A 369-year tradition is coming to South Philadelphia and the challenge is real.
Le Virtù on East Passyunk Avenue is hosting La Panarda, an eight-hour, 40-course dinner that will test the resolve of diners and the chef on June 14.
First celebrated in Italy’s Abruzzo region in 1657, the annual tradition honors Sant’Antonio Abate, the patron saint of animals, grains and agriculture.
For centuries, the same families have prepared the feast through the years and Le Virtù’s is considered the most authentic in the United States.
“La Panarda is a love letter to both of our homes, Abruzzo and South Philadelphia,” said Le Virtù co-owner Francis Cratil-Cretarola. “Since our first Panarda in 2011, we’ve tried to authentically honor the spirit of Villavallelonga, and the reactions from our guests, their being open to the experience, have made it the most rewarding thing we do. We’ve spent decades studying Abruzzo’s cuisine and culture. La Panarda is the most meaningful way we bring that rich history and culture back to South Philly. We believe in our neighborhood and our city. And this feast is our highest expression of that belief.”
The menu will unfold in two substantial movements: a seafood-forward first half drawing from the coast, followed by a meat-focused second half rooted in the pastoral traditions of the land.
Early confirmed dishes include Brodetto alla Vastese, the iconic Adriatic fisherman’s stew; stuffed calamari with tomatoes and ceci; scallop crudo with fava and lemon; golden tilefish cooked in salt crust with salsa verde; frascareglie pasta with ragù, a dish specifically associated with the Panarda tradition; Maccarune i Sant’Antonie, a long thin noodle served with lamb ragù and named for the saint at the heart of the celebration; timballo alla teramana; Ceppe pasta with lobster and peperoncini; roasted whole suckling pig from Green Meadow Farm; grilled whole local lamb; and aged roasted ribeye with Montepulciano sauce, among 40-plus courses in total.
Sommelier and beverage manager Chris O’Brien will present at least 10 wine pairings throughout the meal, sourced from small producers in Abruzzo and the Italian South.
“La Panarda is not a tasting menu nor a basic prix fixe dinner. It is an exercise in Abruzzese lunacy,” Cratil-Cretarola said. “It is a marathon meal and communal act of solidarity, conviviality and abundance rooted in one of Abruzzo’s oldest and most tenaciously observed culinary traditions. And for one day only, for an intimate group of curious and community-minded guests, it is an experience truly unlike any other.”
The original feast begins after the Feast of San Leucio on Jan. 11 with door-to-door delivery of frascareglie pasta with ragù, and build through successive nights of outdoor “cottore” in the town’s piazzas: soups, pastas, and grilled meats prepared over open wood fire and served communally, accompanied by wandering bands of local musicians and singers and costumed characters, including Sant’Antonio himself, devils, wolves and angels, each integral to the saint’s ancient mythology.
Everything builds to a crescendo on Jan. 16 with La Panarda itself, held across multiple households, though originally the exclusive domain of the Serafini and Bianchi families.
The feast regularly spans 35 to 50 courses served over the course of a single night, with musicians and performers moving from house to house, entertaining diners and receiving offerings of food and wine in return.
It ends at 8 the following morning, when host families distribute fava soup and egg bread, rich in Christian symbolism, throughout the village to ensure that no one goes hungry and no one gets left out.
Le Virtù held its first La Panarda in 2011 and has since built it into what national and international media have recognized as the only true representation of the tradition held anywhere outside of Abruzzo.
“La Panarda depends on our guests buying in,” Cratil-Cretarola said. “Rolling with the communal and convivial vibe while forming bonds with folks they’re probably meeting for the first time. Allowing the boundaries that normally exist between diner and restaurateur to disappear. Having felt this emotion, we’ve come to crave it. Nothing gives us greater pleasure than inviting guests from Philadelphia and beyond to join us on this truly special day each year.”
Le Virtù is located at 1927 E. Passyunk Ave. For tickets and menu updates, visit levirtu.com.
Dining and Cooking