Friday, March 14, 7:00 P.M.
Members $95, guests $120

Piedmont, in the north-western hills of Italy, is a largely rural area known for its lush and supple wines—some of Italy's best—including Grignolino, Freisa, Malvasia, Brachetto, Barbera, Moscato, and, of course, Barolo, the full-bodied favorite with earthy, chocolate, and truffle nuances. As is often the case, wine country just also happens to be gourmet country. To wit, the Piedmontese countryside has all the makings of a great meal, including truffles, apricots, peaches, exquisite cheeses, figs, and hazelnuts. Risotto has the Piemontese stamp, as do agnolotti, tiny pasta pillows stuffed with beef, pork, or rabbit. And chocolate lovers should take note: your favorite poison was produced in Piedmont long before the Swiss stepped in. At Barolo, Enzo Fargione pays homage to the food and wine of his native home with inspired dishes that take their cues from the Piemontese countryside. Washington Magazine's Thomas Head called Barolo "the most ambitious Italian restaurant on the Hill." Indeed, it was Barolo's "delightful revelations" that won over Washington Post critic Phyllis C. Richman, who kvelled over Fargione's braised eggplant: "sweet-sour velvet that went beyond a mere vegetable."

It will probably come as no surprise that Fargione grew up in a house where cooking was as integral as breathing. But when he told his parents that he aspired to become a chef, they were surprised, and less than pleased. His father had other ideas: the Italian Air Force. Days before Fargione was to report for duty, he begged his parents—"Please, Dad, I'm a chef, not a pilot!"—to send him to culinary school. Finally, they relented, and Fargione was permitted to attend The Culinary Institute of Turin. He graduated at 17, worked in a number of four-star restaurants in Italy, including the Turin Palace and L'Antica Zecca Ristorante, then moved to the States, and San Diego, for his first job. He had heard from one of his school professors that a young Italian chef, also from Piedmont, was creating quite a stir in D.C. It was none other than Roberto Donna. Fargione headed to Galileo, and the two immediately hit it off. They spent three years working together, became business partners, and opened their first collaborative effort, Il Radicchio. Fargione then accepted a position as chef/operating partner at Donna Adele, also in D.C. But he wanted more—to introduce his clientele to the foods he grew up with in Piedmont. The result is Barolo, another successful collaboration with Donna, where the food, according to Where magazine, "verges on poetry." Sounds like Piedmont to us.