Text José Silva

It was the first of several “Rota das Estrelas” dinners, which started this year in Madeira Island, hosted by the Cliff Bay touristic compound, its restaurant “Il Gallo D’Oro” and chef BenoIt Sinthon, holder of a Michelin star. But this time it was decided to add some innovation, which is always very interesting, especially coming from them, as this team usually does high quality performances.

And that’s how they announced the first route dinner for the Blandy’s cellar, to be served in its Lodge. On the nineteenth March, we headed to the St. Francis monastery, the Madeira Wine Company’s Lodge, to take part in a fantastic event.

In the beauty of the cellar, using all the corners and rooms, very well decorated and illuminated, tables big and small were scattered around, with table skirts and linens, occupied by the chefs, their guests and their teams, in a panoply of colors and images of extreme beauty and elegance. The room personnel did the assistance, removing dishes and glasses, replacing everything immediately. At each station the teams, led by their chef, prepared delicious delicacies, live, many of them served hot, the aromas spreading all over the air, turning that fantastic place into an enormous restaurant.

So everybody could walk around at ease, pit-stopping at each post to enjoy the food that was being served, to exchange ideas/points of view with the chefs and take some pictures, in a fun and informal atmosphere, where the most important thing was the food. But the wines were also the support for the numerous delicacies in this event. The “Portugal Wine Ladies” were present, a group of women connected to the production and sale of Portuguese wines, who delivered a precious feminine touch in order to make the harmonies happen. And that was completely achieved, a success, and for that we must also congratulate them. Their wines were great matches for the delicacies of each chef, and they were able to explain the wines and spread their appeal everywhere.

The chefs who were present, some of them very well-known and even holders of Michelin stars, were at their best, cooking and explaining, the dishes and their preparation to whoever was interested. Some of the chefs cooked themselves there, live, for the delight of everyone. The host, Benoît Sinthon, had the company of Ricardo Costa, from “The Yeatman”, Vitor Matos, from “Paço do Largo”, Vincent Farges, from “Fortaleza do Guincho”, Miguel Lafan, from “L’And”, Paulo Morais, from “Umai”, Olivier Barbarin, from “Châteux d’Audrieu”, Sebastien Broda and Pascal Picasse, from “Le Park 45”, Henrique Sá Pessoa, from “Alma”, Joe Barza, chef consultant in Lebanon, Adam Simmonds, from “Danesfield House”, Fernando Agrasar from “As Garzas”, José António Campoviejo, from “El Corral del Indianu” and José António González, from “El Nuevo Molino”.

There were cooked fish and sea food dishes, fresh oysters with champagne and caviar, there was sushi and sashimi, there was foie gras, there was lamb and veal meat, there were sophisticated small delicacies and more elaborated complete dishes. And there were lots of sweets, from the most traditional to the most sophisticated.

There was a table with a vast variety of bread and there was a big variety of delicious cheeses. Next to the chocolates were the Madeira wines from Madeira Wine Company, that were in very good company. And there was live music, bringing a burlesque atmosphere to that fantastic space, with more than two hundred years of age.

In that first “Rota das Estrelas” night, everyone was a star…