Letter from the Chairman

Greetings GRI:

It has been a long time since you have heard from us. We are excited to launch the first electronic GRI monthly newsletter. There will be 10 electronic issues published each year.

As we quickly approach the end of 2008 our industry has been faced with many obstacles this year that have had some type of impact on our businesses including everything from increased food prices due to rising energy costs and lower check averages and guest counts. The effects of a failing economy create a time of uncertainty and we all know that there are better days ahead but the question on everyone's mind is when. We believe that now more than ever we all must support each other, share ideas and keep moving forward. Learning to adapt and change is what we all do every day in our restaurants and the strength of our businesses.

Please join us at the annual Vino e Cucina on Monday, November 24th and support your colleagues and our mission to enhance and elevate the image of Italian Cuisine and Italian Products through education. We are very pleased to welcome Regione Sardegna with the support of Sassari Chamber of Commerce as our partner/sponsor for the event. The region will feature delectable products from a variety of Producers.

Each year, Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani (GRI) coordinates a trip to a different region of Italy to explore and learn more about the culture, the cuisine, the wine and the products that continue to evolve and have an impact on modern authentic Italian Cuisine.

This past April the group had an extremely fun and informative trip all throughout the beautiful southern Italian region of Sicily. A group of restaurateurs and journalists about 40 strong were able to experience Sicily in a unique and most interesting fashion.

GRI is pleased to announce that the 2009 trip will be to Puglia at the end of March. There will be more details and information in the coming months.

You can find all the detailed information on www.gruppo.com or by contacting the GRI Office at: 646-346-1757 or info@gruppo.com

Wishing you all the best with your endeavors!

Italian Cuisine Forever,

Tony May, Chairman

back to top

Corporate Members

GRI Welcomes New Members:

Bormioli Rocco, Pete Dukas, National Sales Director, Foodservice Division, Phone: 407-929-2501 Email: pdukas@BormiliRoccousa.com

The unquestioned leader in Italy in the market of glass products for the home and professional use, Bormioli Rocco is synonymous with quality, innovation and design. Its vast product range is capable of satisfying all the needs of the main operators, and is always a favorite with consumers.

Fantinel Wines, www.fantinel.com
USA sales distributed through: Domaine Select Wine Estates, LLC, 555 8th Avenue, Suite 2302, New York, NY 10018, 212-279-0799, info@domaineselect.com Mr. Paolo Domeneghetti

Founded in 1969 by noted Friulian restaurateur and hotelier Mario Fantinel, Fantinel is a family owned wine company committed to creating world-class expressions of classic Friulian varietals. Now in its third generation, led by Macro Fantinel, Fantinel is Friuli Venezia Giulia's largest privately held wine group, with nearly 750 acres located in the region's DOC and DOCG areas, producing wines utilizing grapes grown solely in Fantinel vineyards. Included in the group are their award winning Prosecco and Pinot Grigio. Marco Fantinel has announced the launch of the company's Celebrate Life campaign. The Celebrate Life campaign, which began in early 2008, donates $1.00 for each bottle of special edition Celebrate Life Merlot sold in the United States. "In Italy and, increasingly, around the world, enjoying wine is about sharing with family and friends," says Fantinel. "Celebrate Life Merlot was created as a means for sharing our family's good fortune as a wine producer with the world and encouraging generosity on a global scale. The Celebrate Life campaign was conceived by Fantinel, a Goodwill Ambassador to IIMSAM, to support the UN's Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM) in their fight to eradicate global malnutrition.

Regione Puglia, www.regione.puglia.it

Puglia is "the heel" of the boot of peninsular Italy. It is bordered by both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, giving it one of the longest coastlines of any region in Italy. Puglia is also one of the most fertile regions in all of Italy, on a par with the Po Valley. Olive trees, wheat, and vines, cover the territory of Puglia like a colorful patchwork. Most visitors to Italy are not familiar with this region, or the wonderful food and wines on offer. Brindisi is most famous for being where backpackers catch their ferries over to Greece. The "trulli" of Alberobello, Lecce (called the Florence of the south with its stunning historic architecture), the seaside village of Gallipoli and the Gargano peninsula, are some of the best "secrets" of the south. The region is a top olive oil producer and among the biggest Italian producers of tomatoes, salad, carrots, olives, eggplants, artichokes, almonds, and citrus fruit. Principal wine towns in Puglia include Lecce, Martina Franca, Manduria (a lot of "Primitivo" is produced in this wine town) and Salice Salentino. More than 60% of the production of wines in Puglia is red wine. Tourism during the summer provides a great resource to the region thanks to the beautiful beaches along the coast, and the many tourist villages and campsites.

back to top

Restaurant Members

The Board and members of Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani would like to welcome the following new members to GRI:

Filomena Ristorante, Owner: Joanna Filomena
1063 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington D.C. 20007, www.filomena.com, Phone: 202-338-8800

One of Washington D.C.'s premier restaurants for over 20 years located in the heart of historic Georgetown, Washington DC offers outstanding Italian cuisine and elegant atmosphere.

Bistro Don Giovanni, Owners: Donna and Giovanni Scala
4110 Howard Lane, Napa, CA 94558, www.bistrodongiovanni.com, Phone: 707-224-3300

From the traditional wood burning fireplace to the romantic outdoor terraces. The menu invites you to take in all the splendors of the Napa Valley with an Italian and Country French flavor, and an ambience to remember.

Anaheim White House, Owner: Bruno Serato
887 South Anaheim Boulevard, Anaheim, CA 92805, www.anaheimwhitehouse.com, Phone: 714-772-1381

Located in a lovely 1909 home and featuring eight different dining areas, the menu features fresh seafood and specialites influenced by proprietor Bruno Serato's frequent trips to his hometown of Verona, Italy.

back to top

Save the Date

2008 VINO & CUCINA

The Italian Cuisine & Wine Event of the Year

Monday, November 24, 2008
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway @ 36th Street, New York City

Each year, Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani (GRI), provides a memorable evening of exquisite Italian Cuisine, wine and culture. Join GRI on November 24, 2008 from 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM at Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway @ 36th Street in New York City for Vino e Cucina, the annual event with proceeds supporting the GRI - Giacomo Bologna Scholarship Fund. Taste delectable Italian Cuisine from acclaimed GRI member restaurants and superb wines from Italy's premier vintners, while helping to support the scholarship. We are thrilled this year to have as our partner/sponsor the region of Sardinia with the support of Sassari Chamber of Commerce who will feature delectable products including wines, pasta, cheeses, olive oils and traditional Sardinian specialties such as breads and confectionary.

Vino e Cucina will include a raffle highlighted by a drawing for a trip for two to Italy that includes airfare and accommodations at the amazing Tuscan Villa, Podere San Luigi, an idyllic and verdant oasis with no shortage of spaces to relax in, be it on a sunlounger around the large pool and gazing out at the rolling, vine-clad hillside stretching out into the distance, under the shady pergola by the pool fringed with flowering pots of geraniums or around one of the tables provided in the garden for al fresco dining and airfare.

In addition there will be additional offerings from restaurants, notable Italian companies and the Culinary Institute of America, featuring the student Gourmet Society and the president, Steven Bookbinder, a current student at the CIA who is also one of the 2008 recipients of the GRI-Giacomo Bologna Scholarship.

Advance tickets are $95.00. Tickets at the door are $125.00. For information and to purchase Tickets go to: www.gruppo.com or call the GRI office at: 646-346-1757.
Please Note: On the day of the event, tickets may only be purchased at the door. Tickets are non-refundable

back to top