Umbrian Harvest Dinner In Il Buco's Acclaimed Wine Cellar

Il Buco Hosts an Umbrian Harvest Dinner in its Acclaimed Wine Cellar

Il Buco's wine cellar is the creation of Roberto Paris, an Umbrian native who brings his love of wine and a warm connection to the il Buco family for more than 10 years. Roberto has chosen four Umbrian wines to be paired alongside an olive oil focused menu designed by Executive Chef Ignacio Mattos to celebrate the arrival of the 2008 harvest of Viridens, il Buco's signature extra virgin olive oil.

Donna Lennard, owner of il Buco, was received into the "Confraternita dell'olio Extra Virgine di Oliva Umbro," a prestigious Italian olive oil society, for her great appreciation and understanding of the olive oil culture in Umbria. Through her work in developing a mill with her Umbrian friends to produce the olive oil for il Buco, she became intimately involved with the people of the region, and produced a film called La Raccolta (The Harvest), focusing on the harvest of the Pandolfi-Elmi family who has been producing olive oil since 1630 in the stony hills of Cancellara, Italy.

On Friday, February 27th, guests will meet Donna and Roberto in il Buco's acclaimed Wine Cellar for an evening of all things Umbrian and a chance to dine amidst the wine.

Each table will have a one-on-one tasting of the new harvests (2008) luminous oil followed by a tasting of the 2007 oil. Guests will learn about the aging of an olive oil, the influence climate has on the olives from year to year, what characterizes something as a good olive oil and how olive oil is made in a traditional and all-natural way. This oil is particularly special for many reasons but most significantly, it is made from 100% Moraiolo olives that all come from one estate in Umbria, a true rarity.

How it Works:

Roberto and Donna will be on hand throughout the evening to conduct a private olive oil tasting with each table at the start of the meal and to describe the Umbrian wine pairings.

Dinner reservations will be available for two seatings:
Early seating 6:00pm - 8:45pm; Late seating 9pm - 12:00 midnight

Umbrian Harvest Dinner Prix Fixe Menu

* * *

Bruschetta - Olive Oil Tasting
A tasting of il Buco's 2007 and 2008 Viridens Umbrian extra virgin olive oil

First Course
raw fluke with sea urchin, arugula in Umbrian tangerine agrumato
Wine: Brut Lungarotti 2003

Second Course
pansotti filled with salt cod, lemon and marjoram
with spinach and Sicilian "Biancolilla" extra virgin olive oil
Wine: Rosso di Montelfalco Caprai 2005

Third Course
Bev's pork steak with grilled broccoli rabe
and poached heirloom beans in Umbrian extra virgin olive oil
Wine: Sagrantino di Montefalco Adanti 2003

Fourth Course
olive oil pound cake with currant, brandy and walnut ice cream
Wine: Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito Ruggeri 1999

* * *

$100 per person
includes wine pairing and a complimentary copy of
La Raccolta (the Harvest), a film by Donna Lennard

(price does not include tax or gratuity)

About il Buco's Umbrian Olive Oil: Viridens is a mono-culture of Moraiolo olives, grown on hard, stony soil, hand-harvested in late October when the olives are still green (inviatura). The extreme climate and the harsh soil require the trees to struggle against the elements to obtain their nutrients. This creates a sparse yield of spicy, herbaceous oil with an extremely low acidity and high polyphenol count, making it a great antioxidant.

About il Buco's Wine Cellar: Gael Greene of New York Magazine asks; "Where are the chefs hanging out now? Alain Ducasse himself tipped me off to what fun it is having a late supper in the wine cellar of Il Buco. He got it from Le Bernardin's Eric Ripert. And I