FLATIRON — Renowned chefs from Italy and New York City will gather at Eataly next week for the second annual Identità New York, a two-day celebration of Italian food and wine.
On Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, several Big Apple-based chefs — including Mario Batali, Jonathan Benno, Wylie Dufresne, Mark Ladner, Michael White and Missy Robbins—will join with culinary masters from Italy for a series of demonstrations focusing on trends in Italian cooking.
Italian winemakers will be on hand for tastings and wine classes, and attendees can sample a seven-course dinner, prepared by all the participating chefs and hosted by chef and TV personality Lidia Bastianich, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Identità is an educational event which honors modern-day chefs and explores the processes in which they reinvent traditional recipes and classic techniques every day in their places of work,” said Oscar Farinetti, founder of Eataly, in a statement. “This collaboration fits organically within the culture of Eataly, which is focused on exploration, learning and discovery.”
Missy Robbins, executive chef at A Voce, an Italian restaurant with locations on Madison Avenue and Columbus Avenue, is new to the event this year.
“There’s an incredible, incredible lineup of chefs,” Robbins said. “I’m sort of flattered to be included with them.”
At the event, which is presented by the culinary organization Identità Golose, Robbins will partner with chef Emanuele Scarello, from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy, who mentored her more than a decade ago, to create several dishes during a public demonstration.
Robbins said that she will create a Friulian dish in honor of her time spent with Scarello. Scarello will also create a dish of his own, and the two of them will likely craft something together, Robbins added.
Robbins said her restaurant has menus that change periodically to represent different regions of Italy, and she's looking forward to checking out the other chef's creations.
“It’s inspiring to see what [the other chefs] do,” Robbins said.
The cost to attend the cooking demonstrations is $125 per person.
The wine classes cost $50 a person, and the seven-course dinner, which includes wine pairings, will set guests back $225 each.
For more information or to register, visit Eataly's website or call 212-539-0204, ext. 304.
