Once Upon a Kitchen

Grillante flew to New York to represent Sicily. In the beautiful Gotham Hall , between the famous Empire State Building and glittering Time Square, Cantine Europa’s “jewel” did the honors by opening and closing “Once Upon a Kitchen,” the exclusive benefit dinner organized by the GR8 agency in favor of God’s Love We Deliver, a charity founded in 1985 that prepares and delivers meals, giving nutritional advice to people living with serious illnesses in the New York metropolitan area.
The event, which could be attended following a $5,000 donation per person, brought together three of the world’s top chefs: Massimo Bottura, Joan Roca, Mauro Colagreco – number 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018” list – and Christina Tosi, chef, pastry chef, Masterchef Jr USA judge and founder of Milk Bar, a world-famous pastry shop in Brooklyn. With them, internationally renowned winemaker Roberto Cipresso. The landmark charity dinner in the Big Apple Christmas thus had a distinct Italian heart.
For the first time ever, the Olympians of the restaurant industry came together to create a symphony of sublime tastes and recipes And Il Grillante opened and closed the evening, accompanying the aperitif and dessert prepared by Christina Tosi: the famous Apple Pie – ISH.
“I have chosen to present Il Grillante during this important evening in New York because it represents a “new page” of Sicilian wine in many respects: for its cultivation and production regime-organic and sustainable; for the modernity and freshness of its organoleptic style; for the aesthetic choices of its packaging. But above all, it is an absolute novelty of its kind because, due to the earliness of the Grillo variety and the latitude of its cultivation, it is the first wine to be presented to the public in the vintage of its harvest, and it beats any Italian “novello” or French Beaujolais Nouveau on time”-said winemaker Roberto Cipresso.
“Il Grillante” brought to the tables of the prestigious New York event the commitment and passion of 2,200 Sicilian families: the members of Cantine Europa who every day cultivate the land with love and with the desire to carry on the traditions they received from their fathers to pass them on, in turn, to their children. And the event in New York is only the first of one of the great goals that Cantine Europa has achieved with the aim of becoming a reference point in the wine world, also thanks to the quality and uniqueness of an iconic wine such as Grillante,” – commented Cantine Europa’s New Development Plan Manager Ada Rosa Balzan.

THE PROTAGONISTS Massimo Bottura: He is the chef patron of the world-famous Osteria Francescana in Modena, a 3* Michelin-starred restaurant, as well as #1 on “The World’s 50 Best Restaurat” list in both 2016 and 2018, the first Italian restaurant to be awarded the title. Born in Modena, Bottura says he grew up “under the table where his grandmother Ancella used to roll out the pastry.” His dream began there. Today he is known and loved for a cuisine that is able to spring from tradition and go beyond, with wild and imaginative dishes inspired by childhood, art, and the future. In his taste paths, strong is the connection with New York City, a metropolis to which he has devoted much of his life.
Joan Roca: He is the acclaimed culinary genius owner of El Celler de Can Roca, which he runs with his brothers. The restaurant, 3* Michelin since 2009, has been ranked among the world’s 50 best three times-in the past 11 years. Currently, it is in second place. His cuisine balances tradition and innovation, transforming, with the use of state-of-the-art techniques, genuine flavors into the evocation of exclusive emotions and memories.
Mauro Colagreco: Originally from Argentina, after working with Bernard Loiseau, Alain Passard and Alain Ducasse, Colagreco founded the 2* Michelin restaurant Mirazur in Menton. Awarded “Chef of the Year” by the prestigious Gault & Millau restaurant guide-the first non-French chef to receive this title-he is now ranked third among the world’s top chefs. He interprets each dish with a unique style, investigating border cuisine, between France and Italy.
Christina Tosi: chef and founder of Milk Bar, a celebrated pastry shop in Brooklyn, Tosi trained alongside chefs David Bouley, Caesar Ramirez, Thomas Keller, Wylie Dufresne and Alex Stupak, distinguishing herself today as one of the world’s best pastry chefs of her generation. With his cakes, which trigger childhood memories in just a few bites, he has twice won James Beard and Crain’s NY 40 Under 40 Honoree awards. Christina is also the author of three cookbooks, is a judge on the show MasterChef Jr USA and was recently featured in the Netflix series Chef’s Table.
Roberto Cipresso: founder of Winemaking, an agronomic and oenological consulting group with which he oversees more than thirty wineries, of La Fiorita, in the heart of Montalcino, and of the Winecircus project, for research in the field of viticulture in collaboration with the Universities of Padua, Turin, Venice, Pisa, Udine and Palermo, Cipresso is one of the world’s leading winemakers. His wines have won top awards in the industry. In 2000 he performed the special Cuvée for Pope John Paul II, in 2010 he met the President of the Italian RepublicGiorgio Napolitano and made the special wine dedicated to the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy. In 2006, he was proclaimed Best Italian Winemaker as part of the “Oscar del Vino” event and was elected, in 2008, “Man of the Year” by Men’s Health magazine in the “Food” category.

Menu & Wine List
AperitivoGrillante 2018 – Europa Wineries
The Squaring of the Circle 2012 – Cypress 43Capiteldeoro2015 – Corte Capitelli
Gala Dinner“Crapaudine” beetroot coocked in salt crust, “ossetra” caviar sauce – chef Mauro ColagrecoCapiteldeoro 2017 – Corte Capitelli
Ragout of baby potatoes, cod’s tripes, bottarga- chef Mauro ColagrecoBrunellodi Montalcino 2013 – Roberto Cipresso
Truffle soufflé with low-temperature cooked veal oyster blade – chef Joan RocaAmarone2012 – Alighieri
Prawn marinated with rice vinegar – chef Joan RocaCapiteldeoro2017 – Corte Capitelli Never stop planting – chef Massimo BotturaAnima2015 – Bueno Wines
Beautiful, psychedelic, spin-painted veal, not flamed grilled- chef Massimo BotturaIlSegreto di Giuliano 2016 – Bortolomiol
Apple Pie-ISH – chef Christina TosiGrillante2018 – Cantine Europa