United States

The online Italian deli, Marcelli Formaggi brings the true tastes of Abruzzo to the USA, sourced from their family’s award-winning Slow Food farm, La Porta dei Parchi and other small family producers nestled in the national parks of L’Aquila and Chieti provinces.

Their celebrated organic sheep cheeses include flavourful Abruzzo pecorinos, famed for being eaten in slices rather than cooked, flavoured smoked ricottas, and, of course, scamorza, which are all regularly ordered by many East Coast Chefs in their Italian restaurants, as well as families of Abruzzesi ancestry.

Their pantry also features Italy’s favourite raw honey from bees that never leave the pristine National Park valleys, olive oil from 15th-century groves planted by Benedictine monks, and bronze-cut pasta from Italy’s oldest family-run producer, Pastificio Masciarelli (est. 1867). Their delicious gluten-free pasta, gnocchi and sauces are created with love in Fara San Martino located in the Valle Santo Spirito. Each product reflects the wild herbs, mountain air, spring water and passion of Abruzzo’s land and people.

Elaborate custom grazing platters, tables and ‘Charcuterie’ and ‘Cheese’ Boxes can be ordered and put together by Tina for special events that we are always told are almost too beautiful to eat! When a family of chefs like the Marcelli curates your platters to your pantry, you’re not just buying ingredients—you’re gaining generations of culinary knowledge, tradition, and taste. Marcelli Formaggi’s deep roots in Abruzzo and professional kitchen experience means they select only the finest, most authentic products—because they use them themselves.

Available to order in the USA online,  or from local stockists.  Wholesale is also available.  Based in New Jersey they give a unique opportunity to experience the terroir and tradition of a village at the heart of Italy’s most untouched landscapes, even if you have not yet made the return journey!

The Marcelli family exemplify the ideals for quality and common sense in our food system. They care about the traditions of their ancestral home and, over the past decade, have worked to support the unique artisanal traditions of Abruzzo sustainably. With all the ills our food system faces today, the Marcelli family is a beacon for improving not just what is available in the market, but fairness in how food gets to the market.

Eataly

The inspiration for Le Virtù (The Virtues) comes from our experiences at the tables of family, friends, farms, and eateries all over Abruzzo. We serve the cuisine of the shepherds, farmers and fishermen of Italy’s wildest and most unspoiled region. It’s bold, honest and unpretentious. The restaurant opened in 2007 and has been featured in The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, Lucky Peach, The Guardian, and Elle, among other publications. We’ve also appeared in TV programs, including Marcus Samuelsson’s No Passport Required on PBS.

In style, we’re a a down-to-earth place, friendly and unfussy. That’s what best suits Abruzzo, the region that inspires us, and the South Philly neighborhood we call home. Our name derives from Le Virtù, a rich minestrone made on the 1st of May in Abruzzo’s Teramo province. Tradition demands that what’s left in the larder after the winter be combined with the newly arriving spring vegetables and legumes. The dish is served and shared among families and communities in a spirit of conviviality.

Our menu changes seasonally, but always features traditional dishes from the region. We source our ingredients from some of Abruzzo’s best producers and cooperatives and farms in the countryside surrounding Philadelphia. We butcher in-house and cure our own salumi. Our wine list includes Abruzzese varietals as well as natural, organic, and biodynamic expressions from small producers throughout Italy, particularly the southern regions. Our selection of amari and other digestivi includes house-made genziana, acqua santa, agrumi, and other Abruzzo-inspired specialties.

You’ll find us near the intersection of Broad Street and East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia’s main thoroughfare and South Philadelphia’s commercial corridor, respectively. We’re open nightly throughout the year.