Letter from the Chairman

Tony May

Greetings and welcome to spring! We have quite a bit to report to you all in this issue and much on the horizon for Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani. You will get a taste of our member trip to Puglia last month, which was an absolutely wonderful time. I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the many people from Puglia who went out of their way to make sure we had a unique, once in a lifetime experience.

On a more somber note, on behalf of our organization I would like to express our condolences to all of those affected by the tragic earthquake that struck l'Acquila this month. We are urging our members to aid in the efforts over in Abbruzzo during the next several months. There is further information in this newsletter.

I am proud to say that we have a vibrant and active GRI community in 2009. We all appreciate the efforts that you put in to make this a successful organization. With all of your participation, we are better able fulfill the educational mission that is the core of Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani. I look forward to seeing and hearing from each one of you in the near future.

Italian Cuisine Forever,

Tony May

GRI Annual Member Trip to Italy

The week that GRI spent in Puglia proved to be very energetic, fun, educational and delicious! The region offered up wonderful hospitality and was extremely accommodating. The food was delicious, service impeccable, tours educational and eye opening, and the sites were truly breathtaking.

There were so many different culinary and cultural experiences that for most people it was difficult to single one out as the best. One of the most interesting and enjoyed highlights among the group turned out to be the authentic fishing excursion that was led by noted food aficionado and historian Tonino Ruggero, a native of the region. Lunch was prepared on the boat proving it to be a very unique experience.

You will notice that the photos in this issue were taken by members and journalists that on the trip. While it will give you a better idea of the trip, it certainly doesn't replace the authentic experience had by all in the group.

On the culinary scene they witnessed everything from a dry pasta production factory to demonstration and tasting of burrata (type of mozzarella). The group was served Easter lamb prepared with almonds, mmm, and served lunch at an Antinori wine estate in the Alta Murgia area. Every stop was savory and not one of them disappointing.

From a cultural perspective we were able to see various things from multiple different centuries and eras. The GRI contingent went to Polignano a Mare, the ancient Greek city built on the rock in the sea and to Federico II's Castel del Monte. GRI was present for a press conference organized by local authories in Lecce at the beautiful Palazzo dei Celestini, which proved to be a very unique and exciting experience. The group toured Manduria, a medieval city around Salento, Ostuni (the "White City), known for its traditional white architecture, ceramic, linens and more, and Oltranto for a guided tour of the "city of castles" just to name a few!

GRI is extremely grateful to all of its hosts in Puglia that made the experience full of lifelong memories and exciting stories to come home and tell. There is so much to experience in Puglia as it is unique to the rest of Italy in its own right. If you ever have the chance to go, GRI strongly encourages you to do so.

Earthquake Relief

In light of the recent tragedy that took place in Italy, Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani (GRI) is encouraging all of our affiliates to assist with the earthquake relief in Abruzzo. Our hearts go out to all of those affected by this terrible event.

There are various ways to do this such as special promotions inside your restaurants to raise funds for this worthy and necessary cause. A wine by the glass promotion (maybe an Abruzzese wine) or a special Abruzzese dish promotion could help raise much needed funds.

Please communicate to us any promotions of this sort that you are doing. This will help us in our outreach to the press and give them a better idea of how GRI is making a contribution as a unique entity, while recognizing your establishment's efforts at the same time in your local press.

As a group we have identified two reputable associations that are accepting donations to assist the displaced citizens of L'Acquila.

Donations can be made directly to the two selected charities specified below. We thank you in advance for your help and please contact the GRI office with any questions.

I) Italian Hospital Society

URGENT APPEAL TO AID ITALIAN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
FROM: Domenico Mignone, MD

The Italian Hospital Society is accepting funds to aid the thousands of victims of the earthquake in Italy. Donations for Earth Quake Relief Fund can be sent to:

The Italian Hospital Society
955 Yonkers Avenue, Suite 11
Yonkers, NY 10704

The Italian Hospital Society is a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation established in 1937. Donations are tax deductible as permitted by law.

CONTACT: Kathleen Gallagher, executive assistant, IHS, Tel. 914-776-2778

II) Red Cross International Response Fund

To help victims of the recent earthquake in Italy, make a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.

The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, please do so at the time of your donation by mailing your donation with the designation to:

The American Red Cross
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, D.C. 20013

You can also donate to your local American Red Cross chapter.

Donations to the International Response Fund can be made by phone at 1-800 REDCROSS or online at www.redcross.org.

Thank you for your attention and considering to donate to this worthy cause.

GRI Proud to Announce Giacomo Bologna Scholarship Recipients

Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani (GRI) is pleased to announce the winners of their annual GRI Giacomo Bologna Scholarship award. The scholarship is awarded in collaboration with the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation (NRAEF) and sends deserving culinary students from across America to study and learn for one week in Italy. This year the students will travel to Tuscany where they will be hosted by Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, one of the oldest winemaking families in Italy with a 700 year old history.

Education has always been at the core of GRI's mission for the last 30 years. Rather than throw money blindly at a standard scholarship GRI provides these students with a learning experience that will stay with them for their entire culinary careers. The trip is scheduled for May 25 – June 1, 2009 and will include visits to key Marchesi de' Frescobaldi properties such as Castelgiocondo and Ornellaia, cooking demonstrations with local chefs, visits to producers of regional specialties complemented by sightseeing and cultural points of interest in Florence. Marchesi de' Frescobaldi is thrilled to work with Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani (GRI) to provide these students the opportunity to learn first-hand from successful winemakers, chefs and industry professionals throughout the region of Tuscany.

To apply for the Giacomo Bologna Scholarship, students must have at least two years of culinary experience and/or viticulture training, working directly with a chef in the preparation of food or with a sommelier. Applicants must also be full-time students in an accredited college or culinary institute. The students who earned the GRI Giacomo Bologna Scholarship are:

• Anthony Solofra, The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York
• Ana Machado, Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida
• Rebecca VanDolzer, University of Houston - Conrad N. Hilton College, Houston, Texas
• Alissa Galiano, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island
• Lauren Rose, Western Culinary Institute, Le Cordon Bleu Program, Portland, Oregon
• Spencer Frye, Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC
• Martin Sheehan-Stross, San Diego State University, San Diego, California

Buon Appetito Ristorante Embodying GRI Mission

Mino Giliberti's Buon Appetito Ristorante of Westfield, MA epitomizes the GRI concept---the irresistible combination of real Italian dining while educating people about great, authentic Italian food. Every month on either a Monday or a Tuesday at his Buon Appetito Risotorante, Mino teaches a variety of classes from preparing authentic bruschetta to pasta and from fish dishes to very old, simple sauces like puttanesca. "To really cook authentically," you must have certain ingredients---fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, dry wine, fresh tomatoes, chicken and/or fish broth, and more," advises Giliberti. "But you also have to develop a sense of history and where the food comes from. This is where you develop a real appreciation for the cuisine."

Westfield seems to agree. They flock to his classes. At present, there is a waiting list of nearly 80 people. "The cooking classes really took off. I use to teach them at the Westfield State College, Holyoke Community College and at the restaurant, but found the demand too much. I could not be in every place all the time." Now comfortably in his restaurant, The Cooking Classes with Mino takes sixteen students per class on a 3-4 hour cooking journey. Every class is a 5-course meal, step-by-step, from preparation to plating and serving to discussing its history. Wine is never far from the table. "I was a wine consultant in New York for twenty years. I know a little bit about wine." On April 28, Buon Appetito Risotrante hosted an Italian dinner featuring a different wine with each course.

A native of Puglia, Mino Giliberti joined the recent GRI trip to that region this past March, in part to see his brother whom he had not seen in over thirty years, "I had an exceptional time on the tour, I would do it over again twenty times!" For more information on Mino Giliberti and Buon Appetito Risotrante, go to www.minobuonappetito.com.

GRI Member Contributes to St. Louis Business Journal

Increase the business-meal tax deduction
(As featured in the St. Louis Business Journal)
By: Vincent Bommarito

Economic relief...stimulus packages...such are the buzzwords of 2009.
One of the easiest ways to bring about some of this economic relief and to inject billions into the economy is by simply raising the business-meal deduction for businesses from the current 50 percent to 80 percent. This change alone would boost meal sales by $8 billion a year, creating a $26 billion increase in the overall economy. As difficult as times are, it is hard to imagine that we would not pass legislation that would stimulate spending and create jobs. This would support not only the restaurant industry, but business and entrepreneurs as well. The restaurant industry is the second largest private-sector employer, with more than 13.1 million employees nationwide and projected sales of $558 billion this year. As president Obama has recently said, "small businesses are the heart of the American economy. They are also at the heart of the American dream."

The business meal deduction is a tool used widely among business and entrepreneurs, as restaurants are a meeting place of choice. In 1986, the tax break dropped from 100 percent to 80 percent. As the national debt grew, so did the call for measures aimed at increasing the flow of taxes into the treasury. In 1993, the allowable deduction for business meals and entertainment was reduced from 80 percent to 50 percent.

Already, adequate safeguards exist against taxpayer abuses of this deduction:

• No deduction is permitted when the meal and entertainment expenses are considered lavish or extravagant under the circumstances.
• A deduction is not generally permitted if the taxpayer does not maintain adequate records and corroborative evidence.

This is truly a no-brainer. Let's see… stimulate the sluggish restaurant industry… allow business people to lower their expenses when they have face time over a meal...

There is no such thing as a free lunch, but an 80 percent business-meal deduction would sure help.

*Vincent Bommarito is the owner of Tony's Restaurant in St. Louis, MO (www.saucemagazine.com/tonys/)

Send us your recipes!

GRI urges you to send us your recipes to info@gruppo.com. We would love to feature them in the newsletter and on the website to share with fellow members and foodies alike!