Dear members and aspiring members of Ciancia,
We are sure that your schedule is still recovering from the week-long snow paralysis, last month. It was a small, unexpected vacation, a once in a one-hundred-years event. Something to remember. We hope that you have enjoyed this injection of a northern flavor… so rare and unusual for our warm Atlanta.
Kristi, Stefano and Giancarlo did some work on our website. Want to see who we are? Look under the new section “meetings” and under the section “Committee Members”.
For our next meeting, we are taking you to the periphery of Atlanta. Since its opening, two years ago, Italia Café has become a reference point for connoisseurs of Italian regional cuisine. Our host Giorgio Esperti is a master of “cucina livornese”. Giorgio Esperti is a host extraordinaire, systematically going out of his way to make you feel welcome. His warmth and contagious cheerfulness are proverbial. His cuisine… well, we shall let you make that call. Although you may have to drive 20 minutes outside I-285 perimeter, you will not be disappointed – as a matter of fact, you will wonder about your new discovery!
More details below!
WINE POLICY CHANGE:
In an effort to keep Ciancia focused on the national heritage of Italy and to increase awareness of its incredible variety of regional products, we would like to inform you that from our January event onwards we accept only bottles of Italian wine at the door. You have hundreds of wines to choose from. Please, refrain from varieties of other nationalities. Bringing wine or food to our meetings is optional. Special rules apply to each event. Please read them, below! Those who may bring wine of different nationalities will be asked to take the bottle back to their car and will be charged an admission fee of $10 per person. As usual with our club, drink responsibly and keep our streets safe!
OUR NEXT MEETING
The general area of this meeting is downtown Lawrenceville. In moderate traffic, it is a 30-minute ride from downtown Atlanta, 20 outside perimeter.
Italia Cafe’ is no longer the new kid on the block, both because of the extensive experience of its owner, Giorgio Esperti and the confirmation coming from hundreds of aficionados of his cuisine. With a variety of “ricette originali e delizie toscane”, Giorgio guarantees a 100% Italian fresh food, homemade daily, “con specialita’ di pesce e carne, come penne al granchio, spaghetti ai frutti mare, salmone al limone o al vino, tagliata alla toscana con rugola, parmigiano e aceto balsamico” – all outstanding dishes!. In addition, the menu features amazing pasta al forno (let’s cross our fingers and hope that Giorgio will prepare this finger-licking specialty). Tutto fatto in casa! From scratch!
Giorgio Esperti was born in Roma from an Italian nobility family. An early culinary passion took Giorgio to London, as a sous-chef, at the young age of 17, and in Paris at 18 as chef. Then it was of Roma, Bari, Firenze and Miami. After such exploits, Giorgio decided to make it all more personal, and on August 16, 2008, he opened Italia Café in Lawrenceville. Don’t ask me why Lawrenceville? All good things in life don’t come easy. As for past discoveries of our Club, this one requires a longer trip than usual. Rest assured that it is well worth the extra traveling time!
Five minutes into a conversation with Giorgio and you can feel his passion and knowledge pouring out of his movie-like persona. Once piece of advice: once you try something sensational, don’t keep it for yourself! Passa parola! Tell your friends. After all, this is one way to assure a well-deserved return to our generous hosts. If you are bringing a bottle of wine, may I remind you that Giorgio’s cuisine deserves a Barbera, a Primitivo, a Barolo, a Sangiovese, or a Montepulciano. A Chianti may miss the mark! Be wise! Have a designated driver, or, if you are alone, linger out for an hour, drinking an espresso and plenty of water! This event is not bound to end early. You only live this life once. Play hard, but keep the streets safe! Driving under the influence is the last thing you want to do in conservative Lawrenceville! Watch your speedometer!
ATTENTION: due to strict health & food regulations, food and edibles are not accepted at this event. An admission fee of $10 per person is required from those who do not bring wine. We accept only cash – please come prepared! As customary, you can drink without limitations from the wine brought in by the patrons. Special wines may be purchased at the bar at a special member’s price per glass. Any food you may choose to order from the menu outside of the samplers offered by the host, are available by presenting a credit card and starting a tab at the bar. If you decide to bring wine, please remember that we do not accept foreign varieties – only Italian wine! If you bring food to this event, you will be asked to take it back to your car. Please, drink responsibly and keep the streets safe!
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2011
7:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
ITALIA CAFÉ – HOST: GIORGIO ESPERTI
139 South Clayton Street
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
678-629-3040
Directions from Atlanta:
Regarding distance from midtown Atlanta, you will drive approximately 20 miles to the exit on 316. Take I-85 Northbound. Pass Spaghetti Junction (at I-85 and I-285). Proceed for 5 miles. Attention: do not take the first exit to Lawrenceville, marked GA-120! Instead, proceed on I-85 toward GA-316. Drive until you see signs for GA-316 (Lawrenceville –Athens).
Take GA-316. After five miles, take exit GA-120 Lawrenceville-Duluth. At the end of the ramp, turn right onto Duluth Hwy NW/ W Pike Street, continuing for approximately 2 miles. As you drive under the underpass you have arrive in downtown Historic Lawrenceville. At the intersection marked 20 East/South 24, also Perry street, make a right turn. There is an Italian flag at the corner (not our flag!). Pass Sherwin-Williams Paints and BB&T bank. Continue on Perry Street, pass the intersection with Luckie St. Your next intersection is Nash Street. Continue straight, prepare to turn to your right-hand side on ITALIA CAFE which is across the street from Arby’s and Lawrenceville Square. If you see a McDonald, you just passed Italia Café’. The building has a green neon crown and its own parking lot, with ample space. If it fills up, latecomers may park next door, if the business is closed.
Directions from north and Duluth: driving Southbound on I-85, immediately before I-985, take exit # 155 (Buford Drive), toward Lawrenceville. Proceed for about five miles. When you reach downtown, make a right turn on East Pike street, then a left turn on Perry Street, then follow directions as above.
FOR ITALIAN CITIZENS ONLY!
Everyone knows that, in the absence of governmental institutions that are willing to circulate relevant information among the Italian community, Ciancia becomes an instrument of diffusion of news. We deem that this one bears a certain significance for all Italian citizens. Annuncio alle Associazioni Italiane:
Siamo lieti di annunciare l’apertura del Patronato Istituto Nazionale Assistenza ai Cittadini (INAC-Miami) a Coral Gables ed a fine di far conoscere i servizi che il nostro ufficio offre, vi inviamo la nosta e.mail.
INAC – Gables International Plaza
2655 Le Jeune Rd., Suite 317
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Tel : (305) 779-4854
Email : miami@inacnorthamerica.com
Ringraziandovi per il vostro interessamento, porgiamo i nostri più cordiali saluti.
Laura Yanes, Responsabile Patronato INAC Miami
Giuseppe Mazza, Presidente INAC Northamerica
CIANCIA: WHO MAKES IT ALL POSSIBLE?
Ciancia is brought to you by an outstanding Steering Committee, a compact group of twelve accomplished professionals, each one bringing to the table amazing experience in communication and event production. We are all volunteers, all firm believers in the great rewards of social interaction, curiosity, diversity and cultural engagement.
Here is our current roster:
Beth Cope, director
Giancarlo Pirrone, presidentStefano Grossi, website communications
Marcia Briscoe, founder and constitution member
Stanislava Staikova, legal advice
Kristi Hutchinson, our amazing IT technician!
Kathleen Layton, event design, PR and promotion
Elizabeth Moore, PR and promotion
Enrico Corradi, Opera and External Activities
Francesco Scordato, Facebook and Internet interfaces
Daniele Goffredo Gonzales, website design
Tony Pelliccia, door reception coordinator
We send our most sincere gratitude to Gail James, Ross Reynolds, Andrea Mazza, Ray Thatch, Christina Wood, Julie Sanders and Jennifer Giorgino for having served on our committee on prior years. We also inform you that we accept new committee members on a regular basis. If you think that you have the drive and time to take over one of the numerous responsibilities, which make Ciancia possible, please step forward. You may contact us at info@ciancia.org We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting!
The Steering Committee