Fourth in an occasional series
Think of an Italian market, and what’s the first image that comes to mind? A bustling, aromatic shop with huge wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on the counter and small wedges of pecorino Romano in baskets. Shelves stocked with jars of imported capers, olive oils and plump white beans. And above it all, ropes of sausage and prosciutto hams, dangling from the ceiling.
That’s the scene at Vace Italian Delicatessen in Bethesda, with one exception: What’s suspended overhead are regulation-size soccer balls bearing the names of various European teams. The few “hams” hanging with them are empty props.
“The health department does not allow us to hang prosciutto at room temperature,” Diana Calcagno says with a smile. Her family owns this store, one in Cleveland Park and a factory in Gaithersburg. “Although it is done everywhere in Italy.” It’s a common complaint among American chefs across the country who try to make their own cured meat in the traditional Italian way, at room temperature, and face health regulations that value refrigeration over tradition.
But even though the staging of the shop might not transport you immediately back to that lovely weekend in Tuscany, Vace’s refrigerators offer an impressive selection of imported cured meats alongside salami, speck and bresaola, plus sausages and fresh mozzarella that are made in the store. Plain and stuffed fresh pastas and house-made sauces pack the shelves as well, next to trays of lasagna, eggplant Parmesan and individual cups of tiramisu. Imported pantry goods such as vinegars, cans of Italian coffee beans and wines do double duty as scene-setters and sellable goods.
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Such items are so embedded in American cuisine that you can now find them in many chain supermarkets. But that wasn’t always the case. When Diane’s parents, Valerio and Blanca Calcagno, opened Vace in Cleveland Park in 1977, house-made pastas were a rare sight in any Washington area market.
After Valerio’s death in 2000, his wife took over the business. Now, daughters Diane and Lisa Calcagno run it with her. Blanca still shuttles from one store to the other, supervising pasta production and making the tiramisu herself.
Although the Italian community in the Washington area has never been sizable, a kind of Italian market renaissance has taken place. The Italian Store in Arlington opened a second location, also in Arlington; Via Umbria opened in Georgetown with a nice selection of Umbrian products; London-based restaurant and market Carluccio’s opened in Alexandria, offering its own lines of olive oils and sauces and a variety of pastries; and osteria Centrolina in CityCenter DC includes a market that offers freshly made pasta, antipasti, cheese, salumi, prepared meals and more.
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So why shop at an Italian specialty store when your local supermarket stocks similar goods? One reason to stop in is for the potential surprise each visit promises. In the next few weeks, for example, you’ll find Vace’s shelves filled with Italian milk chocolate Easter eggs and other special sweets for the holiday.
Share this articleShareBut there's more than that: specifically, the quality and selection of imported goods. Try the Italian markets for veal or prosciutto tortelloni or lobster ravioli with traditional amatriciana sauce or salsa di noci (walnut sauce), not to mention the many varieties of salumi, prosciutto and cured fat cuts such as guanciale, lardo and pancetta.
Each of the Washington area’s Italian markets has its specialties. Cornucopia in Bethesda carries an array of imported dried pastas that seems endless; Via Umbria has an impressive Italian wine selection, colorful ceramics and imported linens; the Italian Store is known for its subs, but customers are more than happy to grab fresh burrata from the cheese case and pastas from the freezer, says longtime store manager Kim Gotcher. Vace is known among neighborhood customers and beyond for its pizza, but shoppers also reach for the lasagna and tiramisu. Gemelli’s Italian Market offers a great selection of all of the above, plus an excellent Italian cheesecake. Carluccio’s has a nice variety of baked goods made especially for its brand.
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Pizza lovers and pasta enthusiasts still make up much of Vace’s clientele, just as Italian sub lovers line up at the Italian Store during lunchtime, but the crowds have become increasingly more knowledgeable throughout the years. Cooking shows and culinary tours to Italy drive more customers through the store’s doorway.
“They come for the pignoli, because they know they’re better,” Blanca says, referring to Italian-grown pine nuts. “People also come for guanciale,” Diana adds. “Many don’t know what it is, but those who do come directly to us and ask for it.”
Guttman writes a food column for haaretz.com and is a caterer in Washington. She'll join Wednesday's Free Range chat at noon: live.washingtonpost.com.
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