Il Palio Restaurant Partners With Jones Farm to Bring Fresh Produce to Table

Traversing through the White Hills section of Shelton, 's Executive Chef Margherita Aloi saw Jones Family Farm and felt like she had “come home” to her native village of Tucci, located in Italy's Piedmont hills. Aloi recently announced a partnership with the farm that would bring its bountiful crops of tasty seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs daily to Il Palio's patrons.

“Living on a farm, I grew up cooking with only the freshest vegetables and herbs that we handpicked from our gardens,” Aloi said. “At Il Palio, all of the ingredients used in my specialty regional Italian cuisine is the highest-quality. To me, it's natural to partner with a local business
like Jones Family Farm to ensure that our guests at Il Palio will enjoy genuine farm-to-table meals.”

Aloi and husband Cliff Pereira, Il Palio's Director of Operations, recently  celebrated their one-year anniversary at the helm of the Shelton restaurant. They are the former owners of , located in downtown New Canaan, where the couple reside with their three-year old daughter, Arianna. Aloi brings a pedigree and expertise to the Shelton business where she has had much success this past year.

Jamie Jones, a sixth generation member of the farming family, said that he's  excited to work with a local chef who understands the need to bring delicious homegrown produce and herbs to the community.

“People these days have a strong interest in eating local, fresh foods,” Jones stated. “They realize that it tastes better, it looks better and it's much better for you.”

After visiting Il Palio's garden at last week, Aloi offered Il Palio's diners a popular Italian appetizer, squash blossoms which are stuffed with Buffalo mozzarella, dipped in a light batter and flash-fried. “People go crazy over  them,” Aloi said. “We can't make enough of them.”

Aloi also incorporated the bushel of handpicked zucchini and squash into that week's menu. Jones said along with garlic, basil, potatoes and beets, he planted “thousands of heads of lettuce” for Il Palio. The Shelton restaurant harvests their crops from a 1.5-acre plot that Aloi has leased for the season. Aloi said that the importance of delivering fresh produce to Il Palio's patrons was highlighted during a recent visit to Italy. “I ate everything--fresh chicory, arugula, asparagus and tomatoes-- all right from my family's gardens,” she explained. “Each vegetable has its own unique, crispy taste. This is how food was meant to be eaten and this is what I want people who come to Il Palio to experience.”

As a member of the Shelton community, Aloi is donating a portion of the home grown produce to a local soup kitchen. “Since taking ownership of Il Palio last  year, and becoming a member of Shelton's vibrant business community, we wanted to give back to the town that welcomed us so warmly,” she said.

Following the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan, this spring Il Palio Restaurant donated a portion of its wine sales to the American Red Cross.

At the age of 18, Aloi was brought over by restaurateur Pino Luongo, of Le Madri Restaurant, as part of its plan to present specialty cuisine from various regions in Italy. Without knowing the language or anybody living in the United States, Aloi arrived in Manhattan to join the renowned restaurant's culinary team. Aloi immediately charmed Le Madri's owners and its clientele with her stellar cooking made with the freshest ingredients available and, by the age of 25, was its Executive Chef. In only a few short years, Aloi was helming her own trattoria, Arezzo, a critically-acclaimed, trendy New York eatery that featured interesting pairings and imaginative Italian cuisine.

Aloi said that she grew up learning how to cook from her mother and her  grandmother, who made her own cheese. She knew from an early age that she wanted to work professionally in the cooking field and, when she was 14, began studying at Castello di Barolo, a prestigious culinary school in Barolo, Piedmont.

Il Palio, located at Five Corporate Drive, is open on Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. The outdoor patio offers is open with special events, such as Karaoke on Thursday nights in the Siena Lounge and live jazz entertainment on Fridays, beginning at 7:00 pm. For more information, call Il Palio at 203-944-0770.