A Prosecco, Pasta and Puccini night at Ramsgate’s Travellers in Italy restaurant has raised £412 in aid of the crisis in Ukraine.
The opera event, the second held at the harbour front venue, featured a three course menu and performance from Soprano Hannah Kirk, Tenor Philip O’Brien and pianist Peter Bailey from Opera d’Amici.
A packed house enjoyed the event and made the contributions for the Ukraine aid effort at the end of the night.
Ramsgate restaurant and hotel owner James Thomas said: “It just seemed the appropriate thing to do that night.
“We had a ready audience who were out for a lovely evening and we were conscious of the awfulness in Ukraine and thought that we would ask our customers if they would contribute to the Red Cross Ukraine relief fund if we matched every pound with their pound donated.”
Donations can be made to the British Red Cross Ukraine crisis fund here
Review
I am a pop music and pint kind of girl so wasn’t sure how my partner and I would find the evening but it was a great night with amazing food and opera that was accessible and enjoyable.
We started off with a taster of wild mushroom arancini and basil mascarpone stuffed piquanté peppers. I didn’t know what is was on the night but the taste was amazing.
For starters I ordered Breasola cured beef with rocket and shaved Parmigiano and Reggiano and my partner had anchovies with fire roasted marinated bell red peppers.
The cured beef was quite gentle in taste but I was a bit envious of my partner’s plate which was a feast of colours and, he said, “an amazing explosion of flavours.”
My partner stayed with the fish for mains, ordering the seabream with confit cherry tomatoes, fire roasted peppers, cannellini beans, capers and basil olive oil. Again the plate was a riot of colour and there was absolutely no conversation from my partner until that plate was wiped clean.
I had slow roasted pork belly, stuffed with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs with Italian lentils, cavalo nero and salsa verde. It was amazing, I have never tasted lentils with so much gorgeous flavour (I admit I am a very finickity eater and don’t often stray from the familiar).
Dessert was vanilla panna cotta with rhubarb and almond cantucci for the other half and Sicilian lemon granita for me.
I love lemon so am happy to report the granita was very very lemony. I can’t tell you about the panna cotta as again my partner cleared the plate with no conversation other than a few mmmms as he cleared the very last smattering of juice with the almond biscuit.
I confess we ate those and only thought of pictures after so there is no photographic evidence of how lovely the desserts looked.
The trio from Opera d’Amici sung between food servings and explained the background of each song for opera newbies (me). The explanation of the story, involving diners and moving around the venue without overpowering anyone made this a really accessible way to experience opera.
I’m still a pop and pint girl but would definitely do this again. The price tag, at £45 per person, does mean it is a special occasion event (for those with ailing bank accounts like mine) but every mouthful of food screamed quality and the performers were clearly skilled.
The next menu offering at Travellers in Italy is a four course fish menu on March 10 followed by a Mother’s Day offering on March 27.
