Authentic Italian Food, Truly RITROVO® Style

Though we at RITROVO® have brought many shipments of regional artisan foods from Italy to the United States over the last decade, our most recent shipment has been special.

With the arrival of the June 2010 shipment, RITROVO®’ celebrated 11 successful years of guiding small-scale Italian farmers and organic producers to the U.S. market — this accomplished in a comprehensive collegial fashion, from “farm-to-marketplace.”

The contents of this month’s shipment has brought the total of individual products that RITROVO® has successfully selected, developed, imported, and marketed in the United States to over 250, comprising products arriving from producers in 17 of Italy’s 20 regions.

Contained in the shipment were numerous new products, including three which have just been chosen as our 13th, 14th, and 15th sofiTM Nominees for Outstanding Product Awards. Overall, these nominations span 11 different categories, and were co-developed through collaborations with eight different producers.

This month RITROVO® formed its 4th successful U.S. joint venture with Miller Farms Almonds of Modesto, CA. This added to our existing joint ventures with Xocolatl de David of Portland, OR, Idaho’s Ballard Dairy, and Washington’s Mt. Townsend Creamery.

As we moved each pallet of the shipment into our warehouse I was struck not only by the years of hard work that had prepared us for its arrival, but I also could feel the presence of each of our multi-faceted cadre of proud producers in each of the pallets we off-loaded. It has taken considerable struggle over the last decade, but somehow, in some way, it feels like we ourselves are “arriving” too — working with our customers to increase recognition of the human importance of slow-paced, socially-based meal times.

RITROVO® has been fortunate to have been organizationally recognized as well:

The Italian Agricultural Minister invited RITROVO® to participate in “True Italian”, a celebration of Italian culture and cuisine held in Vancouver, B.C., during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

RITROVO® was chosen along with important chefs, restaurateurs, retailers, writers, and points of culinary reference to discuss issues such as regional authenticity, sustainability, and local produce consumption. The event culminated in a multi-course Italian ‘cook-off,’ playfully judged by the Italian Olympic team.

The Italian Trade Commission and Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West chose RITROVO® as a regional partner for their “Authentic Italian Food” promotion.

Of the amazing network of restaurants and retailers that buy RITROVO® SELECTIONS™, and share our concern for quality and authenticity, we were given the honor to choose nationally-acclaimed, local chefs Ethan Stowell of Tavolata and Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita to develop special menus showcasing both their respective culinary talents and our Italian regional product selections. They were magical evenings.

Of special note was our evening at Tavolata, booked for later in the evening, after we had off-loaded our most recent shipment. Dining with the tired but inspired RITROVO® crew was good friend, faithful customer, and visionary retailer Pat McCarthy, owner of DeLaurenti Specialty Food and Wine.

From the first taste of chef Ethan Stowell’s first dish — Tonno Crudo, accented by award-winning Tenuta Cocevola’s D.O.P. Extra Virgin Olive Oil and highlighted with Radici of Tuscany’s potent, Organic Wild Pinenuts—we realized that this would be a delicious adventure.

We are proud to present Tavolata’s full menu for “Authentic Italian Food”—
with its nine accompanying RITROVO® SELECTIONS™  ingredients below:

AHI TUNA CRUDO
Radici of Tuscany Wild Pinenuts, Salina
Capers, Tenuta Cocevola DOP Terre di Bari Extra Virgin Olive Oil

ESCAROLE BRODO
Organic Ceci Piccini Chianti Heirloom
Chickpeas, Pancetta, Anchovy

RICOTTA AGNOLOTTI
Organic Stone Ground Tuscan Chestnut Flour,
Dr. Pescia Corbezzolo Honey, Butter, Sage

SEARED HALIBUT
Maida Wild Campania Chicory, Due Vittorie 25 year Balsamic, Artichoke Puree

PECORINO TOSCANO
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Grape Chutney
with Walnuts

Buon appetito!