Viva Italia in Pittsburgh!
By Vice Chargé de Presse Ken McCrory
On April 6, 2002, the Pittsburgh Bailliage traveled to Italy for an event billed as "An Evening of Exquisite Italian Food complemented by Memorable Grand Italian Wines" Well - the "traveled to Italy" is a little artistic license. We actually only went as far as Edgewood Country Club in suburban Pittsburgh. Okay, so we got lost and none of the drivers asked directions (all men, of course). When we arrived at the club, we were greeted by manager Rocco Panucci - if he's not Italian, no one is!
Rocco had designed the evening in conjunction with Professionnel du Vin Stan "The Wine Man" Lalic - the legendary Pittsburgh purveyor of fine Italian wines. With Rocco attending to the details, Stan handling wine, and Executive Chef Donald Bell (maybe it was Bellini before Ellis Island) preparing food, we were assured of a great evening.
Speaking of details, from the Club's valet service, to the jazz piano man, to the friendly and well-trained young staff passing hors d'oeuvres, Rocco and his team were at their best. The aforementioned hors d'oeuvres were too numerous to list, but my favorites included white bean garlic basil; seafood stuffed squid; scallops with Grand Marnier sauce; clams casino on silver spoons, and bloody mary gazpacho shooters. These were all accompanied by a very nice 1995 sparkling Gavioli Brut Millesimato. This was to be the first of fourteen - that's right fourteen - wines.
We adjourned to an adjacent room for the induction of eight new members and the promotion of Chevalier Andy Tepper to Vice Echanson. The induction ceremony, directed by Midwest Bailli Pete Hanowich, ably assisted by Pittsburgh Bailli Barb Hanowich, was accompanied by the usual wisecracks meant to instill a sense of fun - or fear ("don't cut someone's ear off this time, Pete") in the festivities.
After the induction, (all ears survived intact) we were getting hungry. After all, twenty minutes had already passed without food. Dinner began with an appetizer of goat cheese mousse in an Asiago crisp with roasted beet syrup accompanied by a Cada-Meo Gavi di Gavi. The soup course was one of the most incredible our chapter has experienced. Lobster cappuccino with warm terragon froth accompanied by a Poderi la Collina Arneis from 1999. The salad was delightfully simple with that great Italian specialty, aged balsamic vinegar. The cost per ounce of some aged balsamic would even make the Bordelaise blush.
After an intermezzo of limoncello granité, we delved into the fish course with an interesting combination of sea bass saltimboca. The "Wine Man's" three choices were all fresh and well matched. The ragoût of duck and wild mushroom was interestingly accompanied by foie gras, along with three very different Italian red wines - a San Biagio Barbera d'Alba, a San Biagio Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Cantine Mucci Cantico Montepulciana di'Abruzzo.
The last course was an absolute knockout. Chef Bell's skill was readily apparent as he lavished a course of filet of piedmontese beef with a white truffle risotto and black truffle demi glace on us. Not to be outdone, Professionel du Vin Lalic produced three outstanding beauties from the 1996 Italian vintage - Gagliassi Barolo le Coste, Giorgio Pira Barolo - 1996, and a powerful San Rustico Gli Occi Blue di Sabrina Amarone. The 1997 Italian vintage has received great press as a "vintage of the century" (every viticultural area has a vintage of the century every ten years or so), but many feel 1996 is equal, or even superior in some areas to that great 1997 vintage. That group would have received no argument from us this night.
Due to the perfect portion sizes, we were comfortably full, but not so full that thoughts of dessert weren't tempting us. Chef closed with a mascarpone and mixed berry tart with a delightfully different homemade basil ice cream. The wine was a refreshingly sweet Maculan Torcolato.
As we enjoyed our dessert, Mâitre Grillardin Nick Colletti stepped to the podium to pay homage to Rocco, Chef Bell, and their staff. "On a scale from one to ten, I think tonight was an eleven." Chef Colletti knows a little about these things. He served for many years as Executive Chef of the famed Duquesne Club and was one of the master chefs of Pittsburgh's "Magnificent Seven" dinner (see the 1999 Volume 2 edition of Gastronome). Chevalier Chuck Gregory, who, as a Sony executive, travels frequently, noted that he was happy he was in town - "I wouldn't have wanted to miss this dinner for any trip". New inductee, Chevalier Bill McClure was so delighted his class was welcomed with such a spectacular dinner that he didn't even blink when he was told that new members would have to serve dessert. "For food like this, I'll even do dishes", Bill exclaimed. There was no need for any such services since the Edgewood team, after a rousing introduction and ovation, had everything taken care of. As we departed the dining room, Mâitre de Table Panucci, Chef Bell and the other staff were lighting cigars. Victory cigars, no doubt, for a winner dinner!
