PAST EVENT Ferragosto in the Park Saturday August 17

Ferragosto

Cittavino & Co. x Little Hat production

Saturday August 17th, Wildcat Canyon Park East Bay, CA 1-4pm-ish

Kids under 12 are free!

precise location in the park will be emailed to ticket holders

Ferragosto has its origins in Mussolini’s Italy, when the dictator declared a Summer national holiday and reduced national train fares so Italy's working class could take time off and afford a trip with their families. While initially a propaganda initiative, Ferragosto has remained an Italian cultural phenomena where shops close, maybe even for the week, and Italians fill these free days with picnics, barbecues, trips out of town, bonfires, fireworks and, given the seasonal heat, swims in pools, the sea, river or lake waters. 

We're celebrating our own version of Ferragosto, bringing back inspiration from our weeks long trip deep into Lazio (see the Porchetta dish!), and capitalizing on California's late Summer vegetable bounty. 

Olivia Cappelletti is a professional chef and dinner party enthusiast. An East coast native, she's most recently landed at LA-based Gjusta Grocer where she manages the kitchen and seeks to showcase the diversity of hyper-seasonal California produce as well as the farms themselves. Olivia has previously worked in kitchens in New York and Italy, and is endlessly inspired by the storytelling behind recipes and culinary traditions—a breadcrumb that’s followed her since her first life as podcast producer for digital fashion publication Who What Wear. Her dedication to culinary discovery and translating those experiences to those around her table has driven her passion for food, even before her path within it was clear. She cooks bright, herby dishes, eats dinner at an hour most are in bed, and always has room for dessert (and amaro!). Beware not to tell her you don’t like an ingredient, as she’ll see it only as a personal challenge to use it to create something you find downright craveable. 

Olivia and Emilia (Cittavino & Co.) met in Italy on a harvest adventure in Ciro', Calabria. Olivia was on her path of discovery as she was gearing up for a career transition, staging in kitchens in Italy, visiting wineries, and found the last piece to her puzzle was working a harvest with Francesco de Franco of 'A Vita. Emilia was there for her second harvest with Francesco, as the call to Italy is an ever-present buzz in her research on the lesser known regions of Italy. Both gals bonded over their love for simple, fresh foods, excellent wine made by small farmers, and nostalgic photography. It was an instant connection and they vowed to keep in touch once stateside. And here they are, keeping true to their word and bringing their explosive creative minds together for their first pop up event.