About three weeks ago I had the honor of attending the Italian Culinary Tour that was hosted and put together by the Italy America Chamber of Commerce during “The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World.” The tour consisted of a four course dinner where guests ranging from bloggers to journalists to food experts and even chefs and restaurant owners got to taste different Italian dishes each paired with a signature wine from four of the best and top authentic Italian restaurants in Brickell that are all within walking distance from one another. What’s most amazing about this tour is the fact that it was actually part of the Italian government initiative known as “The Extraordinary Italian Taste campaign” to bring local awareness to enhance people’s knowledge of genuine Italian products and authentic Italian restaurants.
Restaurant # 1 : Toscana Divino
The tour began at Toscana Divino which is located in Mary Brickell Village and is known to be one of the best authentic Italian restaurants in Miami. The restaurant serves contemporary Tuscan dishes in a very modern and elegant setting and is very selective with which sustainable ingredients they use in their dishes. After each guest was welcomed there was a short introduction by the Italy America Chamber of Commerce Executive Director and Consul General and Chef Andrea Marchesin came out to present the dishes and wine pairing that we where going to start off tasting. We got to learn a little bit about the high quality ingredients that were used in the foods we were tasting and about 7 Foods LLC which is a importer that provided the Truffle Perlage that was used in two dishes. Everything that we tasted from this restaurant was absolutely delicious especially the Mushroom & Truffle Risotto which was my personal favorite! This risotto had such a homemade, creamy, and rich taste to it that I was really satisfied with the quality of it and my mother absolutely loved it!
What we ate:
First Course: Tagliere Beretta – Crudo, Cotto, Coppe, Mortadella, Pancetta // Tartare Di Manzo with Truffle Perlage – Truffle chips, Beef, Truffle Salt, Truffle Pearls // Risotto w/Mushrooms and Truffle – Riserva Massimo, wild mix mushrooms, black Pure 98 %, Non H20 Winter Black Truffle.
Wine Selection: Pinot Bianco dell’ Altoadige, Agit Optima.
Restaurant # 2 : Casa Tua Cucina
After leaving Toscana Divino the entire group walked together to Brickell City Centre for our second stop on the tour, Casa Tua Cucina. This relatively new restaurant has only been open for a short amount of time and is known for it’s incredible Carbonara Pasta. It is a 18,000 square foot upscale Italian food hall that serves everything from pasta to pizza to salads and even crudos, sweets, and coffee. Plus, they have a full bar area that offers a wide variety and selection of drinks and fine wines. I was really excited to check out this restaurant because I had heard many positive things about it but have never been and I was hoping to try the Carbonara Pasta that everyone has been talking about and posting on social media. The manager of the restaurant Filippo Visconti came out and presented our second course and wine pairing and shared a little bit of information about Casa Tua Cucina right before the servers started bringing out the food. While we didn’t get the chance to taste the Carbonara Pasta that night I did get the chance to try another type of pasta, Cavatelli Alla Amatriciana. The pasta was was great because the portion size wasn’t too big and it tasted fresh like it was made from scratch and was very light because it didn’t have a thick sauce. However, the only thing I didn’t like was the Tonno Scottato because it had a really strong raw fish taste and smell to it so therefore I wasn’t able to eat it.
What we ate:
Second Course: Cavatelli Alla Amatriciana // Tonno Scottato Con Aceto Balsamico
Wine Selection: Vermentino, Lvnae Colli Di Luni, Liguria 2016
Restaurant # 3 – La Centrale
Our third stop on the Culinary tour was La Centrale which is also located inside Brickell City Centre. This distinctive and all-in-one Italian food hall consists of three separate levels and floors filled with restaurants, bars, caffés, and markets along with a wine shop and cooking studio! We happened to dine at Enoteca which is on the third level and is a wine bar that serves small bites and regional Italian wines in addition as well as a selection of international and California wines. This restaurant ended up being my favorite on the tour and the most impressive not only because of the presentation and outstanding quality of the food but because of the beautiful interior of the restaurant! There were authentic oak wine barrels, wood frames and tables, and fresh lavender hanging on the walls giving it a very rustic feel and giving guests the impression that they are dining in a real cellar. What I loved the most from this third course experience was the stunning and very intimate candlelight table setup that they prepared for us that looks like something out of a magazine or a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie! Plus, they had decorations all throughout the restaurant giving off all of the Christmas vibes! The Executive Chef of the restaurant Alberto Andrei was the one who came out and introduced himself and presented the third course that we were going to have which was actually the most interesting and peculiar of them all. I was super nervous in trying this course because I never had quail egg or caviar before and I was scared I wasn’t going to like the taste but when I tried it I was actually super impressed! It was nothing like I ever had before because of the combination of flavors especially the sweet one that had Parmigiano mousse, crunchy walnuts, and balsamic caviar in it but all three of them were super delicious!
What we ate:
Third Course: Egg Flight – Eef tartare, quail egg yolk, balsamic reduction // Parmigiano mousse, crunchy walnuts, balsamic caviar // Red onion gelato, dry bonito tuna, balsamic crumble
Wine Selection: Prosecco Toresella
Restaurant # 4 – Cipriani
Last but not least we sadly ended our tour at Cipriani which was a six minute walk from La Centrale. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by the restaurant manager Riccardo Usai who also introduced himself and gave a lot of interesting facts and information about the history of this well known international restaurant chain. Immediately when I walked inside I noticed the high ceiling windows, simple decor, and nautical themed dining room setup with a view of Biscayne Bay all withing a upscale setting. To save the best for last, our fourth course was served and consisted of none other than dessert! We had a delicious rich Vanilla Cake topped with Meringue that was super moist and a Vanilla Gelato (both made in house) which was super creamy and tasted five times better than any regular vanilla ice cream or Gelato that I’ve ever tried! If you ever find yourself in Cipriani please do yourself a favor and order the Vanilla Gelato because it’s that good! I promise you will love it as much as I do!
What we ate:
Fourth Course: Vanilla Meringue Cake // Vanilla Gelato
Wine Selection: Prosecco Cipriani
To conclude, I had such an incredible time and experience on this tour because I got to try so many new foods and walk away with a little more knowledge than before on Italian products and . I would like to thank the Italy America Chamber of Commerce for inviting me on this fun and informative culinary tour! Grazie Mille Per Tutto!
To learn more about the Italy America Chamber of Commerce, The Extraordinary Italian Taste Campaign, and 7 Foods LLC please visit:
IACC – http://iacc-miami.com/
The Extraordinary Italian Taste Campaign – http://www.trueitaliantaste.com/
7 Foods LLC – http://7foods.us/
You can also find the Italy America Chamber of Commerce on Instagram at: @iaccse
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Restaurant Websites:
Toscana Divino – https://www.toscanadivino.com/
Casa Tua Cucina – http://casatuacucina.com/
La Centrale – https://lacentralemiami.com/
Cipriani – http://cipriani.com/