Check out our newest Chef Joe Cicala. He is the incredible executive chef and master of Abruzzo Italian cuisine at Le Virtu restaurant, located in Philadelphia. Chef Cicala spends weeks in Italy up to 4 times a year learning with locals who have grandfathered in the near extinct techniques of this region. All of their meats are house-butchered and house-cured, all pasta is cut by hand and the best spices (like l’aquila saffron), oils, artisanal honey and cheese, and even their pasta flour are imported directly from Abruzzo to ensure authenticity.  If you are a Philly resident or visiting for a weekend, stop in and let them know that we’ve sent you! Be sure to order the Maccheroni alla mugnaia, their hand pulled pasta that is one maccheroni noodle pulled 6 feet long. They are the only ones serving it in the United States!

Check out Chef Cicala’s IITK page here: Cicala on IITK!