The most important March holiday for many is St. Patrick’s Day, but how and why will an Italian restaurant celebrate this day? According to some legends, Patricius’s (aka Patrick’s) parents, Calphumius and Conchessa, were Italians who were living in what is now Scotland, where Calphumius served as a diplomat from Rome. Their son would eventually become a missionary to Ireland, where he would later become known as St. Patrick. Toscano’s will be celebrating this marriage of Italian and Irish stories with a special version of our Third Thursday Gnocchi Gnight, known this month as O’Gnocchi Gnight.
We will offer a salad of baby greens, your choice of Gnocchi Verdi (gnocchi filled with spinach and ricotta cheese and topped with our homemade red sauce) or the more traditional Gnocchi Bolognese, and for dessert, a slice of Irish whiskey cake –all for the bargain price of $20 per person. If you opt for just the gnocchi entrée ($12), a slice of the cake will be offered at $3.17 in honor of the date.
Two days later, March 19, is St. Joseph’s Day, which honors fathers as the protectors of the family and is the Italian version of Father’s Day. Among Italians, this day (like most holidays!) is celebrated with food – symbolic of a father’s providing for his family. St. Joseph’s cakes are the traditional dessert served on this day. Known as zeppole di San Giuseppe, these “cakes” are actually balls of dough that are deep-fried and then filled with cannoli-style pastry cream. Toscano’s will be offering these special treats from March 17 through 19. The price will be $3.19.