Palermo is many things: the capital of Sicily, a trendy neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, and an Argentinian restaurant in Little Bourke Street where tradition gets a contemporary twist. At the latter, the Palermo to Palermo dinner on Wednesday August 28 will explore in five delicious courses how Sicilian immigration of the 19th and 20th centuries influenced Argentine cuisine. The uniquely themed dinner is $99 per person and includes a cocktail on arrival.
Head chef Mikey Dalton’s menu for the night incorporates traditional Sicilian dishes like arancini and caponata, while making judicious use of the kitchen’s parrilla grill and asado fire pit. Yes, there will be pasta, but the main course of Black Foot pig cooked a la cruz (slow cooked on a cross over a smoky fire pit) is as Argentine as it gets.
Still, there’s a Sicilian thread woven into every dish on the menu: leeks braised in Marsala wine; the traditional torta setteveli, a seven-layer chocolate hazelnut cake; even the Amaro blood orange liqueur in the welcome cocktail. (Additional Italian wines curated by Enoteca Sileno will be available for purchase throughout the meal, featuring Sicilian varietals such as Nero D’Avola and Bianco Maggiore.) The food will be complemented by stories and personal anecdotes about particular dishes, some which have been passed down from relatives back home.
Tickets for this culinary journey from the old world to the new are available now. Book online, by emailing info@palermo.melbourne or calling 03 9002 1600.