Carota
Pesce Spada
Cioccolato Bianco
LA BELLA FIGURA Nashville welcomes Michelin stars to wine and dine us Written by Dave Mahanes/Photography by Haas & Haas and The Joseph
Fifteen years ago, my family and I were in Chicago to see the Rolling Stones. We had the good fortune to dine at the worldrenowned and Michelin-star Italian restaurant, Spiaggia. It was one of those hall of fame-worthy meals that we would remember forever, and I turned to my wife and asked, “Why can’t we have something like this in Nashville?” Well, guess what? We do now! Tony Mantuano, the longtime chef at Spiaggia, and his wife, Cathy, have partnered with the Pizzuti Companies to bring la bella figura to Music City through Yolan, the new upscale Italian restaurant in The Joseph, a new Luxury Collection Hotel. Beyond fine Italian dining, la bella figura describes the beautiful Italian way of living – cutting a beautiful figure in every detail. Joel Pizzuti, President of the Pizzuti Companies and a Vanderbilt alumnus, has named Yolan after
his grandmother Yolanda and The Joseph after his grandfather. The cibo e bevande (Food and Wine) program at The Joseph (Denim and Four Walls) is the result of a match made in paradiso. Chef Mantuano has been nominated 12 times by the James Beard Foundation and won Best Chef Midwest in 2005 (when I dined there, of course!). He has received a Michelin star every year since 2011 and is the Obamas favorite restaurant. Cathy Mantuano is a sommelier and was one of the first people in the United States to curate an all-Italian wine list. She also ran the wine program at Spiaggia. Tony and Cathy trained in Italy in the early 1980s and have returned there every year since. Tony runs the kitchen and strolls the floor overseeing the impeccable service while Cathy stays in front of the house overseeing the perfect pairings of wine with the featured dishes.
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