This August, residents of the Main Line and surrounding areas are invited to join Trattoria San Nicola in their search for the top local opera star.
During the restaurant’s Fourth Annual “Opera Evenings,” guests will be serenaded by talented Philadelphia-area opera singers and will cast votes for their favorites. While the artists are performing, guests will dine on six courses of Chef Vito Giannandrea’s traditional Italian cuisine. His special menu will pay tribute to opera and will feature dishes favored and inspired by divas, divos and other cultural icons of Italy.
The evenings will be held on the following Wednesdays: August 3, August 10, August 17 and August 24. Preliminaries will occur on August 3, 10, and 17. The finale, featuring top singers from each of the preliminary evenings, will take place on Wednesday, August 24. Also in attendance during the final evening will be last year’s winner, Lauren Montenegro. New to the event this year, the competition will shine light on some of the younger talent in the area. While not part of the competition, one young singer will perform for each of the three preliminary evenings.
“We are thrilled to bring San Nicola Opera Evenings back for a fourth year. It gives us the unique opportunity to share the art of opera with Main Line residents, and allows us to continue our commitment to arts in the community,” said Cristina Giannandrea, co-owner of the restaurant, along with her husband, Chef Vito. “What makes Opera Evenings so special is that guests are able to enjoy an intimate performance by local artists, which, as many fans will tell you, is a rare occurrence in the opera world. With many of the well-known downtown opera companies on hiatus for the season, Trattoria San Nicola will be one of the few places in the area where crowds can catch the classic and contemporary sounds of opera this summer.”
A portion of the proceeds from the Opera evenings will benefit the Opera Company of Philadelphia, an organization which has hosted a variety of different operas for the past 35 years. The Opera Company of Philadelphia brings audiences outstanding production quality, artistry and educational opportunities. The grand prize for the winning contestant will include a subscription for two to the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s 2011-2012 Opera at the Academy Series, in addition to a $500 cash prize.
The six-course meal, which will be served family style, will feature specialty dishes associated with world-renowned Italian singers and artists. Some classic Italian favorites include the Bellini, which was first created in honor of Italian Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini, the Penne Pavarotti, a delicious pasta that the famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti favored, classic Roman favorite Scarpia’s Saltimbocca, and an authentic Opera Cake, the classic seven-layer cake whose origins date to the Roman Empire. “The contest is a nice opportunity to add creative twists to the classic Italian dishes we usually serve,” said Giannandrea.
The Opera Evenings will be held at Trattoria San Nicola, 4 Manor Road, Paoli, Pa. The dinner is priced at $49.50 per person, exclusive of tax, gratuity and alcohol. A flight of wines to complement the meal is available for $15 per person. There will be one seating for each of the evenings at 6:30 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 610.695.8990. For more information, please visit www.sannicola.net.
About Trattoria San Nicola
Trattoria San Nicola, located in Paoli, dedicated to providing guests with an experience where authentic Italian cuisine meets the arts, all in a unique, old world setting. Chef Vito Giannandrea and his wife Cristina opened Trattoria San Nicola with the goal of bringing a taste of his Italian homeland to the Chester County, Pa. area. Named for the patron saint of the town of Bari, Italy, the restaurant serves a wide variety of Italian dishes for lunch and dinner, including salads, meat and fish specialties and signature pasta dishes. For reservations and more information, please visit www.sannicola.net or contact the restaurant at 610.695.8990. Reservations may be made online at www.opentable.com.
