The Grandma Witch, or Strega Nona, is one of 2024’s more unlikely viral social media trends. It has inspired an endless parade of cooking and style posts on Instagram and TikTok—”Strega Nona Fall” even earned a write-up in The New York Times. The shabby-chic witch from a 1975 children’s book and her magic pasta pot have become an unexpected sensation.
In Washington D.C., one restaurant best that autumn’s fling with the fairy tale witch will stretch into winter. At Via Sophia, the Italian osteria off the lobby of the historic Hamilton Hotel, "Strega Nona Sundays" will offer guests unlimited pasta between 5-8 p.m. The way it works is that guests will choose one pasta dish—penne pomodoro, bucatini carbonara, penne Amatriciana, or bucatini cacio e pepe—for $29 per adult or $15 per child under 12, and they can request refills as needed for up to two hours. The witch has a “no doggie bags” policy, so it’s strictly dine-in. The promotion begins this Sunday, November 24.
During a visit to Via Sophia last week, the host check-in stand already featured copies of Strega Nona, the book first published in 1975 by the late American writer and illustrator Tomie dePaola. (Vistitors can borrow copies of the book while dining.) His now-influential tale follows the Strega Nona, who feeds her Calabrian village out of her enchanted pasta pot until her lovable yet bumbling assistant, Big Anthony, mishandles her spell. (We won’t spoil the story, but you can buy the book or listen to actress Mary Steenburgen recite the tale.)
While the Strega Nona social media trend seemingly came out of nowhere, the book has been revered for years for its whimsical tale and themes food, family, and Italian heritage and traditions. It’s the most well-known of dePaola’s 250-plus books, and it helped him become a beloved figure in children’s literature and television. An Italian-American from Connecticut, dePaola received many prestigious awards before he passed away in 2020, but his legacy lives on—the United States Postal Service even issued Strega Nona postage stamps from 2023.
Via Sophia, 1001 14th St., NW, Washington, DC 20015, @viasophiadc, viarestaurants.com
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