S.Pellegrino and Chef Michael Voltaggio Celebrate Italian Food and Lifestyle with an “Off the Menu” Culinary Experience

On Wednesday, July 30, S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water united renowned chefs and passionate food lovers alike for an “Off the Menu” immersive and experiential culinary experience hosted by the acclaimed chef Michael Voltaggio. The event took place at the Bathhouse Studios in Manhattan’s East Village.

On Wednesday, July 30, S.Pellegrino united passionate food lovers for an "Off the Menu" culinary experience hosted by chef Michael Voltaggio of LA's ink., pictured here with his chef de cuisine, Cole Dickinson, at the Bathhouse Studios in Manhattan's East Village. Credit: Ashley Sears Photography

Inspired by S.Pellegrino’s recent “Live in Italian” campaign, the night celebrated Italian lifestyle, brought to life through vignettes such as a lively Italian inspired bar/café scene, and a beautiful garden. There was also an intimate jam session by Cole Ramstad and a coppersmith plying his craft on site.

“At S.Pellegrino, we strive to offer innovative culinary experiences. ‘Off the Menu’ is our most recent example, reflecting that fine dining isn’t just about white tablecloths and polished silver anymore,” said Karen Ress, Vice President and General Manager, S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. “To ‘Live in Italian’ is to transform any meal, at any time, into a delicious celebration of fine food.”

“I believe some of my best dishes have been spurred from spontaneity, or by using unconventional and adventurous ingredients,” said Chef Michael Voltaggio of Los Angeles-based ink. “S.Pellegrino’s ‘Off the Menu’ experience gave me the creative freedom to design and create an inspired meal that I was proud to share with all event attendees.”

Chef Voltaggio is one of Los Angeles’ most celebrated and recognized modern chefs. In 2009, Chef Voltaggio was named a finalist for the James Beard “Best New Restaurant” award, and in the same year took home the title of Top Chef on Bravo TV’s Emmy-award winning show. GQ Magazine named ink. the “Best New Restaurant in America” in the March 2012 issue; Los Angeles Magazine recognized ink. as one of the top 10 best new restaurants in Los Angeles in the January 2012 issue; and in April, Details ranks the restaurant as one of the nation’s “Top 10 Most Fashionable Places to be Seen (and eat).” More recently, Chef Voltaggio received the honorable distinction of being one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs in the award’s 25th anniversary year.

At Off the Menu, guests and food lovers dined on mushroom-espresso rubbed short rib with banana polenta and porcini mushrooms, branzino with cauliflower caponata and agretti, and bites of summer truffle arancini and white bean panna cotta with smoked trout roe, all hand-crafted by Chef Voltaggio.

For more information, visit http://www.sanpellegrino.com/liveinitalian.

About S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water

The signature taste of S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water is created during a 30-year journey through the Italian Alps, where the water is naturally filtered. S.Pellegrino cleanses the palate and amplifies subtle flavors, making it the perfect complement to fine food and wines. This clean, refreshing taste helped S.Pellegrino become a preferred sparkling water in fine-dining restaurants in the USA, and pairs well with any occasion.

S.Pellegrino is proud to support a number of top culinary events such as The James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year Award, The S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup, S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Aspen Food and Wine Classic, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, and Identità Golose. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/SanPellegrinoUS or www.finedininglovers.com.

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