Curated Weekly Menus RSS



New Year's Eve Dinner Party (At Home)

New Year's Eve Dinner Party (At Home) December 31, 2024   Why not have a New Year's Eve party at home and let us cater it for you so you can just focus on having fun? The feast of Saint Sylvester is traditionally celebrated on New Year’s Eve night when Italians believe they should eat lentils as a symbol of wealth. Join us to set up some good fortunes for 2025!

Continue reading



WEEK 248 MENU: December 17-22, 2024

Christmas in Rome – Ancient Traditions Bag pipes? Bag pipes in Italy! I quickly learned that no Italian Christmas would be complete without the sound of bagpipes. Everywhere from the piazzas of Rome to remote hillside villages, Zampognari (pipers) continue the tradition of festive bagpipe playing that dates back to ancient Rome. Christmas in both Abruzzo and Lazio remains a holiday deeply rooted in ancient traditions where true values are passed down through the stories of the elderly from generation to generation. This week’s menu stars many ingredients popular in these regions and found on their holiday menus.

Continue reading



WEEK 247 MENU: December 10-15, 2024

Christmas in Naples: Food and the Art of the Presepio The Italian religious custom of displaying the nativity scene of Baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in a manger is something to behold. You would be hard pressed to find a home without one at this time of year, especially in Naples. They can range in size from a small tabletop to replicas of entire cities taking up enormous tabletops and even whole rooms. The Presepe is not simply a tradition in Naples, it has developed into an art form. Food in Naples also is rooted in a long history of outside influences of foreign invaders and poverty. Historical Neapolitan cuisine had been divided into two different categories: one for the rich and nobles, and...

Continue reading



FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES - Dec 22 & 24, 2024

Back by popular demand, the FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES, an Italian American Christmas Eve extravaganza, has become an annual tradition at Ristorante i Ricchi and this year, through the Food Club, you can enjoy the food festivities at home too. Take time out of your holiday schedule and let us do the cooking for you. Enjoy SEVEN courses of delicious Italian fish specialties.  MAKE IT YOUR NEW FAMILY TRADITION!

Continue reading



WEEK 246 MENU: December 3-8, 2024

Christmas Season Begins! Ask any Italian when they usually open their gifts and you can probably tell where they are from.  Italians celebrate lots of great unique Christmas traditions.  Customs vary from city to city, from exactly what dishes are served to when to open presents.  It is a great time to be a kid in Italy!  December 13th marks the “Festa di Santa Lucia” – St. Lucy’s Day.  Historically, it was to her (and not Santa) that children wrote letters requesting gifts and sweets which she delivered with the help of her donkey on the eve of her feast day. This week we feature a typical menu from Sicily, Santa Lucia’s birthplace.  An “omaggio” to this colorful and beloved Saint kicks...

Continue reading