Italian Wine Dinner

January 29, 2025 

6:00pm

* Chef curated 5 course dinner with exceptional wine pairings!

* $160 per person. Tax and gratuity are included.

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Meet the Chef

Mimmos - Best Restaurant in Destin, FL

Chef Massimiliano Favia was born and raised in Porto Santo Stefano, Tuscany, where his passion for cooking began at a young age. He first honed his culinary skills alongside his beloved grandmother, Nonna Primetta. At 18, he launched his career in the kitchen aboard fishing boats, before transitioning to private yachts, traveling from Italy to Alaska. Chef Massimiliano thrived in this adventurous lifestyle, but his journey didn’t stop there. After relocating to Los Angeles, he started his own private chef business, where he worked for seven years, creating memorable meals for clients. From L.A., he moved to Houston, Texas, where he worked in an Italian restaurant, only for the pandemic to shift his path. A call from a close friend led him to Las Vegas, where he spent three years working at the iconic Bellagio.

A mutual friend introduced him to Mimmo, and it was then that he and his wife, Irene, decided to move to Destin, Florida. Chef Max, as he is affectionately called, was eager to return to the small-town life he missed while living in Las Vegas. Chef Max has been happily married to Irene for four years. She shares his love for food and is an incredible baker. When he’s not at work, they enjoy exploring new restaurants together.

Now part of the Mimmo’s family, Chef Massimiliano brings his boundless energy, passion, and dedication to the kitchen, creating a vibrant and inspiring work environment for all. He is truly an asset to the team, and his enthusiasm for food and life is infectious.

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Giacosa Fratelli Gavi

Panko-crusted grouper cheeks served with a creamy garlic aioli

Umani Ronchi Villa Bianchi Verdicchio

Fresh arugula, roasted red beets, toasted walnuts, and crumbled feta, drizzled with basil-infused olive oil

Antinori Il Bruciato

House-made mezzaluna filled with tender braised short ribs, drizzled with a rich Cacio e Pepe sauce

Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia

Slow-braised veal ossobuco, paired with creamy gorgonzola polenta and finished with a rich mushroom demi-glace

DONNAFUGATA 2021 BEN RYE

A light, buttery torta alla frutta topped with a medley of fresh seasonal fruits, finished with a rich, velvety chocolate drizzle

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About the Wines

Cottanerra Etna Bianco - Sicilian Wine Dinner wine

Umani Ronchi Villa Bianchi Verdicchio

Today Villa Bianchi aims to express all the typical features of Verdicchio by bringing out in particular its aromatic notes of freshness and elegance. This is all achieved by careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard, and through the use of vinification techniques aimed at preserving intact the aromatic character inherent in the variety.

Cottanerra Etna Rosso - Sicilian Wine Dinner wine

Giacosa Fratelli Gavi

Giacosa Fratelli is a fourth generation family-run winery in the heart of Neive, Piedmont, passed down from father to son, brother to cousins. Today the winery continues to stand for what the family has always focused on for over 100 years – the naturalness of the land, sustainability of the winery, and the quality of these amazing wines.

 

Fresh, light, and dry. A harmonious white with notes of apple and florals. Moderate aging makes for an interesting evolution of this already refreshing white.

Donnafugata Ben Rye - Sicilian Wine Dinner wine

Donnafugata Ben Rye

Ben Ryé 2021 has a golden color with bright amber hues. The very intense bouquet ranges from fruity notes of apricot, yellow peach and candied orange peel to tropical hints of mango and papaya, followed by hints of Mediterranean scrub. On the palate, the fruity hints of aromatic herbs are combined with sweet nuances of honey. Intense and persistent, with an extraordinary balance between freshness and sweetness, Ben Ryè is a captivating Passito di Pantelleria, among wines most popular desserts in the world.

Marchesi Antinori Il Bruciato

Il Bruciato is intensely ruby red in color. Dominant aromas on the nose include small ripe red fruit accompanied by notes of sweet spices and light hints of mint and tobacco. The palate has excellent structure, is remarkably mouth filling with a pleasant fruity aftertaste that makes it pleasantly easy to drink and closes with a lingering finish.

Donnafugata Sur Sur - Sicilian Wine Dinner wine

Le Serre Nouve dell’Ornellaia

Ornellaia has established itself among the iconic wine estates in Italy (and beyond). The estate is dedicated to producing charming and opulent wines, full of Mediterranean character and finesse, reflecting the estate’s unique terroir in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. The combination of Bolgheri’s unique soils and growing conditions, and what can only be characterized as a total obsession with excellence, result in the world-class wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc that so many wine lovers across the world have come to cherish.

 

Coming primarily from the Estate’s younger vineyards and made with the same passion and attention to detail as Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is a true “second vin.” A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia combines generosity and depth of flavor with an engaging and vibrant personality.

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Wine Dinner Photos

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Wine Dinner Reservations

January 29, 2025

6:00pm

* Chef curated 5 course dinner with exceptional wine pairings!

* $160 per person. Tax and gratuity are included.