Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1002743
The New England Eatery: Prezza, Boston, MA The Challenge: Pair Ricotta and Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli with Sassoregale Sangiovese Maremma Toscana DOC Prezza Chef/owner Anthony Caturano with Managing Partner/Wine and Beverage Manager David Petrilli at the restaurant in Boston, MA. This one's all classic: Ricotta and smoked mozzarella ravioli are a dream with Sassoregale Sangiovese Maremma Toscana DOC. s u m m e r 2 0 1 8 | 5 1 Of course, we had to have an American take on a classic Italian dish for this challenge, so we headed to Prezza in Boston, to see how this team would rise to the task Managing Partner/Wine and Beverage Manager David Petrilli has worked hand-in-glove at Boston's Prezza with Chef/Owner Anthony Caturano for more than 18 years. "Anthony opened Prezza at age 25, and the restaurant is in the style of his grandmother's peasant-style Italian cuisine, with more sophisticated flair," Petrilli says. "The pasta is handmade, the meats are grilled, and all the ingredients are abso- lutely fresh." Petrilli himself is no amateur: He brings 45 years of experience—in every aspect of the restaurant business—to the table, including over 35 years running wine programs almost entirely in Italian restaurants. A wine like the Sassoregale Sangiovese, says Petrilli, "is a natu- ral fit with Chef Anthony's traditional peasant cooking. The wine is bright in color with medium tannins and acidity. It has aromatics and flavors of ripe red cherries and dark berries, as well as the hints of spice and earth. "When Chef and I talked about the ideal dish for the Sangiovese, at first we thought grilled meat. But then we thought the smokiness of the smoked mozzarella in the ravioli could highlight the wine in the same way. The ravioli is also filled with roasted mushrooms, braised veal breast, tomato, and veal stock. The earthiness of the mushrooms brings out the earthiness in the wine, and the acidity of the tomato and richness of the veal stock with braised meat complement the clas- sic spice and deep cherry flavors of the wine." ■cr