La Tavola Hosts Another Lovely La Grassa Celebration

Strozzapretti with braised rabbit ragu -photo by Alli Royce Soble

You only have five more days to get over to La Tavola Trattoria in Virginia Highland for this year’s La Grassa festivities. In case you didn't know, "La grassa" translates as "the fat one" in Italian and alludes to Bologna, the capital of Italy's Emilia-Romagna farm and food-producing region. The limited-time, three-course menu is available for $35 prix fixe (plus tax and gratuity) or à la carte. Appetizers include cotechino sausage, pickled calf's tongue, spring lettuces, vellutata soup and crispy sweetbreads ($5-12). Entrées range from capelletti filled with truffled mascarpone and tortelli filled with new potatoes, leeks and prosciutto on creamed Parmigiano to roasted goat ribs, strozzapretti with braised rabbit ragu, snapper and Sapelo Island clams and roasted leg of pork ($16-24). Baked ravioli with chestnut cream and tangerine sorbet are like little pillows of flavor for sweet dreams ($7). La Grassa is available through Saturday, March 12.

La Tavola Trattoria: 992 Virginia Ave, NE; 404-873-5430

I Love La Grassa!

Starting this Wednesday, March 3 through Saturday, March 13, La Tavola Trattoria's annual La Grassa celebration is back in action! It is definitely one of my favorite Fifth Group food events. Each year, the cozy Virginia Highland trattoria highlights the savory riches of Italy's culinary capital, Bologna. Appetizers on the special menu include dandelion greens with roasted pears, walnuts, shaved Parmesan and balsamic vinaigrette; beet and farro salad with hazelnuts, watercress and beet vinaigrette; crispy sweetbreads with chestnut cream, blood oranges and roasted cipollini onions; and garlic soup with smoked croutons and pumpkin seed oil ($4.50-$12). Enticing entrées items include spinach gnocchi with porcini mushroom sauce and prosciutto ribbons; Bollito Misto -- slow-cooked beef brisket and veal tongue with new potatoes and salsa verde; braised pork belly with balsamic vinegar glaze, smoked potatoes and savoy cabbage; lasagna with lamb Bolognese; Pasta Imbottita -- tiny dumplings filled with ricotta cheese and lemon zest ($16-$18). Dessert is the classic Castagnaccio, a chestnut cake with fig jam and house-made crème fraîche ($7). Don’t miss out on this savory celebration!

La Tavola Trattoria: 992 Virginia Avenue, NE; 404-873-5430.

Forget Fat Tuesday, Enjoy "The Fat One" at La Tavola Trattoria!

Italians affectionately refer to Bologna, Italy as “La Grassa”…the fat one. That’s a compliment when we’re discussing dishes from this tasty epicenter of Northern Italian cuisine. La Tavola Trattoria, Fifth Group Restaurants' cozy Italian restaurant in Virginia-Highland, has made an annual celebration out of the cuisine of Bologna. This year, the La Grassa celebration is from March 4 through March 14, and the specialties are available as a three-course prix fixe menu for $27 (plus tax and gratuity) or as à la carte items ($6.75-$17). Although Chef Craig Richards' cuisine is always a hit, believe me, you do not want to miss this culinary tradition! Some of his special dishes are cotechino sausage with Castelluccio lentils and housemade mustard; borlotti bean and kale soup; mushroom Bolognese lasagna; fazzoletti pasta with duck ragu and red wine-braised greens; braised pork spare ribs with cherry peppers, shallots, new potatoes and balsamic vinegar; and roasted half-chicken stuffed with orange and rosemary and served with broccoli rabe and vin cotto. Click here to watch Craig making one of last year's La Grassa dishes. For reservations, call 404-873-5430. La Tavola Trattoria: 992 Virginia Avenue, NE; 404-873-5430.

La Tavola Trattoria's "La Grassa" Menu Will Have You Licking Your Plate!

I decided to make this past Sunday night an all-out culinary celebration by trying the special “La Grassa” (which means “the fat one” in Italian – a nickname for the city of Bologna) menu at La Tavola Trattoria before hunkering down to watch Atlanta’s very own Kevin Rathbun battle Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America. The evening turned out to be a double victory! Beginning with a round of drinks off the restaurant’s cocktail menu, my friend and I tried the Limonada and the Rose Marie Martini (pictured left to right) – both are extremely refreshing.
We started out with the blood orange salad and the tagliata di manzo (seared, thinly shaved beef with Parmigiano-Reggiano, arugula and balsamic vinegar). The beef – a very meaty portion I must say! – was amazing, and the salad was a nice, fresh way to whet the appetite. We also sampled the capellacci (sweet squash ravioli in capon broth) and boccocini (chicken, sausage, cipollini onions, potatoes, rosemary and balsamic vinegar). The boccocini (pictured at the top of this post) was my favorite dish – hearty and comforting with just a hint of sweetness. For dessert, the cinnamon and clove budino (similar to custard) is a light and flavorful way to end the meal without feeling like you need to be rolled out of the restaurant! This special menu (available a la carte or as a prix fixe option) will be offered through this Saturday, March 1 and should not be missed! For those of you who want to commemorate the experience - or if you find yourself a bit larger on the way out than when you first sat down to dinner – I spotted La Grassa t-shirts available for sale at the hostess stand! If you aren’t able to make it to the restaurant by March 1, you can watch Chef Craig Richards’ instructional video on how to make the boccocini at home.