An exquisite addition to the already rich Zagreb gastro scene is the Champagne Gala Dinner, who this year is hosted by French Michelin star chef, Lionel Levy. The event will take place on November 3 at Zinfandel in the Esplanade Hotel.
Buro 247 reports that at the gala dinner, culinary chef Levy will join together with Zinfandel chef Ana Grgić, first lady of the Esplanade. A delicious feast of delicacies will be accompanied by selected selection of top champagnes Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon. For the main sequence, the guests will be served a unique French wine from the winery Prince Henrik of Denmark, who was at the Esplanade two years ago with Queen Margrethe II during their official visit to Croatia.
The carefully designed menu will include five-courses of innovative and attractive French tastes like gravlax of sea bass with star anise and a salad of fennel and lemon, milkshake bouille-abaisse, frozen soups of garlic, and delicious beef cheeks with the spice Raz el Hanout in humus. All of that will be rounded off with an attractive French lemon tart with a lime and basil sorbet.
"The Champagne Gala Dinner with celebrity foreign chefs and Michelin stars already has years of tradition at the Esplanade. This is truly a unique opportunity for the citizens of Zagreb and all lovers of Champagne houses Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon, to enjoy in the elegant atmosphere of Zinfandel and indulge in the true enjoyment of imaginative sequences by top chefs Ana Grgić and Lionel Levy. This gourmet event is the result of a beautiful collaboration with the French Institute, the Festival Flavours of the Mediterranean!, the company AGS, and Miva gallery whom I thank for their support,” said the General Manager of the hotel, Ivica Max Krizmanić.
Image by The Provence Herald FR
Lionel Levy is the chef of the famous restaurant Alcyone within the InterContinental Hotel in Marseille, France. Levy is known as a pioneer of the new Mediterranean cuisine, a craft he learned from internationally recognized chefs like Eric and Alain Ducasse Fréchona. After moving to Marseille in 1999, the city became his new home where he gained mastery of the local cuisine, which led him to become the holder of a Michelin star since 2005. Inventiveness, curiosity and constant desire to discover new recipes best describes this chef. His menus are local cuisine composed of the best selection of freshly caught fish from the Vieux-Port, the best breeders of meat and locally grown vegetables from farmers who take pride in what they do. At the hotel InterContinental Marseille - Hotel Dieu, Lionel Levy oversees all culinary operations including the bar and two completely different restaurants. Lionel has already visited Croatia this summer for the festival “Tastes of the Mediterranean!” in Šibenik and participated in the presentation of French cuisine.
Ana Grgić, chef of the prestigious Esplanade Zagreb hotel, has had the opportunity to work with a number of well-known chefs from around the world. Last year's champagne dinner was hosted by French chef Xavier Mathieu, and the year before was hosted by the main chef of the prestigious champagne house Moet & Chandon, Pascal Tingauda.
"After a very successful hosting by famous French chefs, I am happy to move forward to the next evening where the champagne gala will be hosted by chef Lionel Levy. I have heard many beautiful things about him, and we have already been in touch when creating the menu and champagne pairing. I believe that for all the guests and those who love fine French food and fine droplets, this will be a special evening and a wonderful introduction to the upcoming holidays,” said Ana, who was recently nominated for the prestigious Veuve Clicquot Business Woman award.
In the framework of Levy’s visit to Zagreb, with the support of the French Institute in Croatia, the established French chef will hold an educational culinary workshop for students enrolled in Hospitality and Tourism courses in Novi Zagreb. The result of projects such as this is the exceptional cooperation between Croatia and France achieved through Festival Rendez-vous, as well as many other cultural and gastronomic events that take place in Croatia that open the door for new projects between the two countries.
For the menu and more information, click here.
