About an hour outside of Philadelphia, PA is Luna Farm, which is named for Iron Chef
Jose Garces' beloved bulldog Luna. This farm serves as a weekend retreat for Garces and his family, complete with a rustic house that dates back to the early 19th century.
But the 40-acres of farmland in Ottsville, Bucks County also has become a source of organic produce for his Garces Group’s Philadelphia restaurants.
Part of a true farm-to-table dining experience for patrons and guests, ingredients are sourced from this farm, including produce and herbs, that are used by each of his restaurants.
Organically grown, Luna Farm produce also can be purchased from the Luna Farm cart on Wednesdays throughout the summer at the Cira Centre lobby in Philadelphia, and also outside of JG Domestic by those who want to cook up something special of their own.
Philadelphia suburbs near King of Prussia, Lansdale, Plymouth Meeting, Conshohocken and Valley Forge. One of America’s largest and most presti- gious private estates, Normandy Farm is a restored landmark. The Farmer’s Daughter restaurant on-site offers mod- ern, farm-style cooking, progressive cocktails and an outdoor dining space.
Executive Chef Mtele Abubakar creates the overnight-braised short rib, which is a crowd favorite. Abubakar’s roots are in Kenya, where braising was the pri- mary cooking technique. The entrée is marinated in Pinot noir with a grilled polenta cake, wild mushrooms and fresh horseradish. It’s become so popu- lar with guests that the menu now offers short rib grilled cheese and a short rib flatbread.
When Normandy Farm’s Executive Pastry Chef Sam Nahhas and his team roll up their sleeves to bake breads and desserts that are as eye-catching as they are sumptuous, they use a lot of ingre- dients.
In one week, they use 600-
pounds of flour, 160-pounds of butter and more than 2,000 eggs in the cre- ations they whip up.
“The breads are created traditionally,” said Nahhas. “Cookies are made from scratch, rolled by hand and cut by my team. There are few shortcuts in achiev- ing this type of result. As enjoyable as baking is, it’s most definitely a science, as well.”
Nahhas, who has said that “people taste dessert with their eyes,” works with his team to provide the baked goods, including 350 wedding cakes a year.
When a bride asked for a ‘naked cake’ (normal wedding cake with no outer layer of frosting) that had the colors of a stoplight- - layers of green, topped by layers of yellow and then layers of red - Nahhas met the specified requirements. It turned out the groom was a police officer.
Gelato and sorbet in 20 flavors and a pomegranate sorbet in the works are other creations by Nahhas.
The history of Gran Caffe L’Aquila is as interesting as its cuisine. It was once a landmark café on Piazza Duomo in the Abruzzo region of Italy and dubbed Italy’s “Café of the Year” in 2007. The café was damaged in an earthquake that destroyed the city in 2009.
Original owners Stefano Biasini, the Gelato Champion of Italy, and Michele Morelli, award-winning Italian coffee roaster, met local restaurateur Riccardo Longo, an award-winning regional Italian food and wine director, in 2012. The meeting led to the rebirth of one of Italy’s most beloved cafes Philadelphia two years ago.
in
The entire restaurant was designed and built in Italy over a three-year span before being shipped to Philadelphia for installation and a grand opening in December 2014. The first floor is an authentic Italian bar, and the second floor consists of the restaurant, wine bar, cultural and language school, and coffee and gelato labs.
At Gran Caffe L’Aquila, Italian culture classes also are offered. Organized by the America-Italy Society, the classes
include Introduction to Italian (101) and Elementary Italian Level (201). The classes are taught by a certified Italian instructor and cost $200, which includes the cost of books.
In addition, La Dolce Vita, the Italian Gastronomical Culture School, talks about the history, tradition and culture of a featured Italian city each week. Discussions are accompanied by spe- cial regional fare and wine that reflect the unique characteristics of each city. The classes are conducted in English with many parts in Italian. Through the classes, attendees will
travel to
Montalcino, Torino, Siena, Roma, Parma and Lake Como.
Robert Ryan Catering and Design likes to put its own twist on classic foods. Chef Danny Salazar serves a sushi that’s far from ordinary with brioche toast cut in a small round topped with seaweed butter and halibut crudo with lime, red onions, peppers, garlic and cilantro. He has turned Eggs Benedict into a dinner entrée with a buttermilk biscuit topped with porketta, poached eggs and Cajun hollandaise sauce.
The staff ensures the best in service and tailoring the menu to a group - often going above and beyond. When a client had a recipe for a Tequila Vinaigrette she wanted to serve at her event, the staff went the extra mile and purchased one-ounce Patron bottles and placed them filled with the custom dressing on each salad plate.
Lenora Kruk-Mullanaphy has extensive public relations experience in the hospitality industry, having worked for the Atlantic City Convention and
Visitors Authority and with Morton's The Steakhouse.
lmullanaphy@gmail.com
Mid-Atlantic EVENTS Magazine 53
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92