Di Beppe’s ‘Festa della Polenta’ Returns this March

POLENTA TO GO AROUND: DI BEPPE’S POPULAR ‘FESTA DELLA POLENTA’
RETURNS THIS MARCH

Gastown Ristorante Showcases Versatility of Italian Culinary Staple with Month-Long Features and One-Night-Only, Communal Feast on March 1

Di Beppe gives the polenta to the people once again when it presents its second-annual ‘Festa della Polenta’ dinner and adds special features that showcase the versatility of the Italian culinary staple to the menu at the beloved Gastown caffè and ristorante this March.

The polenta showcase begins on Sunday, March 1 at 6 p.m. as Di Beppe hosts a multi-course, family style Festa della Polenta dinner that pays homage to a Tuscan tradition dating back to the 16th Century, when members of the nobility offered the foodstuff to hungry townspeople to help fight a famine sweeping through the region. The festival has since become a time-honoured event that continues in towns and cities across Italy to this day.

The dinner begins with a welcome aperitivo, followed by an array of cicchetti and an insalata course before the main event — atop communal tables, piping-hot pots of polenta are poured ‘sulla spianatoia’ (on a wooden board) before the very eyes of guests and topped off with gourmet accompaniments such as braised veal osso buco in pomodoro, whole sea bream in vermouth cream, rapini with chili oil and wild mushrooms with roasted garlic, basil and red wine. The dinner ends on a sweet note with a dolci course of polenta zeppole with icing sugar, crema and Nutella.

DI BEPPE FESTA DELLA POLENTA MENU
Sunday, March 1 | $89 per person plus tax and gratuity

aperitivo
Aperol Spritz & chips

cicchetti
egg & anchovy
baccalà on grilled polenta
marinated seafood with caponata on bread
whipped lardo with tomato agrodolce

insalata
house-cured beef bresaola, chicories, crispy chickpeas, red onion, tonnato dressing

polenta sulla spianatoia
braised veal osso buco in pomodoro
whole sea bream in vermouth cream *(per four people)
rapini with chili oil
wild mushrooms with roasted garlic, basil and red wine

dolci
polenta zeppole, icing sugar, crema, Nutella

TICKETS
Tickets to Di Beppe’s Festa della Polenta dinner on Sunday, March 1 are available for $89 per person plus tax and gratuity and may be purchased online at dibeppe.com. As Di Beppe prides itself on placing a premium on the availability and seasonality of all ingredients, the dinner menu may be subject to slight changes.

MARCH POLENTA FEATURES
Throughout March, Di Beppe will add rotating weekly polenta-focused features to the menu including veal osso buco (slow-cooked veal in tomato sauce and red wine, Parmiggiano-Reggiano), $29; sepia al nero (traditional Venetian squid cooked in ink and tomato sauce), $26; and whole sea bream for two (oven-baked with lemon, chili and parsley, vermouth cream), $65.

For more information about Di Beppe, visit dibeppe.com, become a fan of /dibepperestaurant on Facebook and follow @dibepperestaurant on Instagram.

ABOUT DI BEPPE | Located in Vancouver’s historic Gastown district, Di Beppe conjures up an unabashedly authentic Italian spirit in a family friendly caffè, deli and grocery with an adjacent ristorante by night showcasing regional Italian cuisine such as house-made artisan pastas and Sorrentine-inspired pizza, delectable dolci and a wide array of Italian wines and specialty liqueurs. At its heart, Di Beppe is inspired by the Italian immigrants who desired to share a piece of home while living abroad and pays homage to those gathering places that served as a hub for people to connect, hold court and nurture a sense of community while honouring their shared love of food, culture and traditions. Part of the Kitchen Table Restaurants group, Di Beppe — named to The Globe and Mail’s 2018 list of the Top 10 New Restaurants in Vancouver — is one of five establishments operated by the hospitality group, in addition to Northern Italian-focused Pizzeria Farina on Main Street and its full-service offshoot Farina a Legna in North Vancouver, casual Italian eatery Ask for Luigi in Vancouver’s Railtown district and Gastown cocktail-and-comfort-food hotspot Pourhouse.