[hillvalley]

I am pleased to announce that our next event will be a multi course dinner for 16 at Maestro. You will enjoy the gastronomical delights from the chef in a meal designed especially for DonRockwell.com that you will not soon forget.

The total cost including tax, tip, and a wine pairing for each meal is $300 a person.

If you would like to join us for what is sure to be a memorable evening please PM me. We have room for 16 people.

[Banco]

I'll be in Seattle until the 9th! (But I'll be eating at Lark and Dahlia Lounge )

[hillvalley]

Connave, on Jan 25 2006, 02:35 PM, said:

February 8 is a Wednesday.

Sorry, I'm posting while in a meeting

Yes, it is Wednesday, February 8th. Don will change the thread title.

[RaisaB]

So what is meant by multi-course? SHould I stop eating the weekend prior?

[bookluvingbabe]

I'll be sitting this one out--I'll be in Los Angeles. Not that $300 was in the budget right now...

Sounds lovely though!

Jennifer

[hillvalley]

RaisaB, on Jan 25 2006, 02:47 PM, said:

So what is meant by multi-course? SHould I stop eating the weekend prior?

There will be 10 courses.

Stop eating now

[agm]

NotQuickDraw and I had decided on dinner at Maestro in lieu of Christmas gifts this year, and hadn't gotten around to scheduling it. I'm glad we procrastinated (well, if we get in).

[MelGold]

My personal trainer & my accountant forbid me from attending. Sounds like it will be an amazing experience - we want copious notes (and pictures) from the lucky ones who attend of course!

[DonRocks]

Some background information about this dinner:

I've been discussing this with Fabio and Emanuele Fissore (Maestro's great Maitre d') for awhile now. We talked about what type of dinner it should be, and I thought it would be best for Maestro to show the full force of its considerable culinary genius: a no-holds barred going-to-the-electric-chair experience, with great (but not exorbitant) wine pairings with each course. What Maestro has come up with has met, and then surpassed, every expectation I could have had. Nine courses, each with its own wine - the menu reads like a Michelin 3-star degustation, and that's precisely the level of quality it's going to be.

$300 sounds like a lot of money. And, in fact, it is. It's a ton of money. But it includes everything - dinner, wine, tax, and gratuity - and this meal is going to be worth every penny.

We discussed whether it would be possible to get enough people to close off the entire restaurant, and I decided that at this price point, we don't have enough membership to do it this year, so it's going to be limited to sixteen people only, in a separate, private room. Maybe next year we'll do a more modest dinner and try to get enough people to reserve the entire restaurant.

From everything I've seen, this is going to be a very, very rare chance to experience one of the best dining experiences this world has to offer. No food allergies allowed, and wine pairings with every meal. Transportation home by limousine, taxi, or ambulance, your choice.

Cheers,
Rocks

P.S. There will be two more big events coming up - one at the end of this month, and one in mid-March - that will be much less painful on the pocketbook. I'm also going to make an effort to try and organize more events for you guys under $50 so normal people (like me) can afford to attend. And certainly, if anyone (chefs?) has any suggestions for these, please email me or HillValley.

P.P.S. I hope this goes without saying, but I'll remind everyone that there is zero money in this for the website - every penny is going to the restaurant. No kickbacks, no nuthin. Enjoy.

[jm chen]

This sounds impressive and amazing. I look forward to exhaustive photo documentation. And a huge thanks to the Maestro team, even from those of us who aren't attending, for the effort they have expended and will expend on behalf of our humble bunch.

[brr]

DonRocks, on Jan 25 2006, 03:59 PM, said:

Some background information about this dinner:
Nine courses, each with its own wine - the menu reads like a Michelin 3-star degustation, and that's precisely the level of quality it's going to be.

will there be any additional detail on whats exactly on the menu?

[Sthitch]

brr, on Jan 25 2006, 03:16 PM, said:

will there be any additional detail on whats exactly on the menu?

Will there be any duck testicles?

If chosen, I will make certain to get my pants taken out before hand.

[hillvalley]

brr, on Jan 25 2006, 03:16 PM, said:

will there be any additional detail on whats exactly on the menu?

For a variety of reasons the menu is usually kept secret until you arrive for dinner. If you havev any dietary concerns or questions Pm me and I will let you know if it will be a problem. It is a stunning menu that will not scare the timid eater.

More on the next three events. I will announce the next event tomorrow afternoon. There are still a few minor details to be worked out on the cooking class at Gerard's but I will post the information as soon as I can. Finally, we will have another dinner in the middle of March. Information about that dinner will be posted in a week or two. These dinners will all be close to the $100 range. As Rocks said above, I would love to schedule a more affordable dinners (so I can attend ). If you have any ideas or connections please please please let me know.

[hillvalley]

I received this question a couple of times so I just want to clear up the points made above about the wine pairing.

The wine pairing is not optional. It is part of the price of the dinner. Of course you may choose not to imbibe but unfortunately we will not be able to lower the cost of the dinner.

[DanielK]

Craptacular - I'm on a business trip that week.

agm and NotQuickDraw - you guys better take pictures!

[agm]

DanielK, on Jan 25 2006, 06:18 PM, said:

Craptacular - I'm on a business trip that week. 

agm and NotQuickDraw - you guys better take pictures!

We will (assuming we get in), unless we need to sell the cameras to pay for the meal.

[mdt]

This sounds great! This would be a heck of a way to get an introduction to Maestro. Must check my schedule...

[Scott Johnston]

Sorry I am out of town that day, otherwise I would try to join you!

[hillvalley]

I will accept "reservations" until noon tomorrow. There are still spaces available if you would like to join us. Please let me know through PM. Thanks

[lackadaisi]

I am so jealous. Unfortunately, I will likely be out of town that evening (and just about every other evening this month).

[Walrus]

No can do -- but enjoy!

[hillvalley]

We have a number of people who have decided to jump in and attend their first dr.com event so I thought I would post about how these things work.

I will collect names until noon tomorrow. Usually there is a longer period of time to let me know you are interested but because this one is happening soon I am only doing two days.

We are already over 16 so unless people drop out I will use the lottery system again. Each person will be assigned a number based on the sequence that I received the PM's. (This is why I need you to PM me and not email me. It's easier to assign the numbers this way.) From there we will use software designed by Shogun (who hasn't signed up and therefore can't create a program in his favor ) that will generate the numbers in a random order. I will go down the list until I hit 16 people. The waiting list will be a continuation of that list.

There have been a number of long, emotional threads about the most fair way to choose who gets to go. This is what we have come up with so far. It worked last time so we are sticking with it. We do not ask people to sit out events if they went to the previous one. This decision is up to you. Don and my goal is to be as fair as possible. The lottery system appears to achieve this.

So send me your names via PM until noon tomorrow if you would like to participate in this gastronomic splurge. All I need right now is to know your real name and if you would like one or two spots.

I apologize for not announcing the new event today. A number of different events that are out of my control collided and I had to actually deal with work all day. It will go up tomorrow. Stay tuned.


ps sorry if this post is confusing and cranky. it has been a very long, hard day.
love, your worn out calendar diva

[Giancarlo Buonarotti]

[Thanks very much for the time you have put into this and all of your other scheduling diva activities! It is appreciated.
CV

[hillvalley]

You're welcome Thanks for the kind words.

Below is the list of those attending. I did not include whether or not you are bringing a +1 so don't worry that it's not there. (That's a different column on my spread sheet )

sthitch
Raisab
NotQuickDraw/agm
Camille-Beau
ScotteeM
Giancarlo Buonarotti
MODWOP
DCJono
Vandyhoo

[ScotteeM]

Yippee! Yippee!

I was going to make a bunch of campaign promises to bolster my chances, like, if selected I would promise to be a cheerful dinner companion; I would promise to clean all of my plates, and I would promise to hold to Italian tradition and kiss Emanuelle twice . . . but I'll do those things anyway.

Anyone else on the list want to share a cab to or from the Burke/Annandale area with my +1 and me?

[Joe H]

Isn't Don going to come to this?

[mdt]

Joe H, on Jan 30 2006, 07:56 PM, said:

Isn't Don going to come to this?

Don show up at an event? Surely you jest!

[Joe H]

Sometimes, an event like this offers an experience that is not available to the general public. There is not the alternative to go another evening and expect the same. Rather, a chef (Fabio, Roberto...) will go all out because they enjoy, they live to cook for this kind of an audience. It is a very real loss when one who lives to eat or drink is not able to share in what they present. Two of the best meals of my life have been at their restaurants but neither was available to the general public-no matter how over the top that public thought their own experiences were on other nights. This kind of a dinner is an event, a landmark in one's life. There is also an excitement, an electricity if you will, in the room. A very real sense of anticipation with what the next dish will bring heightened by the enthusiasm of the "believers" who share the chefs' table. Exercises in excess at Maestro and Laboratorio are extremely rare just as it is not everyday that a new Star Wars movie debuts. For the reason that there is one theatre to see Star Wars in, the Uptown, with the legions of fans who live for the next chapter and celebrate every moment when it is finally presented; there is one group to experience a restaurant like Maestro with. And that is at a dinner like this. Especially when it is organized in his name.

He should be at the head of the table.

This post has been edited by Joe H: 30 January 2006 - 08:49 PM

[ScotteeM]

Joe H, on Jan 30 2006, 08:31 PM, said:

He should be at the head of the table.

I couldn't agree more with everything Joe said! I would love to see Don there!

[RaisaB]

Joe H, on Jan 30 2006, 08:31 PM, said:

Sometimes, an event like this offers an experience that is not available to the general public.  There is not the alternative to go another evening and expect the same.  Rather, a chef (Fabio, Roberto...) will go all out because they enjoy, they live to cook for this kind of an audience.  It is a very real loss when one who lives to eat or drink is not able to share in what they present.  Two of the best meals of my life have been at their restaurants but neither was available to the general public-no matter how over the top that public thought their own experiences were on other nights.  This kind of a dinner is an event, a landmark in one's life.  There is also an excitement, an electricity if you will, in the room.  A very real sense of anticipation with what the next dish will bring heightened by the enthusiasm of the "believers" who share the chefs' table.  Exercises in excess at Maestro and Laboratorio are extremely rare just as it is not everyday that a new Star Wars movie debuts.  For the reason that there is one theatre to see Star Wars in, the Uptown, with the legions of fans who live for the next chapter and celebrate every moment when it is finally presented; there is one group to experience a restaurant like Maestro with.  And that is at a dinner like this.  Especially when it is organized in his name.

He should be at the head of the table.

Joe, I couldn't agree with you more! Don should certainly be at this dinner. He planned this one himself. It's a small group so interaction will be better. Why, I will even help defray his costs! There is no one person, I would love to see there more than Don Rockwell. What do you say Don?

[hillvalley]

How can Don show up if he doesn't exist?

I need the following people to email me at the address I provided in the PM your received:
Vandyhoo
sthitch
Camille-Beau
DCJono


Please do not send me your email by PM. Thanks!

[RaisaB]

hillvalley, on Jan 30 2006, 11:10 PM, said:

How can Don show up if he doesn't exist? 

I used to think he didn't exist. But lately, I don't know, maybe a certain je ne sais quoi, but I think there may be a possibility of his existance. An enigma for sure.

[ScotteeM]

hillvalley, on Jan 30 2006, 11:10 PM, said:

How can Don show up if he doesn't exist? 

Hee-yah right! And next you'll say the tooth fairy . . .

[hillvalley]

Thanks to those who are sending me your emails, but please make sure to include your screen name in the email so I know who it is from

[hillvalley]

I just sent out the PayPal email to everyone except the one member who (or is it whom? I have no idea) I PM'd with this morning.

Please take care of it when you get a moment. Deadline is Friday at 6:00pm.

Thanks

[hillvalley]

I have never had so many people take care of Paypal so quickly.
You have no idea how much this reduces my stress level over the next 7 days.
Thank you.

[Meaghan]

hillvalley, on Jan 30 2006, 11:10 PM, said:

How can Don show up if he doesn't exist?  !

Rockavirus. Don can't make it to Maestro because his host won't be there.

[hillvalley]

The next person who PM's me to ask what time dinner is without reading the thread title first has to give me their spot and they don't get a refund

[Giancarlo Buonarotti]

hillvalley, on Feb 5 2006, 05:27 PM, said:

The next person who PM's me to ask what time dinner is without reading the thread title first has to give me their spot and they don't get a refund

I am looking forward to meeting everyone at this, my first DR event. I am also looking forward to dining at Maestro for the first time. I have signed up for several of Fabio's cooking classes both there and at the Casa D'Italia and have 3 up coming dinner reservations at Maestro in the next 2 months. See you this evening.

[ScotteeM]

Giancarlo Buonarotti, on Feb 8 2006, 06:16 AM, said:

I am looking forward to meeting everyone at this, my first DR event.  I am also looking forward to dining at Maestro for the first time.  I have signed up for several of Fabio's cooking classes both there and at the Casa D'Italia and have 3 up coming dinner reservations at Maestro in the next 2 months.  See you this evening.

Guess I'm an "old-timer," as this is my fourth DR event, but I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

I'm signed up for the Saturday classes at Maestro also, and they start this Saturday. I've never taken a cooking class before, so I don't know quite what to expect, but I'm looking forward to it very much.

[hillvalley]

The proposed menu they are just starting to traverse their way through:

Quote

Amuse Bouche
Flat Parsley Shot, Ahi Tuna, Razor Clams
Maestro Bellini “Cocktail”

La Mozzarella
Buffalo Mozzarella, Osetra Caviar
Riesling Cuvee 2003, Theo Weinback

I Ravioli
Maine Lobster Ravioli, Ginger, Bisque
Sauvignon Blanc 2003, Ronco delle Mele, Venica, Friuli

Il Foie Gras
Artisan Foie Gras, Torcolato Sorbet
Torcolato Maculin 2002, Veneto

Il Risotto
Risotto, Winter Black Truffle, Nantucket Bay Scallops
Chassagne Montrachet “ Virondot” 2002, Marc Morey

Il Branzino
Wild Striped Bass, Porcini - Three Ways
Merry Edward 2003, Pinot Noir, Sonoma

La Lingua e le Guance di Vitello
Veal Cheeks & Tongs Approach…
Brunello di Montalcino Sansetti 1999, Tuscany

Il Bue
Kobe, Olio Manni & Condimento 100 Years Old
Sforzato di Valtellina 2001, Ronco del Picchio

Il Formaggi
Gorgonzola, Cotognata, Amarone
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2000, Nicolis

Il Dolce
Caramel, Pears, Amaretto
MG Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1993, Reims

[Free Wilma]

I'm offically wiping the drool off my keyboard. I can't wait to hear about the experience. I hope someone bring a camera!

[RaisaB]

Darn Tasty....Darn Tasty

[ScotteeM]

mmmmm . . . . darn tasty!

[agm]

Darn tasty indeed.

Pictures to follow, if I can get something decent out of NotQuickDraw's phone.

[Sthitch]

Nah, it sucked. Really, it did. Well if by sucking I mean that people were licking their plates and asking for seconds. My absolute favorite was the Risotto, followed by the lobster, and the tongue and cheeks. More about all of these when I am sober.

[agm]

Sthitch, on Feb 9 2006, 01:17 AM, said:

More about all of these when I am sober.

That may take a while. I think I remember at least eight glasses on the table and two brought separately. I hope that's right, because I certainly won't remember in the morning.

[Camille-Beau]

Darn Tasty

[RaisaB]

agm, on Feb 9 2006, 12:41 AM, said:

That may take a while. I think I remember at least eight glasses on the table and two brought separately. I hope that's right, because I certainly won't remember in the morning.

Darn Tasty

[ScotteeM]

It was so nice to put some more faces with names, and to renew acquaintances from previous DR.com events.

At about the seventh course, I finally realized where I had seen Beau before--it was driving me nuts till then! (And it had nothing to do with DR.com)

Mr. S and I are usually pretty solitary folks, but we enjoyed this evening, being surrounded by 14 fabulous dinner companions. We laughed. We cried. We poked one another with forks to prevent food-induced coma. We swapped stories about our pets and our refrigerators. It was . . . well, you had to be there!

Darn tasty!