San Carlo joins forces with Grana Padano to launch unique menu.
As part of its 25th birthday celebrations, San Carlo, Birmingham’s iconic Italian restaurant, has teamed up with Grana Padano, one of Italy’s most celebrated cheese producers to create a unique menu, perfect for cheese lovers and foodies alike.
Ideal for chilly Autumn days, the warming, decadent menu is available now until the end of November at the Temple Street restaurant and all San Carlo venues nationwide, and includes:
• Gnocco Croccante (pictured) – crispy gnocchi in a Grana Padano sauce with fresh black truffle
• Winter risotto with Grana Padano cheese, mushrooms and fresh black truffle
And the ultimate cheese lover’s dish:
• Gnocchi Gorgonzola in a Cheese Basket – (yes, even the basket is edible) gnocchi in a Gorgonzola sauce, served in a basket made from Grana Padano cheese
Launching the new menu with an exclusive celebratory lunch, San Carlo Group’s Managing Director, Marcello Distefano said: “We’re thrilled to have just been named Britain’s best Italian Restaurant Business. Twenty five years since it all began I have to look to our Chairman – my father Carlo’s philosophy, which remains unchanged – it’s all about having passion for great ingredients and putting food on the plate we would want to eat, that’s what this menu is all about. Autumn has arrived, the days are shorter and colder, there’s no better time to eat great, warming food and celebrate Grana Padano cheese, one of Italy’s finest ingredients.”
The history of Grana Padano cheese started nearly 1,000 years ago in Northern Italy when the Benedictine Monks first created ‘Grana’ cheese, distinguished by its unique grainy structure. Today Grana Padano is recognised as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product, linked to the particular production area, inseparable from the climate, culture and people that produce it.
This extremely versatile cheese has three different vintages: Grana Padano 9-16 months; Grana Padano ‘over 16 months’ and Grana Padano ‘RISERVA’ (over 20 months). While always a staple of authentic Italian cooking, it has become a popular part of more contemporary recipes created by celebrated international chefs worldwide, as well as being enjoyed on its own.
Elisabetta Serraiotto of Consorzio Grana Padano, a non-profit consortium, created to protect and promote Grana Padano Cheese shared her expert tips at the launch of the new menu. Commenting on the association, she said: “We’re delighted to be working with San Carlo Group – a company with firm Italian roots. We hope people will enjoy their special menu, which allows us to showcase Grana Padano, a much loved and protected, historic Italian product .”
San Carlo Group owns and operates 17 leading Italian restaurants in the UK including the much loved original San Carlo on Temple Street, which opened in November 1992, the critically acclaimed Fumo on Waterloo Street and the stylish new Fumo at Selfridges in the Bullring. Book to try the cheese menu now, at San Carlo, 4 Temple Street, Birmingham 0121 633 0251 or online at www.sancarlo.co.uk
