Magnifico moments!

Mamma mia! A frenzy of fine Italian fare is set to delight diners in Bahrain as two of the kingdom’s leading hotel restaurants aim to offer a taste of the country’s popular cuisine with a unique twist, writes Stan Szecowka.

Mövenpick Hotel Bahrain will be staging a La Bella Vita + ‘Eatalian’ Brunch and are flying in a top Sicilian chef for the occasion ... and an Italian cultural and gastronomic  festival will be held at the Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa complimented by return performances of celebrated tenor Vincenzo Sanso and soprano Carla Mazzarella.

All the stops are being pulled out for visitors to enjoy La Bella Vita (the beautiful life) because, according to the organisers, Italy is ‘a love story of fresh ingredients creating the most delicious of dishes’, Italy is ‘the sound of loud, vibrant laughter’ and Italy ‘is the smell of freshly homemade pasta, wrapped in sprinkles of fresh basil and, of course, Pomodori, true Italian-style, thin-crust pizza’.

“Italy has a vast choice of food like hardly any other country in the world, but of course, there will always be pasta as the number one, and we will celebrate pasta and risotto in an impressive selection,” said Chef Alfred Zuberbuehler of Mövenpick Hotel Bahrain as preparations are being made for the February 27 event when Silks restaurant and the gallery will be transformed into a piazza.

“Antipasti, cold cuts and cheese are definitely the perfect beginning, and fresh fish and seafood will be ideal for a light main. There will be lots of live cooking, grilling and carving going on, so everything we serve will be as fresh and authentic as possible.

“And, as a highlight and to ensure that authentic taste, we will fly in Chef Stefano Ligori from Restaurant Sicilia at the Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate in Dubai. He has been extraordinarily successful with his restaurant and diners flock in from all over Dubai to enjoy a moment of authentic Italy.”

The ‘Eatalian’ idea came as a result of last year’s successful ‘Wild Wild West Brunch’ and ‘Miami Brunch’ which celebrated US cuisine.

Chef De Cuisine Stefano added: “I’m very much looking forward to showcasing traditional and authentic Sicilian cuisine in Bahrain. I believe it will bring a deeper understanding to the food and showcase a range of flavours that are not easily found nowadays.

“The event will be a huge success because it will be showcasing traditional and authentic cuisine prepared with the highest quality ingredients and following recipes that have been passed down through generations in my family.

“The main highlight, in my opinion, will be watching us prepare the dishes ‘live’ during brunch, as well as my two signature dishes, the cappuccino risotto and roasted octopus. It is my first time in Bahrain and I am very much looking forward to it.”
The Settimana Italiana at Sofitel’s popular Italian restaurant Fiamma is a key date on the culinary calendar.

This year’s week-long gastronomic journey to Italy starts tomorrow with authentic Italian cuisine created by recent recruit Chef Andrea Barome, who is launching a new menu and welcoming the musical duo that will travel to Bahrain from Italy for the third time for the festival which runs until February 28. There will be a special Italian-themed Friday brunch on this weekend and the following Friday too.

There are some famous Italian phrases that have become unique to Italian life and they are often mentioned in cookery books. Lifestyle analysts suggest Italians believe that food solves anything.

In Italy, people still talk and discuss about important problems or issues around a table for lunch or dinner. One of the most popular Italian popular food quotes is ‘Mangia che ti passa’ … ‘eat and it will be over, you’ll feel better’.