UNION SQUARE CAFE ANNOUNCES EXCITING NEW BEVERAGE PROGRAM FOR FALL, SHOWCASING THE RESTAURANT’S PASSION FOR ALL THINGS ITALIAN
First-Ever, All-Italian Cocktail Menu; Unique Vertical Offering of Giovanni Manetti’s Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve; Wine and Food Dinner Showcasing Rare Wines of Giuseppe Quintarelli
October 22, 2007, New York – Union Square Cafe (USC) proudly announces an exciting new Fall beverage program. Just as the restaurant’s cuisine has always embraced its Italian soul, Italy shines as the focus of its new beverage program. Wine & Spirits Director Stephen Mancini is thrilled to unveil the restaurant’s first cocktail program in 22 years, featuring all-Italian spirits; a spotlight on the acclaimed wines of Giovanni Manetti, owner of the Fontodi estate in Tuscany; and the Autumn Wine and Food Dinner on November 18, showcasing the treasured, rare wines of Giuseppe Quintarelli. Here’s more:
· USC’S ALL ITALIAN COCKTAIL MENU – FIRST-EVER COCKTAIL MENU IN 22 YEARS!
USC celebrates its Italian roots in its first-ever cocktail program, created by Stephen Mancini. Stephen explains, “On our list, every cocktail has an Italian element. Whether it’s ingredients like Sicilian blood orange juice picked from the finest blood orange trees in Sicily or Strega Liquor from Benevento in Campania, Italy runs through all of the drinks in an inspirational way.†Showcasing the various Italian regions inspiring each drink, the menu presents the drinks regionally from north to south, just as on USC’s wine list. Among the many tasty libations, the list includes:
o Mutu: named after the star of Florence’s soccer team, Adrian Mutu—a blend of Vernaccia (a Tuscan white wine), St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, limoncello and soda.
o Benevento: made of Strega—an Italian liqueur made from 70 different herbs, including mint and fennel—mixed with pineapple juice, lime juice, and vodka.
· GIOVANNI MANETTI’S FLACCIANELLO DELLA PIEVE FROM FONTODI VINEYARDS
Reflecting its Italian inspired menu, Italy is the backbone of USC’s wine cellar. This fall, the focus is on Giovanni Manetti’s celebrated flagship wine from Fontodi Vineyards, the Flaccianello della Pieve. The restaurant will be offering a vertical of this special wine. Comprised of 100% Sangiovese grapes, from a single vineyard of the same name, the Flaccianello della Pieve will be offered in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 vintages.
· WINE & FOOD DINNER, 11/18, FEATURING THE WINES OF GIUSEPPE QUINTARELLI
On Sunday, November 18th, USC hosts its Autumn Wine and Food Dinner, featuring the wines of Giuseppe Quintarelli, whose tiny production of heavenly wines from Valpolicella few people ever experience. A handful of restaurants and wine lovers throughout Italy (and the rest of the world) covet their miniscule allocation of Quintarelli’s wines and either guardedly cellar them for their own personal consumption, or uncork them only for their most cherished guests. Guiseppe Quintarelli–now 80–has opened his abundant heart and his treasured cellar to allow USC to present guests with a once-in-a lifetime Wine and Food Dinner. For the evening, USC will pour a full array of Quintarelli’s stunning wines including his Bianco Secco, Valpolicella Classico, Cabernet Franc Alzero, Amarone, Recioto della Valpolicella, and also his exquisite dessert wine, Amabile del Cere. Chefs Michael Romano and Carmen Quagliata will cook a multi-course dinner inspired by the traditions of the Veneto and by these ethereal and precious wines. Seats for the dinner will be allotted by lottery. Guests wishing to enter the lottery should email info@unionsquarecafe.com; put QUINTARELLI in the subject line, indicate how many seats you would like and include a daytime phone number by November 9th. Guests chosen for the dinner will be notified by phone beginning November 12th. The all-inclusive cost per person for the dinner with wines is $475.
Special note: in anticipation of this spectacular dinner, USC will whet guests’ appetites by pouring one of these rare Quintarelli wines by the glass.
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Union Square Cafe is open seven days a week, serving lunch from 12-2:30 PM, and dinner from 5:30-10 PM (11 PM on Fridays & Saturdays). For reservations: 212 243 4020 / www.unionsquarecafe.com
