GEORGETOWN: Have an Italian Easter at Via Umbria

Leading up to the Easter holiday on April 16, Georgetown’s Via Umbria, an Italian market and food emporium in Georgetown, is hosting several events, including a chocolate egg-decorating class on Saturday, April 15, a lamb-centric ‘Italian dinner party’ on Saturday April 15th, and a special Easter brunch on Sunday, April 16.

The store has also imported an array of special Easter delicacies from Italy for the holiday, including 18 different types of “Colomba di Pasqua” (Italian Easter bread), which translates to “Easter dove” and marks the first sign of spring in Italy. It’s a counterpart to the Christmas panettone and is a rich, fluffy cake shaped like a dove and topped with pearled sugar and almonds. Via Umbria owners Suzy and Bill Menard have imported many different variations including with candied cherries, apricots, orange peels, white chocolate and Domori chocolate. A variety of chocolate Easter eggs, another culinary tradition in Italy, will also be available in different sizes and flavors including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, sugar coated, and with bee, butterfly or lady bug decorations. Finally, Torta di Pasqua, an Umbrian Easter bread prepared with eggs and cheese will be baked fresh in house by the Via Umbria culinary team, for $15-30 depending on the size. 

Via Umbria is located at
1525 Wisconsin Avenue, NW