An Evening with Eric Dregni: Never Trust a Thin Cook

Join us at Eataly Chicago for a unique, four-course meal and lecture with Eric Dregni, author of Never Trust a Thin Cook and dean of the Italian Concordia Language Village, Lago del Bosco.  Eric will lead us through his experiences living abroad in Modena, the heart of the Emilia-Romagna region, describing what began as a gastronimical quest and soon became a revealing, authentic portrait of how Italians live.  Guests will be regaled with hilarious demonstrations of how American and Italian culture differ and are also similar in a number of ways.  In Never Trust a Thin Cook, Eric dishes up the sometimes wild experiences of living abroad alongside the simple pleasures of Italian culture in perfect, complementary proportions.  

During this engaging evening in La Scuola, the menu will focus on specialties from Modena, featuring an antipasto board of meats and cheeses from our Salumi e Formaggi Department, homemade tortellini in brodo with fresh pane rustico, bollito misto as the main course and torta Barozzi for dessert.  Our wine expert will pair each course with a wine that perfectly complements the menu selected by our Chef of La Scuola. 

"I simply want to live in the place with the best food in the world," writes Dregni. This dream led Eric Dregni from Minnesota to Italy, first to Milan and eventually to a small, fog-covered town to the north: Modena, the birthplace of balsamic vinegar, Ferrari, and Luciano Pavarotti. Never Trust a Thin Cook is a classic American abroad tale, brimming with adventures both expected and unexpected, awkward social moments, and most important, very good food.

Additional Information:
• Class includes a cooking demonstration and lecture with a 4-course meal paired with four wines (N/A beverages available).  Copies of the book Never Trust a Thin Cook will be available for purchase from the author.  
• Seating is guaranteed but is first-come, first-served. Doors open 10 minutes before the start of class. Class duration is approximate and may vary by 10-15 minutes.
• The menu for this class features bollito misto as the entree, which is meat based.  Kindly contact us by March 24th if you are requesting a vegetarian meal by emailing us at chilascuola@eataly.com. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate other dietary restrictions for this special Modenese dinner.  Menu is subject to slight change without notice.
• All guests planning to consume alcohol must produce valid government-issued identification to prove they are 21 or older.  Non-alcoholic beverages will also be available. 
• Pricing is inclusive of service and exclusive of Chicago sales tax.