditional Turkey Dinner this newsletter in spring of this year. The With all the trimmings feedback was so overwhelmingly positive that we Reservations Suggested put another one together in summer; and now, this, our third issue, which is the project of Rosemont College intern, Luca Difranco. We’ve included ads for two local

Chef Cardillo’s Recipe businesses. I encourage you to take a close look at them and mention us when you patronize them. While we’re not in the business of selling ad Butternut space, we are big supporters of local business, especially the ones who patronize our restaurant. Squash In this issue, you’ll find out what is coming in the fall at La Locanda. It is here that our August (guest appreciation month) grand - See page 6 Agnolotti prize Barceló Maya Resort - Apple Vacation winner is announced. Also included in this issue Save the Date… Call for Reservations! are articles by restaurant staffers Peter Thomas, Massimo Fazzina and Luca Difranco and Chef Sicilia Bella Truffle Dinner Grand Marnier Giuseppe Cardillo shares an easy to execute fall recipe. Wine Dinner Alba Truffles Cognac Dinner On behalf of Mario, Franco and Chef th th th Thursday Oct 15 Thursday Nov 5 Thursday Nov 19 Giuseppe, thanks for your loyalty. We certainly Join Marco An exclusive Come for a hope to see you at La Locanda very soon. Oh, Scapagnini and annual dining sensational menu and book your holiday party soon! Michael Walsh for event featuring four featuring Grand Sincerely, the best of courses, each with Marnier’s Michael Buono Sicilian Wines fresh shaved Alba Quintessence paired complemented by White Truffles and with the main course. Cardillo’s take on sensational wine See article by Luca pairings Difranco on page 5.

LA LOCANDA QUARTERLY FALL 2015

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LA LOCANDA QUARTERLY FALL 2015

Campaccio by Terrabianca brings to you the beautiful ripe blend of succulent Sangiovese (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%). The wine is elevated to the top with the French oak, licorice, leather and a slight smokiness. With its velvety, fruity characteristics and rich with floral tannins, Campaccio is a natural born perfect dining companion for our Ossobuco, a shank slowly braised with onions, carrots, celery, fresh aromatics and master chef techniques by our very own, Giuseppe Cardillo. The result of slowly sipping a glass of decanted Campaccio along with the veal shank, marrow, and saffron infused Arborio rice is a tonic, unique, and unforgettable culinary and wine experience. The after taste of cocoa, toasted In Vino Veritas almond and ripe berries is a natural consequence of the taste buds meeting a higher level of pleasure. Massimo FAZZINA I may sound partial to Italian wines, so my next pairing suggestion may surprise you. Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon “Artemis,” in honor of the Greek goddess Artemis, is a perfect Our wine list offers you a selection of white and red storm of blended Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot wines perfect for every palate, budget, and taste. Of course (9%) and Malbec (26%). This infusion was designed for a some of our featured wines are perfect pairings to our menus more intense complexity, which is enhanced by a mixed aging and special recipes offered daily to our guests. process in French and American oaks for 18 months. The wine, The Branzino, a whole Mediterranean fish from the bass medium–bodied, with notes of vanilla and black cherry softly family, is one of our best and authentic dishes very pleasantly tantalize your taste buds. paired to different white wines from our list. I love to suggest a Sipping the wine with the Gavi di Gavi from Piedmont, . Produced by Broglia, this wine Ossobuco will gently coat is semi-dry with a lovely round finish, made of 100% Cortese your tongue and upper (literal translation: gentle) grapes. The vines were originally palate with smooth and silky planted in 900 A.D. The Cortese grape varietal is very well known tannins. In both of these for its high acidity, which makes it perfect with the Branzino. It liquid masterpieces you will pleasantly enhances the mild flavors of fish on the palate. On the recognize the astute and opposite side of the world in the well-ventilated and mineral-rich knowledgeable skills of the winemakers, elevating your dining Sonoma Valley, California, an ambitious winemaker, Paul Hobbs, pleasure to a much higher level of enjoyment. Buon appetito, makes a well-blended chardonnay, Crossbarn. With its hints of drink less but better! lemon zest and a remarkable richness of spices and minerals, a golden straw color with a Gala Apple finish, Crossbarn is a more complex and pleasant approach to the Branzino, lightly drizzled in lemon and olive oil. Even the pleasure on your palate is longer lasting than the Piedmont Gavi, but the acidity of the Piedmont wine is what the most sophisticated palates will look for when enjoying fish. At La Locanda we take pride in our wine list and we embrace different schools and traditions of winemaking from around the world. Nowadays, the selection is so wide and abundant that it is very difficult to offer all the varietals and producers requested by our patrons. For example, when it comes to accompanying a signature dish of the like the Veal Ossobuco, we could generate 100 pages of literature and divergent opinions. In my daily attempt to give you the best marriage between food and wine, I have selected two wonderful wines from our list; the elegant, opulent, well-balanced Super Tuscan, 3

LA LOCANDA QUARTERLY FALL 2015 10 Weeks of Summer Peter THOMAS As a server at La Locanda Ristorante Italiano, for the past year, I am always learning something new about Italian food and wine; but the Ten Week Tour of Italy had been a real treat. The members of our staff and restaurant patrons alike learned how different one Italian dining experience might be from another one depending on where you travel in Italy. The tour not only taught me the different styles of Congratulations Steve and Debbie McElroy of West Chester. You are the lucky cuisine from the various regions but also about history, culture winners of the all-inclusive Apple Vacation to Barceló Riviera Maya Mexico! and wine. For me, learning about the different geographies, The folks at Apple Vacations and Barceló Riviera Maya look forward to helping topographies, climates and how this applied to wine making in you plan for your trip. Thanks to all of you who participated in La Locanda's 2nd annual month-long appreciation program this August. We awarded $3100 Italy was quite fascinating. in dining certificates and this all-inclusive vacation! I tasted, served and learned a lot about a delicious Pictured above are the McElroy’s with restaurant co-owner F. Stefanatto. varietal from Friuli called “Friulano.” This wine was known as Tocai Friulano until the Hungarians successfully argued that there is a danger of confusion of the tangy pale dry whites made from the vine variety previously known as “Tocai Friulano” with Tokaji, long spelt Tokay, the legendary golden dessert wine of north east Hungary. On a historical note, I learned that the Emilia Romagna region was home to the oldest university in the world (l’Università di Bologna est. 1088 A.D.) Incidentally, this university is where our very loyal patron John Kotyo, MD studied medicine. Emiglia Romagna is also home to Ferrari automobiles. Week five we stopped in Toscana where I learned that wines like Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano originate. Chef Cardillo showed us a fantastic way the Tuscans prepare wild boar this week. Campania, in week seven, was of particular interest to me, as I had no idea that the Greeks colonized this region. I, being of Greek descent, could see the influences in the menu for that week. Looking back, our first Ten Week Tour was a huge success filling more seats in the off-season. I’m sure our next tour will be as interesting and delicious as the first. Thanks to all of you who participated in the program. I encourage those of you who missed it to join us next time. In the meantime, my colleagues and I look forward to serving you soon. Private Rooms

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LA LOCANDA QUARTERLY FALL 2015 Quintessence: The most perfect or typical example of quality or class.

By: Luca DIFRANCO Marketing Intern at La Locanda

The Quintessence: a drink for the more-than regular man. At $900 per bottle, the price alone tells you that this sipper is different from the rest. But what is it that makes the quintessence such a specialty? This primetime cognac is made up of an obviously well blended variety of cognacs that are as much as a century old. The blend consists of 20 different cognacs, including the 1906 and 1955 versions. Once the cognacs are blended they are mixed with the double-distilled orange liqueur, which after its second distillation becomes impurity-free and much smoother than drinks distilled just once. The purpose of the multiple distillations, generally speaking, is to erase any semblance of taste to the fruit that is used in the process; consequently, the more times distilled the less semblance there is. The Grand Marnier Quintessence, however, maintains its almost bitter orange peel taste creating a beautifully combined pre-dinner drink, main- course accompaniment or post dinner digestif. Adding to the very strong citrus is a smokiness that is brought on by the cognac from the French oak that it is aged in. In essence, this is a drink for the man that knows what he likes and craves having it. On Forbes.com, Larry Olmsted wrote about a friend of his by the name of Dan Dunn. Dan, known as “The Imbiber” is a radio host, author, spirits columnist, and just generally a “well- known booze reviewer” as Larry put it. Here is what Dan had to say about the Grand Marnier on his own website: “It’s delicate. Fresh. Powerful. Just absolutely delicious. I would drink this with my last meal on Death Row.” All that is left to say at this point is simply this: when a man as influential as Mr. Dunn speaks on his particular topic of expertise, people should listen. So come out to La Locanda and join us for the first ever Grand Marnier dinner featuring the ever-so enticing and particularly unique cognac blend, and celebrate being different from the rest. The Quintessence: a drink for the more-than regular man.

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LA LOCANDA QUARTERLY FALL 2015

Agnolotti di Zucca Violina Giuseppe CARDILLO, Executive Chef at La Locanda

Summer has drawn to its end and the beautiful season of autumn approaches. As mother earth shifts gears, our appetites and palates embrace the bounty that this new season brings. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate autumn than with this simple and delicious dish of homemade agnolotti. I invite you to warm the hearts of your family and friends with my recipe. Enjoy!

The Dough 4. Puree in a blender 2 Whole Eggs 5. Add 8 ounces of ricotta cheese, ½ cup of Parmigiano 1 Egg Yolk Reggiano, a sprinkle of fresh ground nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of 8 ¼ Ounces all-purpose flour aged balsamic vinegar A pinch of salt By now the dough should be just ready Instructions for you to roll out into large thin sheets. 1. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted Cut into approx. 5” diameter circles. with a blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine. Place an heaping tablespoon of filling in 2. Add the eggs. Crack the eggs on top of the flour. the middle, carefully keeping the edge of 3. Process for 30-60 seconds your pasta circles free of any filling. Lightly 4. If dry, add water. brush with egg wash and fold one side over 5. If sticky, add flour. the filling to meet the other side and 6. Knead the dough by hand into a smooth ball. apply a little pressure to seal it. Get a large pot of water boiling; add a pinch Rest the dough for 30 minutes. Dust the dough with a little flour and of salt. place it in a small mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The Sauce Eight ounces of unsalted butter The Filling Fresh Sage (4 – 5 leaves) 16 ounces butternut squash peeled and One cup of heavy cream cubed Grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1 large carrot peeled and cubed Cheese (to taste) 1 small onion peeled and roughly chopped Pinch of salt In a large sauce pan, over low 1 tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary heat, slowly melt the butter. Lightly ¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil brown the sage in the warm butter. Add the cream, season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir with Instructions a wooden spoon and remove from heat. Add freshly grated 1. Combine all in ingredients in a mixing bowl ensuring that the olive cheese and spoon sauce over the plated agnolotti, which have oil is evenly coating all ingredients, then transfer to a roasting pan. cooked in boiling water for 4 – 5 minutes. 2. Bake in a pre-heated 350° F oven until soft 3. Cool down to just above room temperature