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Dario Cecchini to Prepare Special Five Course Meal at Mario Batali's Del Posto

Filed under: Dining

Dario Cecchini to Prepare Special Five Course Meal at Mario Batali's Del Posto
On Monday, January 24th, Mario Batali's Del Posto restaurant in Manhattan will feature a unique five course meal specially prepared by by Dario Cecchini, world famous butcher and chef, who will travel from Italy for the event.

"Dario is the Maserati of butchers, the Bob Dylan of the Tuscan cow, the Jimi Hendrix of juiciness," an enthusiastic Batali told Luxist. "There is not one person more integrally involved in the true Italian beef experience than this single heroic figure. He can recite Dante and sing Verdi while taking a half a cow down to individual portions in an hour."

Often referred to as the "Michelangelo of Meat", Cecchini has a unique philosophy of respect for each and every part of the animal. He works with whole animals, beef and pork, utilizing each cut to its greatest potential, transforming what some might regard as lesser cuts into tasty dishes. Dario's consideration for the entire animal follows his family's traditions-they've been butchers for over 250 years, and at home they prepared the cuts that clients weren't interested in.

Cecchini's passion, hospitality and expertise have won him recognition from the likes of Alice Waters, Anthony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver and Prince Charles. His butcher shop, Antica Macelleria Cecchini and restaurants Solociccia, Officina della Bistecca and Dario+ in the Panzano village of Chianti, Italy, are well-known culinary destinations for food-lovers from all over the world.

The evening on January 24 will begin with a cocktail reception from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm featuring Del Posto Executive Chef Mark Ladner's selection of passed assaggi (hors d'oeuvres), Bellinis and Fontodi Chianti.

Guests will be seated at 8:00 pm in the Piemonte room at Del Posto for the five course meal.

Cocktail Recipes for Holiday Entertaining

Filed under: Dining, Spirits, Holiday Guides

The Candy Cane Lane holiday cocktail by Van Gogh BLUE Vodka
Planning to throw a holiday party or an unforgettable New Years' Eve bash? We collected favorite cocktail recipes from some of the best mixologists around, all of which perfect for holiday entertaining.

Richard Leach, the head of the cocktail department at New York's Polynesian supper club, The Hurricane Club told us how to make his delicious banana, rum and fresh mint cocktail while Matthew Silverstein, the bar manager at Mario Batali's Del Posto gave us the recipe for his famous XO Champagne Cocktail. Olivier Flosse of New York's A Voce, shared his "Whisky del Frante" recipe while Chef Jon Ashton, in-house chef for Relish magazine, gave us his "Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert Shot". Finally, Kara Newman, author of Spice & Ice, a zesty book brimming with cocktail recipes, gave us the secret for making her "Spiced Caramel Apple" cocktail (check out our related story that features Kara's best tips for throwing a cocktail party).

From Van Gogh Vodka's "Candy Cane Lane" to the "Sugar Cookie", your guests will love these festive cocktails. Try out a few recipes and let us know us which ones you like the best in the comment field below.
  • Candy Cane Lane (seen above)
    2 1/2 oz Van Gogh BLUE Vodka
    1 oz White crème de menthe
    1/2 oz Peppermint schnapps
    Cream
    Splash of Grenadine
    Peppermint candy for garnish
Add a dash of grenadine into the bottom of a chilled martini glass and set aside. Pour the rest of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into the glass with grenadine to create a "swirl" effect. Garnish with peppermint candy.

For more holiday cocktail recipes, click on any of the images in the gallery below.

Mario Batali's Del Posto Launches New Cocktail Menu

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

Mario Batali's Del Posto restaurant in New York launches new cocktail menu.
Yesterday, Del Posto, launched a new bar menu that is bound to please every lover of classic and cutting edge cocktails. The restaurant is owned by celebrity chef Mario Batali, along with best-selling cookbook author and restaurateur Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, and her son Joe Bastianich, winner of the James Beard Foundation's "Outstanding Restaurateur" Award in 2008 (along with Batali).

So while Del Posto was recently awarded a coveted four star rating from the New York Times, it won't just be foodies who will be flocking to the Chelsea restaurant. Its cocktails are so delicious, that the bar at Del Posto is bound to be a destination of its own.

Bartender, Fabio Raffaelli, who hails from Milan, Italy, and Bar Manager, Matthew Silverstein, created the recipes that took the cocktail menu from seven to 27 different libations. The cocktails are not just delicious, but are also gorgeous to look at. Many of the cocktails are made with ultra premium rum, exotic liquers, fresh fruit juices and unique ingredients such as fresh rose water and Bitters that are imported from Germany.

Magic, Martinis and Mario

Filed under: Dining, Events


A magician, mixologist and chef Mario Batali are combining for a new type of event. The Magic, Martinis and Mario event the first of which is taking place on September 18 at Del Posto, Batali's restaurant in New York, offers more than just a dinner. Mixologist and Fine Living Network star, Tony Abou-Ganim will design custom cocktails for this special evening and teach diners how to recreate them at home. Also during the cocktail hour, entertainer Billy Harris will show sleight-of-hand magic tricks.

Each of the four courses of the Italian meal will be introduced by Batali and the dishes will be paired with wines from LaMozza, Mario's own vineyard in Tuscany, as well as the Friuli Bastianich vineyard. After the meal Billy Harris will perform his stage show.

Guests will receive gift bag that includes a copy of Mario's latest cookbook, Italian Grill, Tony Aboau-Ganim's most recent DVD, Cocktail 101, samples of 10 Cane Run, playing cards and a ticket to the raffle to win an Ernst Benz Mario Batali wristwatch. Both Mario and Tony will be available to sign books and DVDs at the end of the festivities.

The tickets are $1,500 per seat and limited to 130 guests. $100 of the price will go to the EarthLab Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization providing functional outreach and reverse research and educational efforts in part through EarthLab.com. A new online segment at EarthLab.com entitled Food & Mario Batali shows how to make better food related choices for the environment.

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