Tuesday, November 22, 7:00 pm
Members $100, guests $125

From the kitchen of Zeppelin, the restaurant he opened in 1995 in the heart of Orvieto’s centro storico, just a stone’s throw from the majestic thirteenth century Duomo, Lorenzo Polegri has delved deep into the roots of Umbrian cuisine.

Polegri shares the fruits of his research through the Instituto di Arte Culinaria “Marchesa Adele Viti,” which he founded and runs out of Zeppelin. The school is named for and dedicated to Polegri’s great-grandmother, who left behind a rich inheritance of recipe manuscripts. Since 2001 hungry students from around the globe have gathered at the school, where Polegri teaches them the secrets of Italian cooking, highlighting the bounty of Umbria’s farms, history, and art. Polegri’s meticulous research has also led him to develop a course entirely devoted to medieval cooking, in which students investigate the origins of lasagne, ravioli, and gnocchi, and cook a feast of savory pies, puddings, and roast suckling pig.

As a chef and restaurateur, Polegri is known for his culinary skill and innovative approach to food. In their review of Zeppelin, L’Espresso praised the thoughtful quality of Polegri’s menus, saying they “reveal the intellectual vivacity of a young, ingenious chef.” Polegri also prides himself on being an ambassador of Umbrian cuisine, and he has made countless trips abroad to promote his home and its food. In 2001 he led the delegation of chefs to the Italian Food Festival at the United Nations, where he organized a grand buffet for international diplomats and taught workshops on Umbrian cuisine to American culinary arts students. Polegri also paid a visit to the Beard House this past January, where he prepared a dinner so delicious we just couldn’t wait a whole year to invite him back again.

Livia Colantonio, owner of Castello delle Regine winery, will be joining Polegri at the Beard House to talk about her Umbrian wines. Though the winery, which opened in 2002, is very young for the region, its wines have already received acclaim. The 2000 Merlot garnered 92 points from Wine Spectator.