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All the King's News
by Carmela Strazzera |
Hello family! Welcome to the Winter Edition of the King Umberto Newsletter!
Babies always make the holidays so much more fun! TRISTAN ANTHONY FISHER (9lbs, 12oz) was born to proud parents LISA GRIPPO & MICHAEL FISHER on July 30th, 2007. SARAH & ANTHONY SEDITA were filled with joy to announce the arrival of their daughter MICHAELA MARIE (8lbs, 1oz) on August 15th, 2007. September 22nd, 2007 marked the day of CAITLIN ROSE'S (8lbs) debut to her excited parents VANESSA & MICHAEL BARRY. September 25th will be an annual celebration for the BOYLE family, since that was the day JACKSON EMILIO (8lbs, 8oz) was born. PARKER JAMES KOZLOWSKI (7lbs, 13oz) made his way into his parents’ lives, LUANN & CHRISTOPHER, on September 28th, 2007. Uncle BOBBY GERACE was filled with happiness to announce the arrival of his nephew LUCAS JOHN BANUSHI (7lbs, 14oz) on November 15th, 2007 to proud parents ANNMARIE & JOHN. Congratulations to all on your new bundle of joy!
Engagements are always exciting! Punta Cana was the destination RICHARD MINORI, JR. had in mind when he decided to ask JENNIFER PIAZZA to be his wife on August 8th, 2007. CHERYL GREEN and ADAM STERN were engaged on October 12th, 2007. JONATHAN ZAREK popped the question to MELISSA BALCHI on October 31st, 2007. Good luck with the wedding plans!
Do you know what the following weddings have in common? They all started their celebration with a rehearsal dinner at King Umberto! PETER TILETNICK and MICHELLE CARRERA exchanged wedding vows on August 11th, 2007. October 13th, 2007 was the day JAMES F. WHALEM took CHRISTINE A. CARLIN to be his lawfully wedded wife. On October 27th, 2007 JULIA JONGEBLOED and KEVIN LAMONICA said "I do". Maya Riviera was their honeymoon destination. My cousin MARIA FUSCHETTO married her best friend and the love of her life, MICHAEL PULLIZA, on November 4th, 2007. I had the honor to be a part of her special day! They honeymooned in Costa Rica! Best wishes to all!
The PONTICELLI FAMILY celebrated KRISTEN'S confirmation on October 7th, 2007. JACLYN MOIRANO received the sacrament of confirmation on November 19th, 2007. RICHIE BALSAN and TIMMY BUGGE celebrated their promotion within the police department on October 17th, 2007.
We want to extend our warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season and a prosperous new year. See you in 2008!
Contents Copyright 2007, King Umberto Inc.
The Spottswoode Estate Vineyard is an ideal area for growing wine grapes. They are planted primarily in sections of Cabernet Sauvignon, with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sauvignon Musque. They are renowned for their exceptional estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. Our featured wine is their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.
This 46-acre estate was established in 1882 by George Schonewald whose historic Victorian home is depicted on the label. Mrs. Albert Spotts owned the property from 1910 until its purchase in 1972 by Mary Weber Novak and her late husband Dr. Jack Novak. Spottswoode's debut Cabernet Sauvignon was produced in 1982, exactly one hundred years after the estate's founding.
Spottswoode Vineyard is situated along the western edge of St. Helena on the apex of the Sulphur Creek fan; the sandy clay loam provides superb drainage. The gap between the Mayacamas Ridge and Spring Mountain admits cooling maritime breezes that temper the sun's warmth, creating an exceptional microclimate for wine growing.
Spottswoode is a family-owned estate vineyard and winery. They were among the first wineries to introduce organic farming in Napa Valley in 1985. They have been certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers since 1990.
This vineyard consists of two historic buildings: a Victorian farmhouse which serves as their office, and a pre-prohibition stone cellar where they barrel-age their Cabernet Sauvignon. They have also added a winery built to blend seamlessly with the historic structures and carefully designed to help the winemakers optimize the quality of each block of the vineyard. The attention given to each vineyard block is also applied to the crafting of their wines, which contributes to their quality, consistency, and individuality.
Mother Nature provided many crossroads in the vineyard for this 2004 vintage - at every juncture there was a choice to be made. With the rain ending early and warm temperatures coaxing vine development, the vineyard blocks displayed tremendous individual variation, resulting in separate harvesting of morning-facing rows and afternoon-facing rows. This meticulous attention allowed for maximum quality although the limited yields resulted in their smallest production in twenty years.
The 2004 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon sports a very expressive cloak of dark cherries, blackberries, and plum fruits, its nose hints of licorice, lavender and cedar opening to fresh and inviting flavors-vanilla, malt, cinnamon, and nutmeg integrate with balanced complexity-capped off by tannins that are friendly and congenial. This wine is best served with beef, lamb, pork, duck, game meats, and cheeses.
Cabernet Sauvignon, like all noble wine grape varieties, is of the species Vitis Vinifera, and genetic studies in 1997 indicated it is the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.
FUN FACTS
- One barrel of wine equals roughly 20 cases, which equals 120 glasses.
- A ton of grapes makes about 720 bottles of wine or 60 cases.
- One vine annually produces between 4 and 6 bottles of wine or between 20 and 30 glasses.
- Each bottle of wine contains about 2.8 pounds of grapes; therefore each 5 ounce glass of wine contains a little over half a pound of grapes.
- There are between 15 and 45 clusters of grapes per vine.
- One acre of land is home to between 900 and 1300 vines.
The best pork has very fine texture and firm flesh. Very young pork will have almost white flesh and, as it grows older, its flesh becomes progressively pinker. Pork must be cooked until the internal meat temperature reads 150 degrees on a meat thermometer. Some roasts are long and thin, and others are short and fat. Consequently the cooking times will vary depending on the shape of your roast. A meat thermometer is the best way to judge the right amount of cooking time.
Broccoli rabe, pronounced broccoli rob, has come a long way. Although it was not a common vegetable in the American markets, lately it's becoming a favorite.
Roast Pork with Broccoli Rabe
(Serves 4)
3 lb rib or loin pork roast
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried
1 teaspoon powdered sage
¼ teaspoon powdered thyme
¼ teaspoon powdered bay leaf
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup white wine
1 cup of brown stock or cube
Broccoli Rabe
1 ½ lb broccoli rabe
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 oz olive oil
pinch of hot pepper flakes
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
To prepare the Broccoli Rabe: Wash broccoli rabe and remove stems. Cook it in a generous quantity of lightly salted water for about five minutes or until tender and drain it thoroughly. Heat oil and sauté garlic until lightly brown, but do not burn. Add broccoli rabe, salt and fresh ground pepper, sauté until soft, about 10 minutes.
For the Roast Pork: In a small bowl place 1 tablespoon of olive oil, add to the oil all the spices [rosemary, sage, thyme, bay leaf, salt & fresh ground pepper] mix together and rub it all over the pork roast. Place fat side up in a shallow open roasting pan in an oven preheated to 450 degrees, cook for about 10 minutes then reset the oven to 325. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes, adding the white wine to the juices in the roasting pan and then basting once in a while. Cook for another 20 minutes or until the internal meat temperature reads 150 degrees on a meat thermometer. When done remove the roast and place on a cutting board; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Place the roasting pan over high heat, add the brown stock and de-glaze the pan, reduce the stock by ¼. Cut the pork into neat slices and place into serving dishes and spoon the sauce over the slices. Add the broccoli rabe and serve. Enjoy!
Dear Franco & Rosario,
Thank you so much for making our engagement party a success! The food and service was excellent and everyone had a great time!
Thank You!
Greg Sinacori & Jaclyn Franzese
Dear Rosario,
Thank you so much for all your kind assistance in making the Rehearsal Dinner for Wayne & Maria a great success!
I hope to see you again soon. Best regards!
Sincerely,
Cathy Marshall
Dear Franco, Rosario and All,
Thank you all for making my birthday special & memorable. As always I enjoy all of your company & consider you "my friends". I had a wonderful evening!
With Much Love,
Maria
In the past this article has been about the latest and greatest cocktail. The drink that everyone is talking about, from a T.V. show to what Emeril likes.
Instead, I would like to talk about what makes a great bar. Is it the recipes? Is it the decor? Is it the game on the tube? Is it the comfy seats? Maybe “Dancing with the Stars”? To all this I say, “NO”! What makes a great bar is great customers! To me they are my friends.
I am fortunate to go to work and see my friends. It’s the laughter, the teasing: Mets vs. Yankees, Giants vs. Jets, Islanders vs. Rangers. It is the sense of being together. Then there are the lengendary evenings when something truly hilarious happens, followed by all the evenings of “Do you remember when?”
I have seen wonderful friendships start between customers. How many times people come in to see each other (I like to think to see me, but so often it’s not). It is great to be a part of this extended family.
In the end we all just want to go where everyone knows our name!
I want to wish all my family and friends at King Umberto a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year! I’ll see you at the bar!
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Villa Umberto® News
Villa Umberto ∙ 90 Meacham Avenue ∙ Elmont, NY 11003 |
November 1st, 2007
Dear Ciro,
They say when people talk about you, your ears ring. I guess your ears have been ringing since Saturday because I am still getting phone calls and e-mails raving about Villa Umberto and the phenomenal job that you did overseeing the 60th/80th birthday party for me and my mother.
There is nothing more I can say except Thank You for such a memorable day. Everything was perfect, your staff was beyond exceptional, the food was delicious, you did a fantastic job.
Sincerely yours,
Sandy & Kathleen Golden
Dear Ciro,
Thank you to you and your staff for the excellent food service at my daughter’s bridal shower. You made it a memorable affair. We received so many compliments from friends and family! We will definitely have our next party at Villa Umberto’s!
Grazie!
Sincerely
Carol Staliano
MURDER MYSTERY DINNER
When: Friday, February 1st, 2008
Time: 8 p.m. til Midnight
Adult Price: $58 per person **
Type of Dinner: Sit Down Dinner
** Includes a 5 course dinner, unlimited wine, beer and soda, entertainment, tax and tip.
VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER DANCE
When: Thurs., February 14th, 2008
Time: 7 p.m. til 11 p.m.
Adult Price: $45 per person**
Type of Dinner: Sit Down Dinner
** Includes a 5 course dinner, unlimited wine, beer and soda, live entertainment, dancing, tax and tip.
EASTER DINNER
When: Sunday, March 23rd, 2008
Time: Taking Reservations All Day
Adult Price: $50 per person**
Type of Dinner: Sit Down Dinner
** Includes a 5 course dinner, unlimited wine, beer and soda, tax and tip.
Reservations are required for all events. Seating is limited, so make your reservations as soon as possible.
If you would like more information on any of these events, please feel free to give us a call at Villa Umberto (516)352-VILLA (8455).
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