Last week S.Pellegrino whisked me out of New York and into a magical Italian land filled with street markets and Vespas, a coppersmith and live music, and more delicious food and drink than I can even wrap my head around. While no passport was actually required for this "trip", I couldn't have felt more like I was in Italy than if I actually was. In the words of S.Pellegrino I was "living in Italian".

Upon entering Italy, er I mean the event space, I first grabbed a refreshing cocktail, and then beelined it for the market. Everything from herbs to flowers to fresh bread and the most beautiful produce I had ever seen lined the walls. We were allowed to take anything that we wanted home, so of course you know this girl was stuffing her purse (because who doesn't stuff their purses full of food at parties?! #foodieprobs).

Next, I checked out the "living room" area complete with wonderful live music and pretty much every type of furnishing I've been looking for for my living room (unfortunately, I couldn't quite squeeze a couch into my bag next to my eggplant and loaf of bread). Oh, and did I mention the delicious Chef Michael Voltaggio (Top Chef winner & owner of the renowned L.A. restaurant Ink) prepared appetizers that I had been munching on this whole time? My favorite was definitely the mini "pizzas" served in the mini pizza boxes (see picture below). Of course, you know I also couldn't resist stopping at the coppersmith for a custom bracelet (#copperobsessed), which you can see here.

Then there was dinner, a dinner that was on a whole other level from anything I have ever experienced. The setting was pure magic. We were on a rooftop under the New York sky, with possibly the best summer weather you can imagine (not too hot, not too cold), in a space that was decorated with twinkling lights, beautiful floral arrangements and old Italian movies silently being played against the brick wall. I felt like I was in heaven, and I hadn't even tried any of the food! Speaking of the food, Chef Michael's meal definitely goes down in my history books as one of the top 5 meals I've ever eaten. He did an incredible job of combining flavors and foods to create a truly wonderful "off the menu" experience. While each dish was absolutely outstanding, my favorite was the dessert- a chocolate hazelnut ganache complete with caramelized white chocolate, pizelles made from the ash of burnt rosemary, and topped off with beads of strawberry frozen yogurt. It was a work of art!

This evening was truly a magical event and I'm still pinching myself that S.Pellegrino allowed me to experience something so incredible. I know the words I have written hardly do the night justice, so I hope the pictures and video help to paint a better picture of how dreamy the night was.

P.S. In case you missed my first post today, I, along with Mr. RC, were both inspired to "live off the menu" when crafting this recent cocktail with one of our favorite S.Pellegrino flavors. Make sure you grab the cocktail recipe...after all, it is Friday, and who doesn't want a cocktail on Friday?!