Earlier in the week I told you about the Piemonte regional dinner at Il Mito Enoteca and now it's also time for Bartolotta's annual white truffle extravaganza, too. It seems "my region" is bursting out all over Milwaukee ... or at least all over Wauwatosa!
Bartolotta's John Wise writes, " Yes, the economy is in the tank. Yes, people are cutting back. But it is still the holiday season and it is still white truffle season. So we are offering once again the most spectacular food ingredient on earth -- Piedmont white truffles at Ristorante Bartolotta."
You can buy a healthy shaving of this sumptuous tuber atop any dish for $60 or you can opt for a medium white truffle risotto for $10 less. For $75 you can get large portion of the risotto.
Even better is the four-course fixed price dinner with three white truffle courses and a dessert for $110.
"Much less expensive then a trip to Piedmont!" says Wise. I urged him already to complete the atmosphere by hiring in a fog machine.
As of Nov. 19, truffle prices at retail in Asti were running from 170 to 220 euros (approximately $211-$274) for small-medium truffles (100 grams, which is slightly more than 3.5 oz.) and 240 to 290 (about $300-$360) for medium-large examples.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
