On Friday, May 18th, bene hosted a cocktail party at the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo to kick off New York Toasts Italy, a first-of-its-kind one-day dining and shopping event celebrating the best of Italy in New York City. We enjoyed delicious pasta dishes from Delverde and Classic Italian Dinners from Bertolli, along with wine from Dancing Bear Cellars and beer from Birra Moretti.
Photography by Kathy Lo
Paul Whitley and Eric Munson from Dancing Bear Cellars
Marco Montefiori and Damiano Possenti from Birra Moretti
Shelly Zausmer serving Bertolli classic Italian dinners
Susannah Gold (Dancing Bear Cellars) and Vince Naccarato (bene)
Lina Perl (bene) and Joanna Goddard (bene)
Geri Brin (bene) and Geoffrey Saunders (Gran Sasso)
WKTU radio host “Goumba Johnny” Sialiano
On Saturday, May 19th, New York’s top culinary luminaries mingled with guests over multiple-course tasting menus they personally selected in their world-renowned restaurants.
Otto
Hosted by Chef Mario Batali
Photography by Kathy Lo
Chef Mario Batali (center) with guests
Riccardo Strano, Director of the Italian Government Tourist Board
Guests
Chef Mario Batali, Vince Naccarato (bene) and guest
Da Silvano
Hosted by Chef Silvano Marchetto and New Yorker cartoonist and author of Cancer Vixen, Marisa Marchetto
Photography by Kathy Lo
Chef Silvano Marchetto
Elise Leddy and Marisa Marchetto
Jon Affleck (Bertolli) with guest
Maremma
Hosted by Chef Cesare Casella and New Yorker writer Bill Buford, best-selling author of Heat
Photography by Kathy Lo
Bill Buford and Chef Cesare Casella
Bill Buford and guests
Laurel Kozeradsky (Bertolli) and guest
Erinn Bucklan and Jim Ledbetter (CNNMoney.com)
Geri Brin (bene) and Vince Naccarato (bene) with guests (sitting)
Giorgione
Hosted by restaurateur Giorgio Deluca with The United States of Arugula author David Kamp
Photography by Kathy Lo
David Kamp
Guests
Guest enjoying Delverde pasta
Olives
Hosted by Chef Todd English
Photography by Laurel Ptak
Chef Todd English
Annette Martin, Jennifer Martin and Shelly Zausmer
Paul Whitley (Dancing Bear Cellars) and guest
’inoteca
Hosted by restaurateur Jason Denton
Photography by Laurel Ptak
Co-owners Joe Denton, Eric Kleinman (chef) and Jason Denton
Joanna Goddard (bene) and ALEX WILLIAMS (NEW YORK TIMES)
ELLEN CARPENTER (ROLLING STONE) AND ELLEN BRAHNAM
DARRELL HARTMAN (TRAVEL + LEISURE), KENAN HALABI AND MATTIAS SPARROW
San Domenico
Hosted by food raconteur Arthur Schwartz with Marisa May
Photography by Laurel Ptak
Mark Levy (Dancing Bear Cellars) and Arthur Schwartz
