Roll up your sleeves, it’s time to get cooking celebrity chef-style! As part of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the Biltmore will host the Barilla Interactive Culinary Series led by celebrity Chef Scott Conant, author and acclaimed restaurateur Lidia Bastianich, and her son, restaurateur and vineyard owner Joe Bastianich, on Saturday, February 27, 2010. The series is presented by Barilla as part of their “Share the Table” family dinner project which inspires families to improve the quality of dinner together while strengthening family ties through the preparation of a delicious meal.
From 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Chef Scott Conant, guest judge on the Food Network’s popular Chopped and Bravo’s show Top Chef, will lead an interactive luncheon along with Barilla Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni. Guests will play the role of sous-chef as they prepare a multi-course meal that includes Barilla pasta, served with great Italian wines. Chef Conant, cookbook author and owner of award-winning Scarpetta restaurants in New York and Miami, has earned a loyal following for his modern take on Italian cuisine and a reputation for pushing culinary boundaries. The event will also recognize the scholarship recipient of the 2010 Barilla Student Chef of the Year award, Rachel Reppert, a graduate student at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. at Florida International University. The luncheon will take place inside the Biltmore Hotel’s Country Club Ballroom and is priced at $150 per guest.
From 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. acclaimed restaurateurs Lidia Bastianich and Joe Bastianich along with the Biltmore’s award-winning Chef de Cuisine Philippe Ruiz will lead an interactive dinner. Specializing in Italian and Croatian cuisine, Lidia is a contributor to the PBS cooking show lineup and the host of the TV series, Lidia’s Italy. Lidia in partnership with Joe owns several Italian restaurants including: Felidia and Becco in New York City and Lidia’s in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.
Joe Bastianich has also partnered with acclaimed chef and media personality Mario Batali to open restaurants in New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Joe owns three wineries in Italy and Argentina and is the co-author of the award-winning Vino Italiano and Vino Italiano Buying Guide. Among his accolades, Joe has been recognized as Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional by both the James Beard Foundation and Bon Appétit magazine. The dinner will take place inside the Biltmore Hotel’s Granada Ballroom and is priced at $275 per guest.
For ticket information visit www.sobewineandfoodfest.com. The Biltmore Hotel is located at 1200 Anastasia Avenue in Coral Gables, Florida.