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June 16-17, 2009, Armani's, Grand Hyatt, Tampa Bay, Florida

Castello Banfi

presents

"A Day with Chef Nick Stellino & Banfi Wines"

By Louis Luzzo, Sr. & Elaine Giammetta

When our good friend, Chef Nick Stellino called to let us know he would be in our neck of the woods, at the Grand Hyatt in Tampa, we were thrilled. When he told us he would be here preparing his wonderful culinary creations with pairings from Christina Mariani-May, CEO and family proprietor of Castello Banfi wines, we knew we were in for a special day. You see, both Nick and Christina share one very important trait; Passion. Nick, for life and the fresh ingedients that go into his dishes. For Christina, it is a commitment to the traditions of excellence her family has created with its wine estate in Tuscany. The combination of these two connoisseurs was sure to be wonderful culinary experience and they did not disappoint. For a foodie, this was a truly memorable day.

The two day event was set to take place at the newly renovated Armani's restaurant, located on the top floor of the Grand Hyatt, Tampa, Florida. This restaurant is known for its cutting edge Italian cuisine and has probably one the best views of Tampa Bay and the famed Florida sunsets in the area.

Bringing the event to an even higher level, each course was carefully paired with a Banfi wine, selected by Christina, who gave attendees the heightened experience of exploring the wines and the dishes served from her unique, winemakers point of view.

The Luncheon Demonstration

The day started out with a cooking demonstration and wine pairing. If you've seen him on TV these past 14 years, you are aware that Chef Nick Stellino brings a passion for life and food that is contagious, his style being more in the line of telling you the story of his ingedients and the dish he is preparing, rather than a lesson in cooking. Funny and charming, it was a true treat to witness what was basically three episodes of his popular TV show up close and in person. Speaking of which, in August, we sit down with Nick to talk about life, love, food and cooking in our Up Close and Personal feature. How's that for a segway?

Tables beautifully set for luncheon tasting

Nick answers guest's questions

Perfect Pasta Banfi's Rosa Regale

The evening event started out with a VIP meet and greet, where guests got to speak one on one with Christian, Chef Nick and Chef Mike. The 4 course pairing was a combined effort between Nick and Armani's Chef de Cusine, Michael Von Burg, with wine pairings again provided by Castello Banfi, hand selected by Christina. This was an elegant affair, the trio mingling with guests during each course, giving their unique perspectives on the dishes created and the wines that had been paired with them. The food, the wine and the setting all combined to create a spectacular culinary evening that guests will long remember. Class, elegance and style were the words of the day and we were privleged to have been invited.