Well if you have not yet heard, Prato is officially open!  We are so enjoying welcoming friendly faces from Luma and new friends alike into our second restaurant.  This will officially be our last blog post but we hope you will follow us on Twitter @PratoWinterPark , "Like" us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PratoWP , subscribe to our mailing list  and stay up to date on menu offerings and happenings via our website http://www.prato-wp.com/.  We cannot wait to see you soon at Prato!

Buon appetito and ciao for now!

One Month Away!

            Today marks exactly one month until the proposed grand opening of Prato!  It seems like a few short weeks ago Chef Brandon and Chef Matt were touring Italy, searching for inspiration for the restaurant.  Our excitement intensifies daily as more details are decided from design to music to menu.  In regard to the food, guests can expect Italian standards, executed with an American twist, but we rather leave you in suspense as to the specifics, so as not to ruin the surprise!

            However, we can share with you a bit more about our wine program; most importantly perhaps, we plan to offer exclusively Italian and Spanish wines.  While this may seem limiting to some, we are eager for the possibilities this affords.  Firstly, Italy and Spain produce wines that present with great complexity and pair beautifully with food.  Of course, our wine list will include selections that exemplify recognized characteristics, but it will also incorporate wines that are surprisingly palatable for the loyal Napa Cabernet drinker.  There are over one thousand wine varietals, indigenous to Italy and we are enthusiastic about helping our guests to discover interesting and obscure selections.  From Barollo to Barbaresco, we will have something for everyone. 

The Prato Perfect Pie!

            Our excitement grows every day as we move closer and closer to the opening of Prato as we hope yours does too!  We are busy with the many details involved in opening a restaurant including, obtaining licenses, construction planning and selecting plate ware. But as you saw on our last post about our cocktail tasting, restaurant planning does have its more delicious aspects.  Today, Chef Brandon and Chef Matt worked feverishly on a pizza tasting for the new restaurant.  We sampled a multitude of cheeses, tomato sauces and dough recipes in our efforts to create a perfect pie!  Through their "valient and stenuous efforts," we were able to identify the best pairing of hearty tomato sauce and flavorful cheese blend.  All of the pizzas we sampled today were incredibly delicious and they did not even have the benefit of the wood burning pizza oven that will be in place at Prato. This oven, one of the most exciting features of the new restaurant is being imported from Naples, Italy, created by a family of third generation pizza-oven manufacturers.

            Ready to sample what Prato has to offer?  Remember, your very first opportunity to do so is tomorrow, Thursday, September 22 at the Vibrant Rioja Street Fair at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market! 

                                 
                                   Chef Matt utilizing his well trained palette for our Prato pizza tasting

PRATO!

It is official: it has a name and it is PRATO!  Prato will be an upscale casual restaurant, whose namesake is the glorious region in Tuscany.  The menu will feature seasonally-inspired Italian specialties by Luma on Park’s celebrated chef, Brandon McGlamery.  Chef Brandon’s dishes will include light primi and insalata, house-made pastas, pizzas prepared in a custom-built wood burning oven, and inventive Italian entrées that utilize the best of local ingredients, such as sustainable seafood from Florida’s waters.   Our 4,500 square foot space will feature a contemporary design tempered with rustic elements such as an exposed brick wall, wood beamed ceilings, a long bar through the center of the restaurant, and patio seating year round.  The beverage program will highlight a wide variety of wines from venerable old world producers to esoteric gems, and the specially crafted cocktail program will feature both classics and more innovative selections.

            Being that it is Friday, we were inspired to start our painstaking research for Prato’s cocktail program.  Luma bartenders, Jeremy Crittenden and Dave Arnold offered some of their most imaginative and delectable cocktails to date, all of which were inspired by the many flavors and liquors of Italy. After sampling this plethora of libations, we found some truly unique and complex cocktails that we look forward to sharing with you.  We don’t want to give away too much just yet, but expect to find Campari, Grappa, Calvados and Prosecco-driven cocktails balanced by flavors of Blood Orange, Berries, Italian Herbs and Lemon!  

Tasting for Prato's Specialty Cocktails

The Road to Giusti, Part Two

Just when we were resigned to our fate of enjoying a generic a less than awe-inspiring lunch, as a result of the reservation confusion at Giusti, our guide waved us to a table.  In near disbelief, we asked “We get to eat here?”  “Yes, of course”, he responded as though it were obvious.  Apparently, their agonizing five minutes of conversation had been simple jovial banter between two Italians. 

            It is hard to say whether the suspense made what can only be described as a perfect meal, even more perfect.  From the moment we sat down, it was as though we were a part of the Giusti family, participants in an intimate culinary experience.  They toured us through their kitchen, allowed us to watch them prepare food and shared time-tested recipes.  Several bites into our meal, Matt and I shared a glance that expressed words we could not find: that this would be a meal we would never forget and a meal that would shape the direction of Matt’s entire career as a chef.  I could see the gears turning in his mind, absorbing the flavors and synthesizing the experience. 

While there were so many exquisite, yet simple dishes, but the one that most stood out was the gnocchi fritti.  They took us into the kitchen and Nonna (grandmother) guided us through the process of creating this spectacular dish.  First, the dough is hand rolled and cut for each order.  Next, the oil, heated in a cast iron pan, must be tested for just the right temperature, which she did with a spoon rather than any modern gauge.  The gnocchi are then quickly fried and served with culatello ham, a prized variety of prosciutto di Parma region.  Nonna even sent us home with her hand-written recipe, pictured below. The result was a savory, puff pastry-like dumpling of divine flavor.

The beautiful simplicity of the food, complimented by the authenticity that permeated Giusti, inspired in us an intense sense of gratitude.  I know this is the approach that Matt will strive to embody in the new restaurant.  We are eager to translate and share this sumptuous experience with you, our future guests.  Mille grazie per leggere!

- Chef Brandon McGlamery

The Road to Giusti, Part One

            Despite there being only four tables and one server, and that it is closed for the entire month of August AND that it is only open for lunch, Hosteria Giusti is considered the quintessential Modena eatery.  This family operated restaurant was founded in 1605 as Salumeria Giusti and is rumored to be the oldest deli in the world.  Even Mario Batali has named it as his Modena favorite, so as you may imagine, it is as difficult to get a table there as a last minute reservation at The French Laundry. 

            While in Italy, we were fortunate enough to work with Atlanta-based travel guide Peter Morich, who as a friend of the Hosteria Giusti, was able to get us a reservation.  Walking hurriedly up a non-descript Modena alley, I could not help but be reminded of my own beginnings as a chef, as I watched Chef Matt racing ahead of me.  It was obvious that as Matt rushed toward our reservation, he was eager for so much more than food: he was embarking on his journey as a chef, searching for divine inspiration and a way to crack the intangible culinary code as the owners of Giusti obviously had.  The scene bore an uncanny resemblance to my own travels through France and Spain ten years prior, as just like Matt was now, I was pursuing a spiritual understanding of cuisine. 

With our Italian guide in tow, we rushed up the medieval lane that leads to Giusti, so as not to be late for our 1:00 PM reservation.  By the very nature of the culture, little rushing takes place anywhere in Italy, which attests to the great sense of urgency and importance this appointment carried.  When we finally arrived, we were greeted by the sumptuous aromas of Northern Italian cuisine and a man who explained simply that our reservation was not today; rather, it had been yesterday.  Our disappointment and frustration was palpable and though there were available tables in the restaurant, we would have readily eaten on the floor if that were an option.  For the next five minutes, our guide negotiated with the man in Italian, as the fate of our whole stay in Modena hung in the balance.  It felt like one of the longest five minute intervals of our lives.

Be sure to subscribe to the blog to read the conclusion of the Road to Giusti later this week. 

-- Chef Brandon McGlamery

New Restaurant, Already a Community Partner

            After more than a month back home stateside, Chef Brandon and Chef Matt still feel inspired from their Italian travels. Everyday they’re moving forward getting the new restaurant off the ground. Speaking of ground, the concrete foundation was poured today in the new space, meaning it’s not too long before we conceptualize lighting, décor and every other aesthetic element! Although, the restaurant’s name has yet to be released, it’s already taking on a prominent role in the community.

            On Thursday, September 22^nd, Orlando food writer, Scott Joseph will couple with Vibrant Rioja, to host an exciting food and wine event at the Winter Park Farmers’ Market. This event, featuring 40 to 60 wines from the Rioja region of Spain, will highlight the top culinary talent from Central Florida. Not only will Luma on Park’s Chef Brandon McGlamery offer a dish thoughtfully crafted to compliment the complex flavors of Rioja, but be sure to also visit Chef Matt Cargo, from our new restaurant down the street, hosting a separate booth serving a signature dish. Want to know more about the new restaurant? Are you curious about how the authentically Italian flavors will translate to the American palette?  Be sure to attend!

            Tickets are set to go on sale through Scott Joseph’s website, Tuesday, August 30^th.  Sign up at the link below to be the first to know about it! 

 http://www.scottjosephorlando.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1546:save-the-date-september-22-2011&catid=78:scotts-news&Itemid=100

Chef Matt Cargo, on the dirt floor, soon to be no more!

Chef Brandon McGlamery discussing design details!

Let's begin.

Cominciamo - (cō. min.cha.mo) the Italian phrase for "Let's begin." 

      As we embark on one of the many processes of opening a new restaurant, which we yet to have a name for, we thought what better way to share with you than a blog documenting the journey.  Follow chef's Brandon and Matthew, as they start an adventure in Bologna, Italy,  and tour the osterias, trattorias, pasta houses, markets, and bakeries that make Bologna so renowned.  They will feast in Parma and sample the King of prosciutto's, Culattello also while in Parma,  they will  become students of the amazing  Parmesan cheese; They will be sipping Balsamico vinegar from the barrel in Modena,  then feast at Hosteria Giuissi, were they scored a coveted reservation at one the four tables!!  Then travel with them to visit the beautiful city of Naples to check out the handcrafted Acunto ovens. Meet the 3rd Generation family that still makes the ovens today, which we will be so proud to be cooking out of in the new restauarant.  Sample with them, via cyberspace, the Amalfi coast's finest cuisines of seafood and pizzas.  In this marathon of a culinary expedition, they will be absorbing the history, sights, culture. Their ultimate quest is not "recipes" or the "perfect" dish, but rather to understand  the culture and traditions in a cuisine that we are passionately always respecting and admiring.

       This journal will continue into the opening, slated for a unknown date in September.....We are so happy to have you along for the ride!

Diverti! (enjoy)

- Luma on Park