Tony May’s San Domenico is an institution. There are new restaurants coming up proposing a different  Italian cuisine, following more modern and fresh approach, with a different design and probably sometimes more success in the short term, but San Domenico doesn’t look like it’s near to abdicate its role of main ambassador of Italian style and food culture.

Last night I witnessed that the San Domenico is still vital and and in good health. People started to arrive at 6 PM and continued witouth stopping until 10 PM. They did more than 150 people on a Monday evening. Sure, not comparable to the 270 people that they sat at the tables last Saturday, also because of the New York Marathon.

Helped by all the staff of the restaurant, with an extraordinary Piero Trotta, the sommelier of San Domenico,  pouring and talking about Maremma wines all night long, we served not less than 40 people with the Maremma menu, prepared by the skilfully hands of Francesco Bracali and his crew of three other brave sous chefs. The kitchen of San Domenico, guided by the young but extremely experienced Odette Fada, has welcomed them in the best way, so allowing them to perform at their best.

We have been talking with people that were literally enthusiast  of meeting the “taste makers”, i.e. vine growers and chefs, and taste the flavors of Tuscany’s more prominent up and coming wine and food area.

We left a midnight, with a very happy Tony May saying hello to us and saying that “we are always ready to help when the things are organized  with a quality approach in mind. And this one is.”

No pics right now, but we have some very interesting behind-the-scene ones that I’ll post as soon as I an.

Day 2. Le Cirque.