Wednesday, May 3, 7:00 pm
Members $125, guests $155

It wasn’t too long ago that Italian fine dining was an oxymoron to Americans raised on pizza and red sauce. But in the 1980s, we started thinking beyond veal parmesan and taking our Italian food seriously. In Chicago, the restaurant that set the tone for this culinary revolution was Spiaggia. When it opened in 1984, chef Tony Mantuano swept aside old notions of Sunday night macaroni and gravy, creating a niche for fine Italian cuisine with his sophisticated takes on regional dishes.

Trained at Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy, Mantuano treated Spiaggia’s early diners to specialties like pumpkin ravioli, fish roasted in a wood-burning oven, and top-notch local Italian wines that were then unfamiliar to most Americans. His refined menu earned him a berth on Food & Wine’s 1986 list of Best New Chefs and critical acclaim.

Throughout the 1990s Mantuano spread his wings, returning to his family’s trattoria in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and opening the acclaimed Tuttaposto and Mantuano’s Mediterranean Table in Chicago. He couldn’t stay away from Spiaggia for long, however, and was back at his executive chef post in 2000. His return to the Spiaggia kitchen was greeted with glowing reviews. “The Windy City’s finest Italian restaurant, Spiaggia, is better than ever,” raved Bon Appétit. “Tony Mantuano continues Spiaggia’s four-star experience via his obsession with craftsmanship and passion for pure Italian cooking,” seconded the Chicago-Tribune. In 2005 Mantuano received the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: Midwest.

Mantuano’s visits to the Beard House are always a treat, but this trip will be extra special. During the reception portion of the dinner, Mantuano will be giving attendees a sneak preview of his new restaurant, Enoteca Spiaggia, which is slated to open in South Beach, Florida, in 2007. His guest of honor will be renowned designer Todd Oldham, who will be putting his stamp on the new eatery’s interior and much of its tableware. Renderings of the restaurant will be on display, Oldham’s plates will be showcased, and the passed hors d’oeuvre will feature items from the Enoteca Spiaggia menu.