Scenes From a Bastianich Pop-up...

During VinItaly this year we decided to take a different approach to the usual entertaining that we do every year for our importers, distributors and special clients.

Instead of trying to jam into a crowded restaurant that, under pressure of the insanity that is VinItaly, may not show it's best, we took matters into our own hands. We rented an apartment with a small kitchen and a fairly large dining room. We brought our own wine, food, plates and glasses. We brought our own chefs and sommeliers...

And we created a temporary restaurant, now fashionably called a "Pop-up restaurant".

We managed 4 dinners, a lunch and a cocktail party in the span of 5 days. It was a huge success. We were able to share, in an intimate atmosphere, our wines and our philosophy of food and wine together to our partners.

Lidia Bastianich was the center of attention and the hostess.

This was one of the first dinners with a group from the Stew Leonard's stores and our distributors in Connecticut. 

Plating and serving from the tiny kitchen...

 

One of the plates that was a particularly special was the risotto with Montasio cheese, pears and celery which was used as the backdrop for a mini-vertical of Vespa Bianco served from 3-liter bottles. We served 2003, 2004 and 2005, and they simply sang like Maria Callas together with the risotto.

On Sunday we were privileged to have as a guest chef Cesere Giacchini, who made his signature capretto along with a big surprise, his world-famous zabaglione.

This is the stellar kitchen staff that made it all happen: From L to R:

Chef Alex Pillas from DelPosto Restaurant, Our own Gianna from the Bastianich winery, Chef Cesere Giacchini from Fontanafredda and Chef Fortunato Nicotra from Felidia.

I wish I had taken more photos. It seemed like every time something beautiful or amazing happened, or emerged from the kitchen, I was too busy serving or speaking about the wines.

Nonetheless, it was a great, if very tiring, experience for everyone and we look forward to doing it again next year!

Comments

[Wayne Young]

Thanks Alfonso! The dinners were a great success.

Thanks also for having a look at the blog. Im honored! I just wish
I had more time to devote to it.

Wayne Young

Sales

Communication and Marketing Manager