On Wednesday, August 29 at 6:30 p.m., owners Francis Cratil-Cretarola and Cathy Lee, along with Chef Damon Menapace, will host a very special dinner benefiting Puentes de Salud at Le Virtù on East Passyunk Avenue.
The four-course Abruzzese meal, priced at $85 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) and paired with selected wines from The Artisan’s Cellar, will serve as another impactful way to support their citywide effort on behalf of the city’s immigrant population, with 100% of proceeds going to Puentes de Salud.
Chef Menapace incorporated ingredients native to the Americas that became integral to Italian cooking, such as tomatoes, vanilla, zucchini, corn, squash, and chocolate — and the menu will include:
· First Course: Grilled Zucchini with buffalo mozzarella and anchovy; Squash Fritters, with pecorino cheese; Bruschetta with zucchini caponata
· Second Course: Mugnaia with peppers, chilis, garlic and olive oil; Chitarra with fresh tomatoes and pancetta; Ricotta Raviolo with spicy tomato sauce
· Third Course: Lamb Ragu over polenta; Striped Bass with corn and black truffle
· Fourth Course: Vanilla Semifreddo with chocolate sauce and chocolate crumble; Assorted Biscotti
Cratil-Cretarola and Lee are extremely passionate about Puentes de Salud’s mission and wanted to give back in a meaningful way to the immigrant workers and entrepreneurs that have helped transform the city’s food scene.
On Saturday, September 15, they will participate in Building Bridges – a citywide collaboration with Casey Parker, Joe Gunn and Adán Trinidad (owners of Jose Pistola’s, Sancho Pistola’s and Pistolas del Sur), along with David Suro (owner of Tequila’s Restaurant) and Steven Larson (Executive Director, Puentes de Salud) – to help raise awareness for social issues in the hospitality industry.
Restaurants and bars interested in participating in Building Bridges are encouraged to contact Cratil-Cretarola directly at levirtuphila@gmail.com.
Puentes de Salud is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the underserved needs of the immigrant community, particularly healthcare and other basic services. They have been featured in an HBO documentary and The New York Times for their work. Their name, which means “Bridges of Health,” belies their worthy mission: ensuring that Philadelphia’s immigrants have access to physical and mental healthcare, as well as English language instruction and a food bank. Funded solely by private contributions, they rely on events like this one to power their efforts. As long-time advocates for immigrants’ rights in Philadelphia, Le Virtù and Brigantessa are proud to lead Building Bridges and look forward to welcoming additional members of the city’s famously tight-knit restaurant community on board.
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