I was lucky enough to be invited to the amazing Grand Air event as part of The Age – Good Food Month. I’ve been to my fair share of events, and this one definitely ticked all the right boxes for an amazing, eventful night. A well thought out and executed event has definitely left us remembering our night aboard Grand Air.
ATMOSPHERE & SERVICE
Arriving we were welcoming by the lovely flight attendant (in full uniform), who checked our boarding passes, gave us a quick rundown on the first class lounge opening shortly and to enjoy a drink at the bar.
Within a few minutes, we were ushered upstairs where we needed to go through security before granting access to the first class lounge. Two security guards in full uniform, made going through the security check an entertaining process. One would screen you, while the other discreetly put something into your bag to make a big deal about (Italian meats, furry handcuffs and the like).
Once we were cleared for check in, we made our way to the first class lounge to enjoy arrival cocktails and canapes. The room was fit with a large screen showing all the ‘Arrivals & Departures’ and suitcases scattered throughout the room.
Promptly at 7pm it was time to board the flight. We were called to the gate, where our boarding passes were checked again as we entered the plane and took our seats.
We were given a quick safety briefing before take off, which of course was quite humorous. Once we were airborne, it was time to really get the party started. Our flight attendances started the night with our first glass of wine, sponsored by Vino Bambino along with bread rolls, packaged in Grand Air logos. Again thinking of everything to make this as real as possible.
Once we received our bread and wine, it was time to eat! The first course was ‘Insalatina Tiepida di Polpo’ which was a beautiful octopus salad with cherry, agrumi and burrata cheese. Unfortunately I do not eat seafood, however the kitchen quickly whipped up a stunning ‘Caprese Salad’ served in a beautiful seeded edible bowl. The Buffalo Mozzarella was fresh and creamy and the tomatoes taste like they had just been picked from the vine. This course was matched with a 2013 Menhir Salento Fiano white wine.
Our second course was the ‘Risotto alla Toscana’ which was a beautiful rich risotto dish served with small pieces of braised beef. This dish was paired with a beautiful 2013 Querceto di Castellina Toscana Cinque from Tuscany.
Our main course was the highlight of the night. ‘Brasato al Barolo con Verdure Baby e Tartufo’, which was a beautiful generous piece of beef braised in Barolo wine served with baby vegetables and truffled potatoes. The meat was falling apart on the fork and the truffled potatoes stole the show. This dish was paired with a stunning 2013 Palladino Barbera.
If we already hadn’t eaten enough, dessert was quick to follow. ‘Crostoli Farciti con Ricotta Pistacchio Caramellato Cioccolato Fondente servito con Pere al Vino Rosso’. Meaning…fried pastry with Ricotta, Pistachio and caramlised dark chocolate served with a beautiful poached pear on the side. Dessert was served with a 2011 Brugnano ‘Alquimia’ Moscato Passito.
Overall the night was fantastic. The chef did an amazing job creating signature dishes from each of the Italian regions we were stopping at, and the wines were matched perfectly to each dish. A big thank you to Vino Bambino for letting me tag along to this amazing event aboard Grand Air, affiliates with The Age Good Food Month.
