Chef Cory Giaquinta came to Bella after a year at the Dancing Bear Lodge. He comes from a big Italian family in Massachusetts. His father’s side is from Sicily. “I use a lot of my grandma’s recipes,” he says. “I add more basil, garlic, and thyme to the meatballs and make them with a combination of sausage, pork and veal.”
This year’s event series kicked off inside the warm and comforting environment of Bella in Maryville. Executive Chef Cory Giaquinta often describes his Tuscan-inspired restaurant downtown as “Italian, with a modern twist.” So, it was fitting that he welcomed diners to the event with a canapé of Italian herb ricotta mix, Grana Padano shaving, and crispy prosciutto in a phyllo shell. The modern twist came with a welcome cocktail pairing of a Brandy French 75—lemon juice, powdered sugar, brandy and champagne—named after the fast-firing French 75-millimeter field gun from World War I.
The appetizer was a Tomato Basil Bisque with pancetta spoon bread fried polenta cake of sundried tomato, topped with jumbo tails of shrimp and a creamy Italian pan sauce. This paired perfectly with a Tedeschi Capitel Tenda Soave Classico light wine produced by Anselmi in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy known for its “brilliant straw-yellow color with golden highlights, reflecting its vibrant freshness and depth.”
As a bonus first course, a Venetian scallop gratin came with herb butter and browned seasoned breadcrumbs in a scallop shell. It was paired with a Ca’del Bosco, Franciacorta Brut Cuvée Prestige, bringing a few bubbles to the anticipation of the entrée, a Crispy Skin Duck Breast Gumbo with Italian risotto, great seasoning, pearl onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
The duck paired subtly with a Toscana Monteleccio refined red wine drafted by the Sesti estate in Montalcino, Tuscany. Looking closely, its coloration showed as deep ruby red with garnet inflections, and its nose is complex and inviting, with aromas of ripe red cherries, plums, and wild berries.
For dessert, Giaquinta told guests that he was looking for a “nostalgic campfire feel,” which came to life as he created their final dish: lightly smoked campfire Chocolate Torte S’mores with graham cracker crust and torched meringue. This sweet memory was paired with a Niepoort 10-year Tawny Port, a classic fortified wine from the Niepoort winery in Portugal’s Douro Valley. Its luminous amber color has coppery highlights and a taste that is rich with notes of dried figs and raisins, toasted almonds, caramel, and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Comments are closed.