Fancy Feast Creates Gatto Bianco Italian Trattoria for Cat Lovers
Fancy Feast is opening Gatto Bianco by Fancy Feast, a limited-time, Italian-style trattoria and culinary experience in New York City, to celebrate its new globally inspired Medleys recipes.
Gatto Bianco will bring the mealtime experience of cats to life for cat owners and cat lovers and includes a special appearance by the iconic Fancy Feast cat herself, according to the company. The dishes (for humans!) take inspiration from Fancy Feast Medleys recipes and pay homage to traditional Italian cuisine, with a menu developed by Fancy Feast’s in-house chef, Amanda Hassner, along with Michelin Star winning Italian chef and acclaimed New York restaurateur Cesare Casella.
Chef Amanda Hassner
Located between the Far West Village and the Meatpacking District in New York City, Gatto Bianco will be open for dinner on Thursday, Aug. 11 and Friday, Aug. 12 only, with four reservations per evening at 6:30 p.m. ET. Each reservation will accommodate two guests (ages 21+).
Chef Cesare Casella
The 16 lucky cat lovers will enjoy a complimentary tasting menu that will transport them to Italy for the evening, as Chef Casella shares his Italian heritage and passion for cooking with a menu of authentic, Tuscan dishes, while Chef Hassner shares her culinary expertise to mirror the sensory experience of cats at mealtime.
“Food has the power to connect us to others in meaningful ways and take us to places we have never been,” said Hassner. “The same is true for our cats. The dishes at Gatto Bianco are prepared in ways that help cat owners understand how their cats experience food – from flavor, to texture, to form – in a way that only Fancy Feast can.”
The chefs will provide guests an inside look at the detail and expertise that goes into crafting each Fancy Feast recipe through a variety of delectable dishes and culinary exercises. The Gatto Bianco experience builds on the success of the Fancy Feast cookbook, launched in 2021, and is the newest way that Fancy Feast is showing cat owners the delight it brings to cats at every meal.
Reservations for Gatto Bianco will open for booking on Thursday, Aug. 4 at noon ET through OpenTable. Cat enthusiasts can go online to try to secure their spot and for more information. Reservations are limited and based on availability.
And for those who can’t come to Gatto Bianco, Fancy Feast is sharing recipes inspired by the Gatto Bianco menu so that cat lovers across the country can have an exceptional dining experience right in their own homes. Click here to download the recipes.
Fancy Feast Medleys are available at select retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $1.13.
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Culinary Tourism Market Primed to Grow by $31.42B by 2025
The culinary tourism market is expected to grow by $31.42 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 6.53 percent through 2025, according to a report from Technavio. The rising preference for culinary tourism is notably driving market growth.
The market is segmented by type (domestic and international) and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America and MEA).
Europe will account for 31 percent of market growth. The major markets in Europe are Germany, France and the United Kingdom. This region’s market will grow more slowly than the markets in any other region.
Over the forecast period, the expansion of the market in Europe would be aided by the rising number of culinary tourists visiting the continent and the accessibility of luxury cruise experiences.
The domestic segment will significantly increase its market share. In 2020, the domestic industry will control the global market. Due to consumer familiarity with domestic culinary tourism policies and regulations and the lower financial tax imposed compared to overseas culinary tourism, it will maintain its dominance during the projection period.
Government laws that are simple and there aren’t any problems with currency exchange drive the domestic market for culinary tourism. During the anticipated period, the market sector is anticipated to increase significantly.
The five major culinary tourism companies, according to Technavio, are:
- Abercrombie & Kent USA LLC, which offers small-group journeys, luxury tailor made travel, luxury expedition cruises and private jet journeys.
- Butterfield & Robinson Inc., which offers private travel, scheduled trips, biking, walking, hiking and others.
- Classic Journeys, which offers domestic and international walking tours, culinary trips, multisport vacations, solo and family
- Gourmet On Tour Ltd., which offers food and wine lovers hands-on cooking courses, private wine tours and culinary adventures.
- Greaves Travel Ltd., which offers luxury India holidays and bespoke travel in Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
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Chile Hosts Americas Selection of World Pastry Cup
Team Canada
The Americas Selection of the World Pastry Cup will be held for the first time in Chile at the Metropolitan Santiago, managed by competition organizer GL Events, on July 13.
During the internationally renowned competition in the world of pastry, the candidates will have to convince a jury of prestigious chefs, including Gustavo Sáez, honorary president of this edition. Named best pastry chef of 2016 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurant in Latin America, he is also the winner of the Copa Maya in 2018, which he won alongside the Chilean team.
The top three nations will qualify to take part in the grand Finale, which will be held at Sirha Lyon in Lyon, France, in January.
The eight teams, each composed of two candidates and a coach, will compete in a five-hour technical competition, during which they will have to create two frozen desserts, 12 frozen lollipops, seven restaurant-style desserts and two 145 cm artistic pieces (one in sugar and one in chocolate).
New for the 2021 grand Finale, the restaurant dessert will be included in the tasting rounds of the continental selections. The presentation, composition and service is up to the candidates, who will be judged by a jury of renowned pastry chefs and cooks, composed specifically for this event.
To honor finger food, the candidates will also have to make frozen lollipops, in the shape, color and composition of their choice.
Through the two artistic pieces and fruit entremets, the teams will have to show their technical skills and creativity to sublimate the products and express all the sensitivities of pastry-making.
Teams:
Argentina
Chocolate Candidate: Matías Dragún, Dragún Gelato (Miami, USA)
Sugar Candidate: Lucas Carballo, Escuela de Pastelería Profesional (Buenos Aires)
Jury: Néstor Reggiani, La Nueva Muguet (Buenos Aires)
Team Brazil
Brazil
Chocolate Candidate: Alessandro Lira, Harald Chocolates (Santana de Parnaíba)
Sugar Candidate: Marcia Garbin, Gelato Boutique (São Paulo)
Jury: Lucas Corazza, Queen Bee (Curitiba)
Canada
Chocolate Candidate: Alexandrine Grégoire-Guindon, Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec (Montreal)
Sugar Candidate: Patrick Bouilly, Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec (Montreal)
Jury: Daniel Hinojosa García, Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec (Montreal)
Team Chile
Chile
Chocolate Candidate: Alejandro Espinoza, Xoc Chocolate Shop (Santiago)
Sugar Candidate: Javiera Villegas, StudioPas Academy (Santiago)
Jury: Camila García Elizalde, StudioPas Academy (Santiago)
Colombia
Chocolate Candidate: Carlos de Ávila, Hôtel Marriott (Bogota)
Sugar Candidate: Daniel Martínez Cerón, Mazama Artesanos del Dulce (Medellin)
Jury: Laura Mójica Rodriguez, DLK S.A.S (Bogota)
Ecuador
Chocolate Candidate: Geovanny Puzma
Sugar Candidate: Hugo Maldonado
Jury: Christian Flores, Pastelería Flores (Quito)
Mexico
Chocolate Candidate: Gerardo Reyes Aguilar, Tout Chocolat (Mexico City)
Sugar Candidate: Anahí Martínez, Tout Chocolat (Mexico City)
Jury: Osvaldo Ortega, Tout Chocolat (Mexico City)
United States of America
Chocolate Candidate: Julie Eslinger, Country Club at Castle Pine (Castle Rock, Colo.)
Sugar Candidate: Jordan Snider, The Sanctuary Hotel (Kiawah Island, S.C.)
Jury: Christophe Feyt, Hilton Anatole Hotel (Dallas)
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