Fourth Annual Stages Wine Dinner Held At Waterbury’s Palace Theater

Waterbury is home not only to the RestaurantsCT.com offices but to the magnificent Palace Theater.

On Thursday, June 3rd, the Fourth Annual Stages Wine Dinner was held at the historic institution. It was my first visit to this impressive community resource, so I took many pictures.

Posted on either side of the entrance were posters of events to come.

Inside was the box office (closed for this event),

and more posters.

I soon located my dining companion, Monica, who was also a first-time visitor to the theater.

Monica and I proceeded to the reception table, where I snapped the first of many photos of hard-working Development Director Natalie Lawlor (kneeling), who seemed to be everywhere.

Then we took stock of our extraordinary surroundings.

But boys will be boys. As guests began to trickle into the reception area, I decided to leave the guests behind, climb the marble stairs and explore.

My wanderings led me to a balcony which looked down upon the site of our evening meal, where these gentlemen were tending to the lighting.

The tables were set up for a lavish affair.

Natalie was giving last-minute instructions,

as was my boss, Bob DeZinno, co-owner of RestaurantsCT.com, and managing partner of DT Media restaurant consulting, and most recent President of the Connecticut Restaurant Association. Not to mention former owner of several Waterbury-area restaurants and former restaurant critic.

Back in the reception hall, I was able to take shots of the activity from above, which greatly increased as guests spilled in.

Then I descended the stairs to get closer to the action. There were numerous items available for auction,

which drew a great deal of attention.

Monica put in a silent bid for a child’s birthday package by Fun Factor in Middlebury and Brookfield.

At the end of the event, she learned her bid had won.

But my focus was on the people

and the food, including these phyllo cups filled with curried chicken salad, toasted almond and coconut

and these Stilton grapes with pistachio,

both of which were prepared by Joseph Jenkins of Jordan Caterers.

The remaining hors d’oeuvre were prepared by Bob Bourassa (right) and Bob Lavorgna of Bourassa Catering & Events

(like there weren’t already enough Bobs contributing to this event). They included these chilled gazpacho shooters,

these smoked duck and Cubanelle pepper quesadillas drizzled with cilantro cream,

and these scallops on the half shell with Thai cream and coconut crumbs.

And what would these treats be without wine?

I found my boss (the main Bob) with his lovely wife, Paula,

and I found this fellow gunslinger, Lou Belloisy,

who outdrew me.

At RestaurantsCT.com, we sometimes like to take you behind the scenes. I headed to the stage, where Bob was readying an impressive gathering of chefs and staff.

The chefs and staff were also fortifying themselves for the hard work ahead—with pizza!

As dazzled as I was by this assemblage of talent, I might have been even more dazzled by the theater itself.

I don’t carry a tripod or extra lights, so to do justice to this magnificent theater I tried to find a spot to steady my camera and shoot a long exposure with natural light.

Now it was time to join guests (and my comely dining companion) for the meal. It was pretty obvious that anticipation had reached a fever pitch!

I spied my fellow photographer stalking prey.

Small details spoke volumes about our environment, like the lights,

this floral display,

these wines displayed in this alcove,

and enough forks to be confusing.

A video feed to the main stage

allowed us to keep an eye on the chefs at work.

Monica and I got to meet the other couples at our table, including Litchfield County Times Editor Douglas P. Clement and his delightful wife

as well Matt Murphy, President of Do Vallé Wine Imports and Distribution, and his lovely fiancée, Allison Bailey.

But as pleased with our companions as we were, the next table over was definitely the fun table.

A parade of speakers and an avalanche of food and wine courses followed. Bank of America’s Sandra Vigliotti-Senich, the Palace Board Chair,

introduced the Master of Ceremonies, our own Bob DeZinno, who was engaging and witty (and did not pay me to say that).

Our first wine was a 2008 Murphy-Goode “The Fumé” Sauvignon Blanc, North Coast, California,

while our first course was a superb Konkan crab dish with which I was extremely familiar. It featured jumbo lump blue crab tempered with baby black mustard seeds, purple onion, Hawaiian ginger, a hint of coconut and curry leaves.

The brilliant mind behind this personal favorite was old friend Prasad Chirnomula,

who has outdone himself this year by adding three restaurants to his Thali empire, including opening a new Thali in Westport, taking over the Chao Chao space in Newtown and leasing one other prominent space in New Haven that I’ll reveal when it’s appropriate. Here’s Prasad posing with Monica.

A second wine—a 2009 Finca La Linda Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina—presaged our second course.

I actually dashed back to the stage (no rest for the wicked) to check out the preparation of the second course. Teamwork seemed to be the word of the day, as it became evident that chefs were pitching in on each course, rather than each doing his or her own thing.

It was a long trip to and from the stage, especially for the stalwart staff.

Called a “golden egg,” the second course showcased a Connecticut farm-raised egg in a brioche nest adorned with shaved truffle, microflowers and edible gold leaf, the whole creation surrounded by a beet and truffle syrup. Now that’s what I call gilding the lily!

Bob sang the praises of Polytechnic ON20 in Hartford’s talented chef Noel Jones, considered by many to be Connecticut’s finest chef.

Then Jones had the opportunity to address his dazzled audience,

before posing with the couple who had sponsored his course at the event.

Our third course began with a glass of 2008 Kenwood Reserve Chardonnay, Russian River, California

and ended with a sumptuous lobster crème brûlée by Jerry Reveron of the Woodward House in Bethlehem. This creation featured chunks of Maine lobster, fennel and Gruyère cheese, plus a touch of sweetness from its bruléed top.

Reveron accepted his compliments like a man,

and then said a few words

to his appreciative audience

before posing with his sponsor.

Our fourth course was heralded by a pouring of a 2008 Pieropan Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy.

It featured sous vide olive oil and preserved lemon poached halibut served over lemon-scented Israeli couscous, a dish that was dreamed up by Rick Kerzner of Emily’s Catering Group in Forestville.

The appropriate introductions and explanations followed.

At most wine dinners, the fifth course would be dessert and the fifth wine would be a dessert wine. Heck, at many wine dinners the fourth course is dessert. But at this pull-out-all-of-the-stops blowout, the fifth wine was a 2007 Trinchero Reserve Merlot, Chicken Ranch Vineyard, Napa, California

and the fifth course a duck tart with caramelized onion and Asiago cheese that was topped by a watercress salad in a truffle vinaigrette. The tart was created by Richard Morotto of BIN 300 in Wolcott.

Again, various credits and introductions followed.

Then Bob introduced Frank Tavera, the theater’s Executive Director, and Dr. Peter Jacoby, renowned St. Mary’s Hospital ER Director and part-time auctioneer.

We learned that Do Vallés’ Matt Murphy

was the supplier of a very special box of wine, a full case of 2006 Alexana Revana Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, each bottle of which turned out to have been signed by all of the evening’s chefs.

However, my companion and I were focused on drinking that wine, which was being served with our sixth course.

And what a course that was! Nicola Mancini of La Tavola in Waterbury produced a Kurobuta pork duo with farm-raised pork tenderloin and Keed’s Farm yellow chard as well as braised baby suckling pig with pan-seared Roman gnocchi.

Bob introduced Nicola

to the highly appreciative crowd. Nicola and Bob were old friends.

As a young(er) man, Nicola worked for Bob in one of his restaurants. Nicola addressed the audience,

then posed for the cameras with his sponsors.

Our seventh, and final, course was announced by the pouring of a nice Terra D’Oro Zinfandel Port, Amador County, California.

Dessert came courtesy of Annie Gallardo,

pastry chef of Carole Peck’s Good News Café in Woodbury. The dessert was a lavender panna cotta topped with a blueberry and rhubarb compote and garnished with a praline crisp.

Bob introduced Annie,

whom you see posing with the sponsors of her course.

I want to be sure to include a few photographs of the staff, who were the unsung heroes of the event.

I close with photographs of Natalie, who finally stepped into the spotlight at the end,

and the various chefs, whose praises were sung throughout the extraordinary evening.