LA SAGRA by LUZZO'S October 16, 2014 at the NYCWFF

Arancino (plural: arancini): n. Authentic Sicilian street food. Made with arborio rice and filled with anything our hearts desire. Then deep-fried and eaten hot. With your hands. Dave and some friends met while working as technicians for a touring rock band. One day a conversation led to a discovery of their mutual admiration for arancini (Sicilian rice balls). Immediately the idea was born to start a business specializing in these awesome treats. Could a Sicilian street food staple like arancini actually catch on in New York? Dave was eager to find out. He hopepd a plane to Sicily in 2009 and toured the island, sampling arancini from every possible vendor he could find. Inspired by his discoveries, he returned to New York ready to debut his product at the Hester Street Fair on the Lower East Side in 2010. Warm initial receptions and positive press encouraged him to seek further outlets to exploit his balls. In February 2011, Arancini Bros. pirated the kitchen attached to the infamous Wreck Room Bar in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where their shop now proudly resides behind the slogan, "We've got balls!" Over Thanksgiving dinner, Dave and his cousin Giulia shared thoughts about Dave's new venture. Giulia could not have been more excited about the idea. She saw limitless possibilities! The two merged into partnership with their friend Karima, and the newly formed TRIO (like the three legged TRINACRIA: the ancient symbol of Sicily) commenced their journey to making this 10th Century traditional food modern and exciting!

As early as 17, Fabio dedicated himself to learning how to cook. He learned from his uncle, aunts and grandmother as well as many various trips back to Salerno. He took his knowledge and discipline to two Bronx institutions. Mike’s deli, located inside the Arthur Ave Market and to Joe’ s Deli, a mozzarella temple located a stone’s throw away. Fabio also lent his talents to help steer and define the Italian cheese programs for both Dean and DeLuca, and Grace’s Marketplace

Rubirosa is Amgelo (AJ) Pappalardo's family-run neighborhood Italian-Amerian restaurant and pizzeria located in Nolita. AJ has had the honor to preserve his family recipes which originated at Joe and Pats pizzeria in Staten Island. The menu at Rubirosa is centered on our favorite Italian-American classics including a wide array of house-made pastas, as well as, our flagship thin-crust pizza dating back to a 51 year old family recipe. Rubirosa is located in the heart of Nolita and its clientele bridges the gap between the old and new neighborhood regulars. Rubirosa's homey and comfortable atmosphere welcomes every occasion, from a family-style group dining to drinks and antipasti at our cozy bar.

Pizzetteria Brunetti is equal parts killer Neapolitan pizza, wine bar and authentic Neapolitan small plates and salads in a casual neighborhood vibe. We serve approachable, ingredient – driven, Italian fare with just the right amount of great hospitality and casualness. 

oey Campanaro was raised in Philadelphia where the food of his childhood inspired him to make cooking his vocation. With a culinary approach firmly rooted in his Italian grandmother’s kitchen and honed in a range of America’s top restaurants, Joey brings a lifelong affinity for Mediterranean cuisine to every dish he creates. In 2001, Joey moved back to New York to open The Harrison in Tribeca. As executive chef, Joey’s devotion to the kitchen won the hearts of New York diners and, in December 2001, a two-star review from The New York Times. In 2004, Joey became the executive chef of an Italian restaurant in Tribeca called Pace. After Pace, Joey re-opened his catering business, Blackfoot Consulting, and set out to open the restaurant he had always dreamed of opening – The Little Owl, which has since received wide acclaim from critics and guests alike, including a two-star review from The New York Times, appearances on everything from Iron Chef America to The Today Show and The Martha Stewart Show, and a continued buzz as one of New York’s most exciting restaurants. Even with the success of The Little Owl (and its sister restaurant Market Table at which Joey is partners with chef and owner Mike Price), Joey continues to cater and consult for some of the biggest names in the country, including Martha Stewart, Mike Piazza, NBC Universal and Conde Nast Publishing . His enthusiasm, professionalism, and, of course, his cooking make him a one of the most sought after food personalities in New York. This winter along with co-owner and Executive Chef Mike Price, Joey also opened The Clam, a seafood-centric restaurant just a few blocks from Market Table in the West Village.

TV personality, restaurateur, and cookbook author, Donatella Arpaia, is best known for her role as head judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef America and the Next Iron Chef. She is a regular contributor to NBC’s The Today Show where she offers her culinary expertise and mouthwatering recipes. She grew up in a family of restaurateurs, but pursued a brief career as a corporate attorney before returning to her undeniable passion for the culinary arts. Donatella has lent her expertise to string of successful restaurants like Davidburke & Donatella, Anthos, and Kefi. These projects and more have collectively earned substantial praises, such as Michel Stars, Five Diamond Awards, and James Beard nominations. Donatella is a two-time winner of the New York Food & Wine Festival’s Meatball Madness competition. She beat out major names in the culinary world- proving there is no substitute for a classic recipe! Donatella currently sells the same meatballs in frozen form on HSN alongside her signature line of kitchen solutions. Donatella is wife to renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Allan Stewart. They live a balanced life in New York City with their son, devouring every moment with their own spirited style.

The story of EMILY: Our first shared meal was a pizza. It was twelve and a half years ago – pepperoni and olive – while sitting on the floor of Matt’s dorm room at school in Rhode Island. Two days later, on a casual drive to a beach in Newport so Matt could snap shots for his photography class, we stopped for lunch and had more pizza together. A few nights later, Matt took me on a proper date to our beloved Al Forno in Providence, and we shared their famous grilled pizza then, too. We do eat other foods (sometimes), but pizza has been the special fare that we have enjoyed sharing in since the moment our relationship began. Matt then attended the Institute of Culinary Education and begin his career as a chef; he has worked for over a decade now all across the city in various restaurants from making pastry at Public to helping launch The Breslin to most recently cooking pies at Pizza Moto. When we moved to Brooklyn a few years back, Matt stumbled upon their neighborhood pizzeria, Sottocasa, in its opening days, and Luca Arrigoni – the owner and Matt’s pizza mentor – invited him to join the inaugural team and practice the art of making pizza. Immediately, Matt knew this craft was his path. Within a year, he decided it was time to take the chance to pursue opening a restaurant, which was that vision we shared in over a decade ago as we ate our inaugural slices of pizza together and talked of such a dream. I helped as Matt worked to launch Brooklyn Central in Park Slope as a stepping-stone for us to emerge onto the pizza scene in New York. Once that was up and running, we took the opportunity to transition out and search for our own spot to realize a restaurant we could call home to our shared passion for artisanal, high-quality food. Our search landed us in cozy Clinton Hill with a lot of work to do. We spent a long autumn rehabbing a previous restaurant to put forth a place that is a reflection of the warmth and hominess that we feel when being together and want to bring to the neighborhood. We have a wood burning oven that centers as the hearth of the space where you will find Matt cooking pizzas from dough he has hand-mixed and mozzarella he has made by hand. Matt’s outlook on cooking for others is that when you put genuine love into the preparation of a meal, those who eat it can taste the sentiment behind it. I am thrilled to be the namesake of my husband’s restaurant and am proud to offer to you pizza and other delicious fare from our hearts made and served with love.

"Straightforward Italian cooked in wood-fired ovens." After summers spent off the coast of Naples on the island of "ponza", Chef Christian Petroni has taken his Italian childhood food memories and adapted them to fit today’s palate at his Westchester eatery Fortina. With two more locations on the way, Fortina is quickly making itself a house-hold in Westchester & Fairfield county.

Brooklyn natives Allison & Matt Robicelli co-own the internationally-acclaimed bakery Robicelli's in the decidedly non-trendy neighborhood where they both grew up: Bay Ridge. They are famous for making what they call "working class pastry" -- versions of ubiquitous American desserts such as cakes, brownies & cookies, but crafted from scratch with quality ingredients and classical techniques.  Their cupcakes have been called "Best in NYC" by multiple publications & websites, and their chocolate cream pie was named one of the city's most decedent chocolate desserts by Zagat. They are the author's of Robicelli's: A Love Story, With Cupcakes, named one of the best cookbooks of 2013 by The Huffington Post, People, The Braiser andFirst We Feast.  Prior to opening Robicelli's in 2008, they were veterans of the NYC restaurant & catering industry, with such credits as Lutece, The Water Club, and City Bakery.

Although having studied economics in college, the food industry was a natural calling for Italian born chef and restaurant owner, Gigio Palazzo. In 1910, his grandfather was the first to introduce the espresso machine in his gunpowder store in Brindisi-Italy, later transforming it into a cafe/restaurant. Gigio began his food venture in 1991 opening the first Italian restaurant on the island of Patmos. Gigio later moved to London to start Fatto in Casa, a catering company servicing high profile clients: the auction house of Sotheby's and Christie's, the Italian Trade Center, celebrities as Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson and Saatchi and Saatchi to name just a few. In 1996 Gigio moved to New York City and recreated the charm of an authentic Italian Espresso bar by opening the very successful Terramare Cafe in one of the most sought after neighborhoods, the Upper East Side between Madison and Central Park. Gigio developed an interest in the craft of pizza making and began to study the chemistry of flour, the process of fermentation and the art of baking at the Gambero Rosso, in Rome. Gigio later open Palà in 2006 in the lively neighborhood of the Lower East Side. Palà was nominated “Best Pizza in Manhattan” by the reader of the Daily News in 2007. In 2008, Gigio developed a Gluten Free dough for the gluten intolerant (celiac’s disease) which has been named among the “Best Gluten Free Pizza’s in America” byDelight Gluten-Free Magazine in 2013.

Chef Ryan Hardy’s experience in the kitchen began in 1999 at Rubicon Restaurant in San Francisco. In 2001, a 25-year-old Hardy took the reins of his first restaurant in Aspen, Colorado and nine months later notched Rustique Bistro among Esquire Magazine’s Best New Restaurants. Hardy left to assume the head chef role at Santa Fe’s 4-star Coyote Café. In 2003, Hardy joined the Coach House Restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard where he was a James Beard Rising Star Nominee in 2004. It was there that Hardy began the island’s local food movement, founding New England’s second Slow Food Chapter in 2004. His efforts did not go unnoticed being named as one of the most sustainable chefs in America in 2005. A new challenge took Hardy back to Aspen in 2005, to The Little Nell Hotel, where he founded the 34-acre Rendezvous Organic Farm. Armed with locally grown ingredients and intel gained from annual trips to Rome to learn the art of pasta, Hardy developed the style in the kitchen he exhibits today. In June 2013, Hardy opened his first restaurant – Charlie Bird – a Manhattan eatery with an Italian-inspired menu showcasing his distinctive culinary style and passion for quality ingredients and service.

Sunchar (“Sunny”) Raymond was born and raised on the beautiful island of St. Lucia, where putting on feasts in one’s home for dozens of friends and family is a regular occurrence. For Sunny, the daughter of a chef, this emphasis on food was even more pronounced. When Sunny was 15, she and her father baked, cut and assembled her first cake (white with vanilla frosting dyed green). That experience, and the pride she felt in the resulting cake, played an instrumental role in the development of her love of baking. In 2001, Sunny took a job working in her father’s kitchen as a line cook at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on St. Lucia. From there, she moved to the kitchen at another hotel, the Sandals Halcyon, where she worked on the pastry station. Realizing that pastry was what she wanted to pursue, she moved to the U.S. where she attended the Art Institute of New York City, graduating in 2005 with an AOS in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management.  Before graduation, she began working in the pastry department at Danny Meyer’s landmark restaurant Union Square Cafe. Then in late 2006, she moved to sister Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) restaurant Gramercy Tavern, where she was able to develop her passion in to a craft under the tutelage of Pastry Chef Nancy Olson. Inspired by the kitchen there, she fell in love with all aspects of pastry. Then, in 2008, Sunny spent time in Atlanta where she was able to trail in different restaurants before obtaining a position at Bacchanalia, one of the city’s most celebrated and popular restaurants. In 2009, Sunny returned to New York, landing the Pastry Chef position at USHG’s catering and events business, Union Square Events. Missing the fast pace of a restaurant kitchen, she was thrilled to have the opportunity to return to Union Square Cafe as the Pastry Chef in 2011. At Union Square Cafe, Sunny’s menu respects the much-loved desserts that have helped to make the restaurant so popular for 25 years, while creating new classics inspired by the Greenmarket just outside the restaurant’s doorstep. Sunny lives in Manhattan with her husband, whom she met while they were both working in the kitchen at Union Square Cafe.

Born in Italy, Massimo Carbone had little idea that his culinary training would lead to a settlement in America. Believing like many other Italian men that America was only a dream, he jumped at the chance to come when one of his friends mentioned a possibility for work in New York City. Prior to his arrival in America in 1985, Massimo built an impressive resume in Italy. At the age of fourteen, he began studying at the prestigious Scuola Alberghiera of Lignano Sabbiadoro in Venice. After graduation he began work as a line cook with legendary Gualtiero Marchesi and Paul Bocuse in Lyoon, France. He also worked as chef de partie at the five star Grand Hotel in his hometown of Rimini. In December 1985, Massimo arrived in New York to work for restaurateur Luca Angiulli at the Beacon Hotel. He earned two star from Mimi Sheraton, of the New York Times, only six month after his arrival. In 1991 he went to work at the three star San Domenico restaurant in New York. Massimo then returned to Italy to spend time in Italy's top kitchen, including the Michelin three star Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence. In 1994, he was named Executive Chef of Osteria Al Doge and after that with the same position at "Il Gattopardo" restaurant. In 1998 he became Executive Chef of Brio restaurant where he still perform his works. In 2011 he opened another Brio in the Flatiron District in New York City. He has worked with different institutions on launching food products from Italy such as speck, asiago cheese, pasta riso scotti, Sicilian blood oranges and pecorino romano. He has appeared in several television food segments on CBS, NBC and RAi Italia.

Cesare Casella is an award winning Italian chef and restaurateur. An expert in Tuscan Italian cuisine, Chef Cesare Casella is known as the chef with the rosemary as he is rarely without a small bouquet springing from his jacket pocket, a signature that represents his dedication to fresh ingredients, his herb-inflected cuisine and his childhood in the Tuscan countryside where rosemary grew wild and his family ran a small trattoria, Vipore, outside of Lucca. Chef Casella is the Executive Chef and Owner of two New York City restaurants, Salumeria Rosi and Ristorante Rosi. He is the Dean of Italian Studies at the International Culinary Center in New York City and serves as Chief of the Department of Nourishment Arts at the Center for Discovery in Sullivan County, New York where he works to raise awareness about sustainability, food and nutrition within a developmentally disabled population. Always dedicated to using fresh, seasonal, high quality ingredients when cooking, Chef Casella also consults and creates artisanal Italian-style salumi in the United States and is the founder of Republic of Beans, specializing in imported Italian heirloom products. Chef Casella has written several books including 2013 James Beard Foundation Award nominee, The Fundamentals of Classic Italian Cuisine (2012), True Tuscan (2005), Italian Cooking for Dummies (2002), andDiary of a Tuscan Chef (1998). He also contributed to the English edition of Food Editore’s Gusto, an encyclopedia of Italian food and ingredients published by Abbeville Press in the United States in April 2014.

Caterer to the Stars Mary Giuliani launched Mary Giuliani Catering & Events in 2005, based on a love of entertaining, food and hospitality. The figurehead of the company, Mary creates parties for the crème de la crème of the art, fashion and entertainment sets. Her clients look to her to break traditional entertaining norms and instead offer and bring to life party ideas that are one of a kind, out of the box, playful experiences. She is the exclusive caterer for J.Crew, Madewell and Vogue. Her client roster includes: The Rolling Stones, Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, Jerry & Jessica Seinfeld, Stella McCartney, Fendi, Carolina Herrera, Sephora, Time Inc, Conde Nast, Hearst, HBO, Warner Brothers, Weinstein & Co. and many more. Her company produces over 650 events a year and Biz Bash named her Caterer of the Year in both 2011 and 2012.

My family is from Potenza in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. As a child, I learned the simple world of the farmer and grew to have an appreciation for the land and its gifts. I helped my family to press olive oil from the trees in our orchard and learned how preciously valuable this golden liquid was. I loved to travel around the countryside to discover local gems. My favorite memories are of the many "sagras," which are feasts celebrating a particular local ingredient that it's in season. I moved to New York in my late teens and immediately started a career in the restaurant industry. I've worked in many NYC kitchens and dining rooms. I've never had formal training as a chef but I've always been in and around kitchens, starting with my mom's and now running a professional one. I'm an Italian first and a New Yorker immediately after. I'm certainly proud and feel privileged to be able to feed diners in this amazing culinary mecca.

Chef Mathieu Palombino brings a thoughtful, skilled approach to the classic foods that he loves. At his four Motorino pizzerias, he makes what The New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton called “the city’s best pizza,” preserving simplicity while using the highest quality ingredients and a meticulous attention to detail.  A native of Belgium, Palombino spent much of his teenage years apprenticing in restaurant kitchens, learning the craft from seasoned professionals before working in several fine dining restaurants, including Bonsoir Clara in Brussels. Palombino arrived in New York in 2000 and continued furthering his classical French training working under renowned chefs such as David Bouley at his namesake restaurant and chef Laurent Tourondel at both Cello and BLT Steak. As the chef de cuisine at BLT Fish, he helped the restaurant earn three stars from The New York Times in 2005.  Though he spent the formative years of his career in high-end restaurant kitchens, Palombino dreamed of opening an intimate restaurant of his own focused on the simple, wholesome food that he had been drawn to for years: pizza. In fall 2008, Palombino realized this goal with the opening of Motorino in Brooklyn. A year later, he opened Motorino in the East Village. In 2013 Chef Mathieu opened the first branch of the pizzeria in Hong Kong and followed in the summer with the re-opening of the sorely missed original Brooklyn spot, this time in a new location on the south side of Williamsburg.  Palombino’s Neapolitan-style pizzas topped with fresh, seasonal ingredients have been called “the best of a new generation of pizzas” by former New York Times critic Frank Bruni, named “Best New Artisan Pie” by Time Out New York and the Margherita DOC pie was described as “a thing of beauty” by New York Magazine. Motorino continues to accrue accolades including Michelin Guide “Bib Gourmand” awards in 2010, 2011 and Michelin distinction in 2012. The pizzeria frequently finds itself on many top ten pizza lists in both New York City and in the United States, most recently honored as the number two pizzeria out of 35 in the country on the DailyMeal.com. Motorino continues to be a sought out destination for both New Yorkers and folks in Hong Kong, from tourists to people in the restaurant industry alike.  When he’s not in the kitchen, Palombino finds inspiration for his restaurants in every facet of the city, from its timelessness to the energy of its various neighborhoods. He also enjoys his wife’s cooking at their home in Brooklyn, New York, where they live with their two sons.