San Domenico New York

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San Domenico NY’s cuisine is the inspired interpretation of the foods of Italy’s aristocratic families. The ingredient-driven food is at once simple, flavorful, light, and always very Italian. The authentic cuisine, impeccable service and freshly-designed, elegant space combine for a joyous rediscovery of the fine art of Italian dining.

Executive Chef Odette Fada has garnered numerous awards including a James Beard Foundation nomination as one of the best chefs in New York. Simply put, San Domenico believes Chef Fada to be the best Italian chef in the country; consistently preparing Italian cuisine that is truly worthy of her native country.

Tony May’s commitment to elevating the understanding of and appreciation for Italian cuisine in the rest of the world is best exemplified through the San Domenico NY dining experience. Under the deft touch of Tony May and daughter Marisa May, the restaurant (opened in 1988) consistently sets the standard for Italian luxury dining in America.

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SAN DOMENICO NY: Bringing the Best of Italy to New York Since 1988
When Tony May first opened San Domenico NY in June 1988, he pledged to bring the best in modern Italian dining and service to New York City in a refined and comfortable setting. Restaurant reviewer Bryan Miller agreed, and six weeks later awarded San Domenico NY three stars in the New York Times. Since that first stunning review, the restaurant has received countless accolades, as diners and critics alike revel in Executive Chef Odette Fada’s elegant. ingredient-driven menu. Now in its fifteenth year, May’s commitment to providing diners with an unparalleled level of fine Italian cuisine continues to grow.

Executive Chef Odette Fada uses traditional ingredients in an elegant, thoroughly modern manner.
Completing the dining experience is San Domenico NY’s decor by Adam Tihany, with beautiful Italian-crafted walnut woodwork, terra cotta tiles, marble, and Italian leather banquettes and chairs.

San Domenico NY has received considerable praise from top critics and publications all over the world. Food & Wine has named San Domenico NY one of the 25 top restaurants in America, while both Wine Spectator and USA Today have proclaimed it one of the top 10 Italian restaurants in America. The restaurant also enjoys 4 star and 4 diamond awards from every major travel guide.

FACTS-AT-A-GLANCE:

HOURS
Lunch:
Mon-Fri 12-2:30 p.m.

Dinner:
Mon-Thu 5:30-11 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:30-11:30 p.m.
Sun 5-10 p.m.

OWNERS: Tony May & his daughter, Marisa May-Bocognano

CUISINE: Italian – The aristocratic cuisine of Italy

EXECUTIVE CHEF: Odette Fada

MAITRE D’: Stefano Lombardozzi

SOMMELIER: Piero Trotta

CAPACITY
Dining: 150
Private Room: 12 to 46 people
Small Semi-Private Room: 12 to 30 people
Entire Restaurant (subject to availability and the season): 250 to 300 people

ADDRESS:
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019
(59th Street, between 7th and Broadway)

FOR RESERVATIONS: (Click Here) or call 212.265.5959

E-MAIL: sandomny@aol.com

PRIVATE FUNCTIONS & CATERING:
Please call 212.459.9016 or e-mail sandomny@aol.com
(Click HERE for more information)

PRICES
Prix Fix Lunch: $37.50 pp, three courses including dessert
A La Carte Lunch and Dinner: Three courses, check average $75 pp
Pre-theater Dinner: $37.50 pp, three courses, 5:30 -7 p.m. (depart by 8 p.m.)
Tasting Menus: $85 pp, five courses including dessert

CREDIT CARDS: All major credit cards accepted.

ATTIRE: Jackets required for gentlemen

PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Hanna Lee of Hanna Lee Communications in NY
hannaleenyc@gmail.com
646.752.1526

DESIGN
Architectural Consultant and 2004 Re-design:
Franco Rossignolo, Cremonini & Rossignolo, Imola- Italy
Architectural Consultant and 2004 Re-design:
Adam Tihany, Tihany International, New York

Graphics:
Vignelli Associates, New York

Website:
Peniferella; Susan Lietz, Producer

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ITALIAN CUISINE: The New Essential Reference to the Riches of the Italian Table
By Tony May

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“Like Esscoffier’s ‘Guide Culinaire,’ Tony May’s recently reissued ‘Italian Cuisine’ is an authoritative summary of an entire country’s cooking. Also like the schematic ‘Guide,’ it’s of greatest use to people who know their way around the kitchen. But even neophytes can find recipes to add to their repertoire, like fresh bow-tie pasta in a fresh tomato and chicken-broth sauce, spiked with garlic and peperoncino.” – New York Times

“May’s tireless efforts in upholding and spreading the traditions of Italian cooking and celebrating the story of Italian food have made him legendary.” —Tim Ryan, President of the Culinary Institute of America

“Knowing Tony May’s work over the last twenty years, I can think of no one who has done more to educate Americans about today’s Italian cuisine.” —Tim Zagat, Zagat Survey

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For years now Tony May has been one of the top authorities on Italian cooking. His restaurant, San Domenico has received 3 stars from The New York Times and rave reviews from New York to Italy. Now Tony has finally put all of his knowledge of Italian cooking and recipes into one book: ITALIAN CUISINE: The New Essential Reference to the Riches of the Italian Table. Of all the hundreds of Italian cookbooks available to the public, none are as comprehensive as ITALIAN CUISINE. This indispensable addition to the Italian cookbook shelf has both the cache of a top-name restaurant and a practical approach. It runs the gamut of traditional Italian dishes, from popular favorites like Lasagne, to the more obscure but delicious dishes like Cervella in Carrozza (Fried Brains).

Some other recipes include:
Crespelle con Ripieno di Pollo (Crespelle with Chicken Stuffing)
Polenta con Fagioli Borlotti e Cavolo (Polenta with Borlotti Beans and Cabbage)
Involtini di Pesce Spada (Swordfish Rolls)
Antra alle Olive (Duck with Olives)

In order to familiarize the reader with the diversity and use of many foods, the recipes in each chapter of ITALIAN CUISINE are preceded by a section giving historical, regional, and culinary information. It describes some methods of making certain standbys, discusses the qualities and differences among various products such as oils and cheeses and gives general directions for cooking techniques. Each chapter is separately devoted to breads, antipasti, sauces, meats, vegetables, soups, pasta, fish, poultry, cheeses, and deserts. ITALIAN CUISINE also includes an extensive glossary of words and expressions currently in use in Italian Cuisine.

ITALIAN CUISINE is a reliable and essential consultation tool not only for those who operate in the restaurant industry but also for lovers of Italian gastronomy who wish to learn the basics of Italian cooking and build up their repertoire of recipes!

To purchase copies, please contact: Helene at the Tony May Group (212) 459-9016.

At St. Martins Press, the publisher, please contact – Courtney Fischer, Publicist
T: 646.307.5555 E: courtney.fischer@stmartins.com

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TONY MAY

As one of the nation’s most respected restaurateurs, Tony May has worked diligently for four decades to elevate the image of Italian cuisine in America. He serves on the boards of Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani (GRI), Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DIRONA) and the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where he was active in establishing the Caterina de Medici Restaurant and a course of study on authentic Italian cooking for American students. He is currently the President of the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners (ICIF) in Costigliole D’Asti, Italy, a school for culinary professionals located in a historic medieval castle.

For years, first as General Manager and then owner, Tony May operated New York’s Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center (1968-1986). In 1981, he received his first IVY award. In 1986, he opened the restaurant PALIO, which attracted critical acclaim throughout the world. Two years later, he followed with SAN DOMENICO NY, the flagship restaurant of the Tony May Group that has garnered international praise.

In 1989, Mr. May was chosen by a distinguished panel of his peers to be included in the prestigious “Who’s Who of Cooking in America” and in 1990, was selected as the Silver Plate recipient in the Independent Restaurant Operator category by the International Food Service Manufacturers Association (IFMA). In 1992, he received his second IVY award in recognition of his restaurant San Domenico NY. In May of 1992, Mr. May was awarded the Silver Spoon by Food Arts magazine for his achievements over the past 25 years as a restaurateur and a leader in the food service industry. In 1993, he was inducted into Nation’s Restaurant News “Fine Dining Hall of Fame.”

Ready for expansion and a more casual approach to dining, Mr. May opened Gemelli at New York’s busy World Trade Center in 1997. With its back-to-basics Italian cuisine and a relaxed countryside-style atmosphere, Gemelli quickly became one of the area’s favorites.
In March 1998, Tony May introduced PastaBreak, a fast-food establishment on the concourse of the World Trade Center. His first venture into the fast food arena, PastaBreak offers quick, inexpensive, restaurant-quality Italian food.

On September 11, 2001, both Gemelli and PastaBreak were destroyed in the attack on World Trade Center. Fortunately, all the employees were evacuated and unharmed. Mr. May worked tirelessly to help feed the rescue workers, as well as to help his displaced employees. A new PastaBreak opened a year later in the E-Walk complex in Times Square on October 7, 2002.

Mr. May is also the author of “ITALIAN CUISINE: Basic Cooking Techniques,” a textbook financed by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, distributed to culinary schools throughout the U.S. The book, now in its second edition, is for the first time available to the general public as well.

In 1996, his restaurant San Domenico NY was one of only 24 restaurants throughout the world to receive the first Insegna del Ristorante Italiano from the President of the Republic of Italy, an award denoting the finest Italian restaurants outside of Italy. As a result of his life-long endeavors, he was invested as a Cavaliere and subsequently as Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana for his efforts on behalf of his native country’s gastronomy.

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MARISA MAY

“The Winning Smile Behind San Domenico NY Restaurant”

Born in New York City, Marisa May spent her summers on the coast of Naples and the Island of Capri, learning firsthand about the hospitality and cuisine of Italy. As the Director, General Manager and Co-owner of the prestigious world renowned restaurant San Domenico NY, Marisa demonstrates a unique combination of attentive New York service and traditional Italian courtesy.

Working alongside her father, venerable and celebrated restaurateur Tony May, then owner/operator of New York’s Rainbow Room, Marisa first began answering phones and taking reservations. As she learned the restaurant business from the ground up, her sparkling personality was a pleasure to the patrons calling for tables, and she soon grew to enjoy and look forward to her new job. During her high school years, she would reprise her job at Tony May’s Palio. To reward for her enthusiasm and professionalism, her father sent her to Italy for two months each summer. Each trip encompassed a different area of Italy, exposing Marisa to the varied cuisine and service of each region.

After graduating high school from the Sacred Heart, Marisa went on to study voice (singing) and English at New York University. Although she spent much of her time singing, studying for class, and officiating as President of her sorority, she was still able to help out at San Domenico NY in her spare time. Marisa graduated college in 1993 and began her “starring role” working full time as General Manager at San Domenico NY. She soon earned the nickname “Bossina” or “little boss” for her dedication to the restaurant. Although she spent a lot of time in the kitchen helping make the bread and pasta, she realized, like her father, the front of the house was where she belonged. Marisa May still finds time every night to be the official “taster” of the bounty to be served that evening, and Executive Chef Odette Fada relies on her stellar opinion.

In addition to her work inside the restaurant, Marisa with her father, Tony May, have appeared on numerous American and Italian television shows, showcasing Italian food and the restaurant. Marisa also serves on numerous committees and charity boards including the American Italian Cancer Foundation, Boys and Girls Town of Italy, and has served as Restaurant Chairperson for the Central Park Conservancy and has served on the Save Venice committee. She is also a member of Les Dames D’Escoffier, a group of internationally celebrated women in the food and wine industries. The prestigious National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW) also honored Marisa for her exemplary work as a restaurateur, citing her as “an outstanding role model for young women.”

Ask any customer and they will tell you that the secret behind the wonderful service in San Domenico NY’s dining room is Marisa May’s sparkling personality.

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EXECUTIVE CHEF ODETTE FADA

Chef Odette Fada always knew that she wanted to become a chef. Growing up in Brescia, a city 150 miles outside Milan, she would make pasta and risotto using vegetables from her family’s garden and crostate with her mother’s homemade jams. “I loved to cook and bake for all five of my brothers and sisters,” she says.

At age 13, already passionate about cooking as a career, Fada persuaded her parents to allow her to attend the Instituto Professionale Alberghiero in Iseo, the region’s most prestigious training school for the culinary and hospitality industry. After the graduation, Fada helped her brother open a trattoria in Brescia. She then moved on to work at some of Italy’s highest rated restaurants, including Ristorante Castello Malvezzi in Brescia, Ristorante Vissani in Baschi and Convivio Vissani in Rome.

While working as chef de cuisine at Convivio, she met the late Italian restaurateur Mauro Vincenti, whose Rex Il Ristorante in Los Angeles had already become one of the most famous and innovative Italian restaurants in America. Vincenti was so impressed with the young chef’s abilities that he asked her to come to California and take over as his chef. For the next five years Fada introduced her style of refined regional cooking and earned Rex accolades from both customers and the media, including the Los Angeles Times’ highest rating. She also created high-profile dinners for the entertainment industry, such as the Grammy Awards dinners for over 1,000 guests each time, for which she was responsible three years in a row.

She joined San Domenico NY as Executive Chef in 1996. She has been named one of the best Italian chefs by Wine Spectator and was the winner of the White Truffle Competition in 1999. Fada’s refined style of cooking perfectly matches the culinary philosophy at San Domenico NY. Her focus on primary ingredients results in creations characterized by intense, pure taste. Regional Italian dishes are presented with her trademark simplicity and elegance.

In December 2001, Odette was a featured chef during the Gourmet Experience weekend organized by Gourmet magazine at Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa, California. She was paired with Alain Ducasse for a demonstration, and other participating chefs were Nobu Matsuhisa, Rocco di Spirito, Ferran Adria, and Thomas Keller.