It wasn’t a real end-of-year exam. That will be in a few days. But the “dress rehearsal” on Friday 24 May was a fundamental building block along the personal and professional growth path of the students of the Enaip Hotel Professional Training Center in Riva del Garda. The end-of-year gala dinner, prepared by the kitchen and dining room and bar service operators of the fourth year, is now a tradition at the Varone headquarters. At the end of the evening, the proclamation of the most deserving students of the scholarship named after Mario Chiarani, to “support talent and ambition”: this year Elia Cellana stood out for the dining room and Leandro Grossi for the kitchen.
It has always been the “Event” of the hotel industry. With a parterre of high profile guests, political authorities, company administrators, entrepreneurs, sector technicians and law enforcement agencies. And this year, thanks to the indications of chef-professor Marco Cupido, the result was nothing short of exceptional. Each guest was able to find a bit of Lake Garda on their plate. With niche products, “worked and reworked in a modern key”, rich in history, the result of meticulous research, explains Marco Cupido who took care of every detail, from the preparation of the tables in the room, through to each dish served, up to the “torta dello chef”, an interpretation of Red Velvet with small fruits.
Chapeau! To the whole menu, of course. With impeccable service between the tables: quick and silent movements, great attention from the students to all the details, perhaps with some smudging due to emotion, but always precise in the description of each dish and in the pouring of the wines. Here too, still a lot of research. For the appetizer, the “Fake Tomato”, carpione tartare marinated in lemon bergamot and verbena with charcoal crumble, a Lugana Doc 2023 from the Ottella winery in Peschiera del Garda was served. “Riso e Sapori” with “Acquerello” rice, nettle sprouts, Tremosine goat cheese, Salò cedar (an almost lost local variety, cultivated on the Salò coast since the 15th century, but returning to its former glory) and elidea was accompanied by a Chardonnay Doc 2022 from the Comai di Riva farm. As well as for the next dish, the “Lake Carbonara”, with smoked Felicetti conchiglioni, carbonara cream, crunchy whitefish and trout roe. As a second course, the “Deceiving Dish” was served, a Tournedos of char, “Rosa del Garda”, Bardolino Chiaretto sauce, confit turnip and hay potato spumiglia, a perfect marriage with a glass of Bardolino Chiaretto Classico 2023 “Le Morette” of the Valerio Zenato farm in Peschiera. Finally, “La Busa and surroundings”, a cremino with 46° oil from Agraria di Riva, compote of candied fruit and citrus fruits with goat cheese foam.
In the dining room, the guests (70, a dozen more than last year) were all left speechless by the skill of the students and the quality of the menu served. “You have outdone yourself”, “be ambitious, be proud and pay attention to every detail” were some of the comments. The general director of Enaip, Riva Massimo Malossini, underlined the importance of the “exceptional” growth path of each student: “We are proud of what you have done”, then addressed his thanks to all the professors, to the director Elisabetta Filippi and all the coordinators who followed the growth of the students during the school year.
The guitar performance by student Sara Bottesi was much appreciated at the beginning and end of the evening.
