Italian cuisine has traveled from small towns in Italy to every city around the world. Pasta and pizza have become commercialized and made available at every corner. But how has the cuisine changed over time? These chefs are here to take you on a culinary journey.
Chef Ettore Bocchia has done archival research to delve into Italian food over the past 150 years—and made a multi-course feast to serve at his restaurant, Mistral, at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, to showcase it. Here’s what to expect in this meal.
Course 1
Starting in the 1890s, Bocchia starts guests off with a dish eaten by wealthy aristocrats at the time. The first dish is eel stuffed with duck foie gras, green tomato jam, and mulled wine sauce.
Course 2
The second dish is inspired by the 1920s, and is a plate full of seafood—raw squid, shrimp, cuttlefish, and lots of garlic.
Course 3
The 1940s make an appearance in the third dish. The fried frog legs and snails on top of a potato cream are an ode to the “fancy alternative” people were eating during the Second World War.
Course 4
Rabbit in consommé jelly and a green sauce is what you’ll be eating for your fourth dish. This meal shows the industrialization of the ’60s in Italy and its move toward economic success.
Course 5
The 2000s are represented by a sweet pumpkin broth with white truffle meringue on top, demonstrating the introduction of the molecular gastronomy movement in Italy.
Course 6
And finally, the meal is concluded with a delicious lobster tail, fried in sugar and served in its own bisque.
Chef Bocchia does not mess around and has put in incredible effort and research to come up with this exploration into the cuisine of Italy. If you’re passionate about food—and can afford a $250-per-person meal—make sure to make a reservation now and try out this fabulously curated feast.