Food is the heart of a gathering and our team at Alpina Restaurant located at Villa Eyrie Resort was proud to partner with renowned Canadian celebrity chef David Rocco on November 22nd-23rd as he brought a new perspective to Italian cooking right here on Vancouver Island.
Over the course of an impressive career, David Rocco has connected deeply with his Italian roots, sharing the culture of the food he treasures with audiences around the world. During his visit with us, David Rocco held an interactive cooking workshop with the Alpina culinary team as well as hosted an incredible chef’s table dinner at the Villa Eyrie resort. David’s visit was abundant in great food and great company, bringing the unmistakable and captivating culture of Italy with him.
On November 22nd, our very own Alpina restaurant team headed by Michelin star-trained Chef Mario Gross and David Rocco joined forces, spending the day together bonding over their love of food and crafting a special menu for the chef’s table event the next evening. Food brings people together, and the cooking workshop allowed for a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration of ideas, technique’s, and recipes.
The next evening, on November 23rd, the Villa Eyrie Resort held a special VIP cocktail hour with David. Guests enjoyed the intimate, personal event with the opportunity to meet the chef in person. Following the cocktail hour, David Rocco kicked off the exclusive Chef’s Table: A Taste of Italy event with his very own olive oil for attendees to try for themselves on the fresh focaccia already on the table. The four-course meal was then served at a family-style table and included delicacies such as Bruschetta, Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio, Osso Bucco with Risotto a la Milanese, Prosciutto wrapped green asparagus with Fiore di latte and more. There was even Tiramisu to sweeten the night.
The event was hosted to a limited number of guests and one lucky winner, Mandy, even won themselves a seat at the chef’s table dinner! All in attendance happily mingled over the delicious courses of food and drinks, commemorate new connections and friendships. Throughout the evening, David Rocco signed copies of his cookbook ‘Dolce Famiglia’ and Mario visited with guests and shared his love of cooking through personal stories and memories.
The culinary team of Alpina Restaurant enjoyed bonding over their love of cooking and will never forget the kindness, knowledge and guidance of David Rocco. Our ‘Chefs Table: A Taste of Italy’ was a huge success, a meal and moment we will never forget, and we want to give a special thanks to everyone who joined us.