By Kathy Chouteau
Davide Cerretini, the former chef/owner of Richmond’s Botto Bistro who made headlines for his anti-Yelp escapade that encouraged one-star reviews of his own restaurant, is launching a new endeavor: The ‘One Star’ Italian Cooking Course.
The virtual course will focus on exploring the secrets of Tuscan cuisine, stemming from the chef’s own personal background. The announcement comes on the heels of the news that Cerretini has sold Botto Bistro to Mountain Mike’s Pizza.
According to Cerretini, the virtual Zoom course will kick off 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7 and will continue weekly for a total of five classes (He will offer the course in June & July too—dates TBD). During the classes, participants will cook alongside Cerretini “from the comfort of [their] own kitchens.” Per the chef, dinner should be ready by 7 p.m. depending on the recipe of the evening.
The weekend preceding each class, participants will receive a list of ingredients of the two plates (an antipasto and a main) that they will be cooking virtually with Cerretini for dinner. The chef will also include a suggestion as to a possible Italian wine pairing for the upcoming meal.
For the last class, which will be held on a Sunday night instead of a Thursday like the other sessions, Cerretini has a special plan in mind. Instead of cooking along with the chef, he will demonstrate a more advanced dish for participants that they can watch while relaxing at home. After the demo, there will be a Q & A for everyone.
“Always keep in mind, authenticity is by far my strength,” said Cerretini in a statement. “I will be sharing tips, tricks and old fashioned techniques that I learned from my grandma and mama over the years, secrets which you will never find online or in cookbooks.”
To learn more about The ‘One Star’ Italian Cooking Course, click here. The course fee is $197 per person for five classes. Enrollment can be done here.
