Italian Cooking & Language Blog

Fare La Scarpetta means to wipe your plate clean with a piece of bread.

What else could you ask for?

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Italian Store in Arlington, VA

I used to live within walking distance from Casa di Trevi, an amazing ravioli store in Roselle Park, New Jersey. Since we moved here a few weeks ago, I was on a quest to find great ravioli, fresh or frozen, in Washington, DC.

This was a very short-lived quest. Close to DC in Arlington, Virginia is The Italian Store: an amazing market with take-out in a strip mall with easy parking. The name, in bright green neon lights, is exactly right. Every imported and fresh Italian product you might want is on their shelves.

Last night we had double-spinach ravioli: spinach dough filled with ricotta cheese and spinach. Nicely packaged in a two-tier box to avoid breaking, they were delicious. We started with an appetizer of pecorino from Siena, fresh bread and freshly made taralli (bread sticks) with hot pepper. Other than the small, round loaf of fresh bread with lighter dough and crust than I’d expected, everything was delicious.

Even though I wanted to buy more ravioli (crab, lobster and porcini versions were calling my name), cheeses like scamorza and fresh ricotta, salamis, fresh sauces (the clam and the pesto sauces looked great) and a few bottles of wine, I was brava and limited my purchases yesterday. You know, to have an excuse to go again. Soon.

When I stopped by The Italian Store around lunchtime, there was a crowd lining up for their apparently famous pizza and Philadelphia Style Subs. I look forward to trying them one day.

Hungry yet?

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