Chef Patrick’s “Pasta of the Week” Stars on Storico Fresco Menu

Picking a pasta dish from the stellar menu of heavenly house-made pastas at Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante is already a challenge (albeit a win-win one). Chef Mike Patrick’s “Pasta of the Week” selection could make choosing more difficult…or easier if you just trust Patrick’s pasta prowess and opt for his weekly specialty. Over the past few weeks the Buckhead restaurant has featured fettuccine a limone con cozze e ceci, lemon-infused fettuccine with mussels and chickpeas in white wine butter sauce ($18); paccheri con pancetta affumicata, large tubular pasta, smoked pancetta and toasted pistachio ($19); and tortellini in brodo: veal, beef and pork filled tortellini in broth with Lambrusco shooter ($18); and amberjack ravioli, ricotta, parmigiano and amberjack filled pasta, spicy arrabbiata sugo and manila clams ($24).  Storico Fresco pastas are handmade, from scratch, every day, turning tough decisions like this one into some of life’s most deliciously tender moments and mouthfuls.

Atlanta Chefs Host Fire Aid ATL Benefitting Fire-Ravished Napa and Sonoma Nov. 12

Recent raging fires have caused damage and heartache in California’s beautiful Napa and Sonoma wine producing regions. Reaching out with compassion from the East Coast, Atlanta friends of the wine community are pitching in to help by hosting Fire Aid, a fundraiser for the Napa Valley Community Foundation and the Sonoma County Resilience Fund at Local Three on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. More than a dozen of Atlanta’s best chefs, including Gerry Klaskala of Aria and Mike Patrick of Storico Fresco Alimentari, will lay out an epic smorgasbord alongside an array of the best wines from Northern California and beyond. Atlanta’s own DJ Yvonne Monet provides musical entertainment, and silent and live auctions offer up exciting items including trips, highly rated wines and a picnic for 30 guests on the L3 patio. Tickets are $250 per person and include food stations, passed dishes and wines. Purchase tickets here. Free parking.

Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante and Mauro Molino Vineyard Meld for Exclusive Wine Dinner Sept. 11

Dine on a five-course dinner of Italian dishes and wines in the heart of Buckhead when Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante hosts a Mauro Molino Wine Dinner on Monday, Sept. 11. Storico Fresco executive chef/partner Mike Patrick and vineyard owner Martina Molino carefully curate each course to convey the bold tastes of the Italian countryside. Wine selections for the evening include 2016 Roero Arneis, floral bouquet with mineral notes and a fresh, intense palate; mellow 2016 Barbera d’Alba, fine and fruity bouquet with scents of ripe red berries and minerals; smooth 2016 Langhe Nebbiolo with scents of rose and violet and a fresh and fruity palate; intense 2013 Barolo with a warm, dry palate and bouquet of cherry and dried rose; and 2013 Gallinotto Barolo with a rich and intense bouquet of ripe fruits, smooth palate, velvety tannins and long finish. Limited seating available. For reservations, call the restaurant at 404-500-2181 or email reservations@storicofresco.com.

Chef Mike’s Italian Summer Adventures Feed Storico Fresco Dish Ideas and Instagram Journal

Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante’s co-owner and culinary director Mike Patrick goes straight to the motherland to find authentic inspiration for the menu at his Buckhead restaurant and market. He’s back from a summer excursion to Italy, his head loaded with ideas, recipes and techniques destined for Storico Fresco’s kitchen. Delve into the trip’s memorable meals and edible explorations by following Patrick’s well-documented Instagram photo journal. His research cuts through the Eternal City of Rome, ventures out to the Tuscan coastal town of Ponte Rosso for a beach cookout of baby crabs and tomatoes tossed with strozzapreti and baby clams and revels in a Michelin-starred meal in Rimini that’s capped by “a mind bender” of cuttlefish cappuccino topped with squid ink dust. Wish you could have tagged along? Turn sighs into seats at Storico Fresco to enjoy tasting menu selections as well as prepared foods influenced by Patrick’s travels. Bring friends and gather around the table for a true Italian dining experience at lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Shop the market Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. No airline ticket needed, but reservations are recommended, call (404) 500-2181 or save your spot on OpenTable.

Get On Board -- Storico Fresco Meat and Cheese Boards -- for Easy Entertaining

Simplify menu planning for poolside gatherings, picnics and outdoor concerts by picking up a Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante weekly featured meat and cheese board ($16). No need to pre-order the rotating selection of authentic Italian meats and cheese portioned to serve two to four people. Pop in, place your request at the counter and your board will be ready in about 10 minutes. Browse or enjoy a beverage while waiting or call ahead if you’ve no time to spare. Combination examples include Prosciutto San Daniele, soppressata, pantaleo, Ubriacone and mixed olives; mortadella, Lou Bergier and Santa Teresa with mixed olives and pistachios; and finocchiona, bresaola, Canestrato de Madaio and provolone piccante, with pistachios and other wonderful Italian charcuterie and cheeses.

Appetizing Aperture: Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante

Summer light, summer right. Fresh, homemade spinach pasta at Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante dresses lithely for hot summer days wearing the season’s best chanterelle mushrooms, asparagus, farm-fresh golden egg yolk and Grana Padano ($18). Buckhead’s home for authentic Italian food served in-house or grab-and-go was recently featured on Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise: Noodle Nirvana” episode.

Shop Like Nona -- Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante Opens Stands at Area Farmers Markets

Shopping outdoor markets for the freshest ingredients is a way of life in Italy. Just ask Nona. Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante, ever true to its Italian heritage, carries on the tradition. The Buckhead trattoria and Italian grocery is taking its authentic, fresh-made specialties to two of Atlanta’s most popular Saturday farmers markets: Freedom Park Farmers Market and Peachtree Road Farmers Market at The Cathedral of St. Philip.

Appetizing Aperture

Squash Blossoms are blooming on the spring menu at Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante in Buckhead. Stuffed with a ricotta and mozzarella cheese mixture, dipped in a light batter and flash fried, the big golden blossoms are delicacies to behold ($9). Hurry, hurry! Quantities are limited. 

Give Boring Lunches the Boot – Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante To-Go Orders Please One, Two or the Whole Office

Brown bag or sunny Italy? Betting Italy wins on the office lunch poll. Order lunch to go at Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante in Buckhead. Turn the conference table into a communal table and enjoy lunch together like one big family. Say “Viva Italia!” to antipasti like callipo tuna with cannellini beans, lemon olive oil, red onion and parsley ($13) or an assortment of arancini fried rice balls ($12). Pasta, all freshly made at Storico Fresco, satiates winter comfort food needs with specialties of tagliatelle alla Bolognese with classic beef, pork and veal ragu ($13) or pi fasaac with ricotta, spinach, Grana Padano filling and brown butter sage ($12). Pressing matters at hand? Pick up a panini like focaccia with mortadella, mozzarella di bufala and arugula ($10); ceci with chickpea puree, braised greens, red onion and mozzarella di bufala ($10); or the invernale with broccolini, winter squash, radicchio, red onion and Woodsman & Wife ricotta ($11). Storico Fresco has something for everyone, even ones who want to fly solo and enjoy a quiet Italian retreat lunching in their own office or cubicle.

Cibo di Strada (Street Food) Menu Parks at Storico Fresco Feb. 6-18

Perfecto! Eat like a roamin’ Roman when Rome-based street food chefs and Ape Fritto food truck operators David Argenti and Fabrizio Masciotti visit Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante Monday, Feb. 6- through Saturday, Feb. 18 for a special Cibo di Strada (translation, “street food”) menu. Alas, the two friends and former colleagues of Storico Fresco co-owner Pietro Gianni are leaving their vintage, three-wheel yellow Piaggio utility truck in Italy. They’re packing their skills though, so Atlantans can experience all the golden goodness of fritto -- Italian fried delicacies. Start salivating for traditional suppli (stuffed rice fritters) -- cacio e pepe and all’amatriciana; delizie cacio e ovo --  mini pasta with pecorino, bread, egg, parsley and tomato sugo; and baccalà (salt cod) in three batter versions -- traditional flour and water, mint and pistachios, and cinnamon. Sink teeth into pizzelle (mini fried pizza) fashioned with tomato sugo, Parmesan and basil; ricotta salata and honey; or ricotta fresca and pancetta. Sing wing praises over pollo fritto -- Italian-style fried wings and drums with spices and marinade. Add the crunch of patatine (homemade spiced chips) in sea salt, paprika, rosemary and cacio e pepe flavors. Ape Fritto prices range from $7-$18. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 404-500-2181 or visiting OpenTable

Roman Roads Lead to Peachtree Road’s Storico Fresco for “Tasting Rome” Dinner with Cookbook Author Katie Parla on Jan. 24

Oh, to be Katie Parla, reviewing restaurants and culinary trends as a Rome-based food and beverage educator and journalist. While we can’t BE her, we can enjoy a special dinner with her at Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante on Tuesday, Jan. 24 AND take home a signed copy of her new cookbook, “Tasting Rome.” The book captures the unique culinary character of the city – a culmination of 2,000 years of history. Parla has written and edited more than 20 books, and her food criticism and travel musings have appeared in The New York Times, Saveur, Food & Wine, Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, Travel + Leisure, Lucky Peach and many more. The “Tasting Rome” dinner, served family style, progresses through four traditional Italian courses. Antipasto opens with arugula and pine nut salad and fritti of supplì cacio e pepe and “nduja in carozza.” The primi pasta course features cacio e pepe, gricia with rigatoni and spaghetti with bottarga and cicoria. Secondo follows, bringing porchetta and vedure ripassate in padella to the table. A dolce of crostata sweetly closes the meal. $60 per person includes dinner and a signed copy of the cookbook (tax and service fee extra). Suggested wine pairings also are available for an additional fee. The “Tasting Rome” menu will be offered from 5:30-10 p.m. For reservations, call the restaurant at 404-500-2181 or visit OpenTable.

Appetizing Aperture: Storico Fresco's Piadina Panini

Storico Fresco Alimentari satisfies those pressing lunchtime decisions such as how to get some healthy greens in when you really want to bite into bread, meat and cheese. Hot-pressed Piadina panini embrace spicy green arugula, bright red cherry tomatoes – and the salty kick of prosciutto and creamy mozzarella di bufala ($11). Hands on; don’t bother with a fork.

Appetizing Aperture: Storico Fresco's Tortelloni

Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante tortelloni ($19) tucks ricotta, walnut, spinach and mushroom filling under its cute pasta folds. Sit down and savor these tender pillows in the restaurant or buy some in the alimentari (market) to take home. Italian foods are adored and devoured gifts. Storico Fresco owners Mike Patrick and Pietro Gianni recommend picking out items for gift baskets, giving one of the 15 different varieties of olive oil or a bottle of aged balsamic vinegar, gift cards, and of course, fresh pasta and sauces.

Lunch in Italy, Take Italian Dinner Home with One Visit to Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante in Buckhead

Remember childhood stories of Strega Nona and her magic pasta pot? Plentiful and pleasing. Same magic happens at Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante. Lunch guests visit the full-service restaurant and bar for a quick yet satisfying midday meal. Drawn to the surrounding Italian market, they browse around and pick up prepared foods and Italian imported goods for take-home dinner or some awe-inspiring entertaining on the fly. The menu ($7-$22) includes meat and cheese boards, antipasti, antipasti fritti, pasta, insalata and panini. Arancini (filled-rice fritters); Callipo tuna; mixed greens with Roman cipollini, artichoke, almond and honey saba vinaigrette; classic lasagna alla Bolognese; pi fasacc brown butter sage with Taleggio, ricotta cheese, spinach and Grana Padano filling; and prosciutto panini with 16-month prosciutto, grilled zucchini and Robiola cheese are just a few of the current temptations backed by even more imported goods, fresh pastas, five kinds of lasagna, grilled veggies and an array of salads. We see a Storico menu-planning habit forming. Totally Italy. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. For additional updates, follow the restaurant on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.