Top of the Hub Toasts The Amalfi Coast
With Culinary Exchange
Featuring
Hotel Villa Franca In Positano, Italy & Cooking Vacations
Wine & Food Sampling - March 16
Regional Wine Dinner - March 17
Mark Porcaro, Executive Chef at Top of the Hub, will welcome Vincenzo Esposito, Executive Chef from Hotel Villa Franca in Positano, Italy, to the sky-high restaurant on the 52nd floor of The Prudential Tower for a special partnership of their talents and cuisines entitled "Top of the Hub Toasts The Amalfi Coast." Villa Franca is an award-winning resort hotel perched high on a hill in Positano, Italy, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Cooking Vacations is the leader in culinary tours, hands-on cooking classes and food market visits to Italy.
In a culinary exchange program combining the best of American and Italian cuisines, the two chefs will host a Regional Wine & Hors d'oeuvres Pairing Evening at Top of the Hub on Friday, March 16. A special four-course Regional Wine Dinner will follow on Saturday, March 17, also hosted by the chefs. Select menu items marking the American-Italian collaboration will be added to Top of the Hub's traditional Dinner Menu in April.
The Chefs will offer their personal insight into their menu selections during each event. They will also comment on the selected wines from Monte Faliesi of Campania and explain why each was chosen to be paired with its respective dish. As well, Lauren Birmingham, owner of Cooking Vacations Italy, will present their extra virgin first-cold pressed Olive Oil in a tasting during the March 16 event.
To complete the international exchange program, Chef Porcaro has been invited to Villa Franca in Italy to create a similar series of events with Chef Esposito. Additionally, one lucky guest at Top of the Hub will win a luxurious Cooking Vacations 5 day-4 night Culinary Getaway for Two at Villa Franca in Positano, Italy (airfare not included; entries accepted through the month of April).
Top of the Hub General Manager Raphael Oliver commented, "Working with the staff at Villa Franca has afforded us all the opportunity to create a really special culinary treat for guests to enjoy. It's also an appropriate coincidence that guests at Top of the Hub enjoy spectacular views of Boston while Villa Franca offers its guests sweeping views high above the Amalfi Coast.”
Advance Reservations, required for both events, may be made at 617-536-1775.
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All events are presented in partnership with Top of the Hub, Hotel Villa Franca, The Lenox Hotel, Horizon Beverages and Cooking Vacations Italy.
THE AMALFI COAST FOOD & WINE SAMPLING
The Amalfi Coast Regional Wine & Hors d'oeuvres Pairing will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 16. Priced at $55 per person (exclusive of tax and tip), the menu will feature:
English Pea Arancini
Bite-Sized Rice Balls Stuffed with a Pea - Cheese Mixture, Fried Until Golden
Potato Crocchè
Hand-Rolled Mashed Potato Bites, Delicately Seasoned
Parmigiana Di Melanzane
A Classic Dish with Eggplant, Cheese, Basil and Pesto Sauce
Calzoncini
Pizze Fritte
Fried Dough Rounds with Sugo Rosso, Basil and Mozzarella
Paccheri Farciti
Stuffed Paccheri Pasta -- A Typical Choice from The Amalfi Coast
Polpettine Di Manzo
Bite-Sized Meatballs
“Baccala” Fritto
Fried Salted Cod
Fritturina Di Mare
Mixed Seafood, Served in a Traditional Italian Paper Cone
Selections will be Paired with Flights of Wine from Monte Faliesi of Campania
including:
2010 Falanghina
2010 Greco di Tufo
2009 Fiano di Avellino
2008 Aglianico
THE AMALFI COAST REGIONAL WINE DINNER
The Amalfi Coast Four-Course Regional Wine Dinner will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 17. Priced at $100 per person (exclusive of tax and tip), the menu will feature:
Stuffed Artichoke
Cream of Potato & Leek
2010 Monte Faliesi Falanghina IGT, Campania
Risotto con Gamberi, Rossi
Asparagi Vongole
Risotto with red shrimp, asparagus, clams
2010 Monte Faliesi Greco di Tufo DOCG, Campania
Branzino Filet Aqua Pazza
White Fish Cooked in "Crazy Water" (Wine, Tomato and Garlic with Parsley)
2009 Monte Faliesi Fiano di Avelino DOCG, Campania
Caciocavallo and Smoked Mozzarella
2008 Monte Faliesi Aglianico IGT, Campania
Torta Caprese
A Traditional Flourless Italian Chocolate Cake
Meletti Cioccolato Liqueur
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TOP OF THE HUB
A History of Excellence
One of Boston's most popular dining destinations, award-winning Top of the Hub has welcomed residents and visitors alike with exceptional cuisine, fine wines, impeccable service and a sophisticated ambiance for nearly 50 years. Offering panoramic views of the city from its location on the 52nd floor of The Prudential Tower, Top of the Hub has been described as one of the most romantic dining destinations in the world by The Travel Channel. Proud to have received continued industry recognition from Distinguished Restaurants of North America as well as multiple Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine, Top Of The Hub remains a destination for all seasons.
HOTEL VILLA FRANCA
Positano, Italy
The Four Star Hotel Villa Franca enjoys an exceptional location, sitting majestically on a hill overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea in Positano, Italy. Offering breathtaking views of one of the most enchanting corners of the Amalfi Coast, Villa Franca offers superior service in keeping with the best in hospitality traditions. The Villa’s extensive list of services and amenities include Restaurant Li Galli and its 2 compelling lounges, breakfast room service, Wi-Fi access, satellite television, air conditioning, a swimming pool and fitness center, a spa and Turkish bath, a business center and pet-sitting. The magic of Hotel Villa Franca charms during the day and inflames the heart at night. Hotel Villa Franca -- a dream amid sea and sky.
COOKING VACATIONS ITALY
Boston, MA
www.cooking-vacations.com
Cooking Vacations brings you the best hands-on cooking classes & cultural tours in Italy's 20 Regions. You will learn to cook traditional Italian recipes with excellent Chefs, local expert cooks, Nonnas and bread & pizza makers. Their Italian culinary holidays are original, authentic, and include market visits, vineyard tours & cultural landmarks. They are Italian and share their love for cooking in their culinary vacations with you. From Tuscany's vineyards to truffle hunting in Bologna, from pesto in Cinque Terre to pizza-making in Sorrento, or limoncello in Positano to rolling cannoli in the shadow of Mount Etna, Sicily, they welcome you to their Italy. They are the leaders in culinary tours & cooking school vacations in sunny Italy.
THE LENOX
Boston, MA
www.lenoxhotel.com
Built in 1900 in the heart of stylish Back Bay, The Lenox's iconic brand of rich history and legendary hospitality makes this Original Boutique Hotel a must-stay, must-visit and must-do in Boston. Try über sexy City Bar for cocktails, cozy City Table for neighborhood dining or their beds for luxurious slumber. Whatever your pleasure, for more than a century time at The Lenox Hotel has always been well spent.
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