When someone asked if I’d like to attend an invitation-only dinner being planned at RigaTony’s Italian Restaurant the same time as Monday Night Football, I had to give it some serious thought. After all, you never know if, win or lose, one of those games may be the next day’s hottest topic.
There’s never a question, though, about the outcome of a meal at the venerable RigaTony’s. The choice was easy.
Relocating to Tempe last April, RigaTony’s brought with it a happy and popular tradition: wine dinners.
Starting four years ago, Chef Robert Hutson began offering the food and wine enthusiast a list of five off-the-menu items: Appetizer, salad, pasta, entree and dessert, paired with five different wines, for a reasonable $40 per person.
According to RigaTony’s marketing director, Alyssa Abraham, the wine dinners take place every six to eight weeks and have become very popular, some would say with an almost fanatical following. With 40 to 60 people lining up, not only the food and wine are savored; so is the opportunity for an evening of social interaction among folks who share a common zeal for sheer culinary enjoyment.
Abraham said that many people have met new friends here. Guests aren’t relegated to individual, private tables. The setup is more European in style, with up to 10 people at a table. And after a glass of one of the favored vinos, everyone seems likely to have discovered newfound friends rather quickly.
It would take too long here to give each course its due, so I’ll simply share what stood out for me. The salad was great. Very fresh, with arugula, homemade candied walnuts, asiago cheese and pear.
Young’s Market Co., the wine supplier, chose a California Chardonnay from the Sebastiani Winery to accompany this dish. While I really enjoyed the salad, the classic buttery, toasty Chardonnay did not complement the dish as well as I would have liked.
The pasta was great, with an excellent sundried-tomato cream sauce. The entree of smoked salmon, coupled with an Artesa Pinot Noir from the Carneros region of California, was a classic pairing that was acceptable to everyone.
Overall, the guests were highly impressed with both the food and wine throughout the night. Other restaurants around the Valley host dinners such as this. However, Abraham said that RigaTony’s is the most affordable and value driven.
I would agree. While nothing blew me away, everything was tasty, fresh and professionally prepared and served. If you haven’t tried different food and wine pairings, then these events can be a great and affordable way to introduce yourself to the art that underlies their creation.
For value and the assurance you shouldn’t be disappointed with any of the offerings, a wine dinner at RigaTony’s can’t be beat. Even by that Monday Night Football matchup you may have to miss along the way.
Rigatony’s is at 1850 E. Warner Road, Tempe, in the McClintock Fountains center. Information: 480-899-1111.
