BAILLIAGES
ALBANY
Feast of the Seven Fishes BY WILLIAM HARRIS, Bailli
A LATE CANCELLATION by an Albany restaurant had Albany Bailliage members scrambling to find another venue for their December 3, 2017 event. Café Capriccio Owner/Chef/Maître Rôtisseur Jim Rua rose to the occasion, orchestrating his version of “Festa Dei Sette Pesci” (Feast of the Seven Fishes). As its name indicates, this traditional Italian Christmas Eve meal is comprised only of fish courses. (Dessert is an exception, because let’s face it, anchovy pie just doesn’t work.) Café Capriccio is an enduring favorite in Albany due in large part to Chef Rua’s warmth and charm. Oh, and he can cook up a storm, too. After enjoying prosecco in the bar area, attendees were escorted to the Tuscan Room for his innovative interpretation of the festa. He was assisted by his son, Franco Rua—a talented chef in his own right. A progression of delightful, eye-pleasing courses tickled diners’ palates, and, by the end of the meal, they were as stuffed as the piquillo peppers bursting with nero di seppia that they had sampled as part of the antipasto. Following the (fish-less) dessert, Bailli Bill Harris presented pins to the servers and a Chaîne plaque to Chef Rua for his extraordinary effort. G
Executive Chef Nick Gulbrandsen.
Conseiller Culinaire Provincial Yono Purnomo and Owner/Chef/Maître Rôtisseur Jim Rua.
Café Capriccio team.
WINTER 2018
::
GASTRONOME
::
13