“Celebrating Italia!” at George Brown College on January 31, 2024.

Liberty Group and Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto welcome Chef Ernesto Iaccarino
for Celebrating Italia!
— Internationally acclaimed chef to participate in events celebrating partnership
between Alma School of Culinary Arts and George Brown College in Toronto –

Liberty Entertainment Group and Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto – the award-winning, Michelin-starred contemporary Italian fine dining destination located on the 38th floor of Toronto’s celebrated Westin Harbour Castle Hotel at 1 Harbour Square – are thrilled to announce that Michelin-starred chef, Ernesto Iaccarino of Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant’Agata in Italy is making special guest appearances and participating in Celebrating Italia! – a series of events celebrating the 20-year partnership between the prestigious Alma School of Culinary Arts, situated near Parma, Italy’s epicentre of epicurean excellence, and Canada’s pre-eminent culinary arts school, George Brown College in Toronto.
Kicking off Tuesday January 30th, Chef Iaccarino – with his team from Toronto headed by chef de cuisine, Davide Ciavattella — hosted a hands-on culinary Masterclass from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM at George Brown College in the Culinary Theatre #112, located at 300 Adelaide Street East.
On Wednesday, January 31st, Toronto’s gastronomic who’s who gathered at 5:30 PM for a ceremony to mark the 20 years’ partnership between Alma School of Culinary Arts and George Brown College. Featuring honoured guests, the Consul General of Italy, Andrea Sinigaglia, Alma Scuola’s general manager, and Rudi Fischbacher, Dean of GBC, the esteemed special guests addressed the highly successful programme and presented this year’s returning culinary graduate students with their certificates.
The high profile cocktail reception at 6:00 – 8:00 PM in the Grand Atrium featured Italian-themed aperitivi, including an exquisite food tasting station from guest Michelin-starred chef Ernesto Iaccarino and the Don Alfonso 1890 team. Guests also grazed through regional-themed Italian food stations including one highlighting the GBC Advanced Italian Culinary Arts programme students.

“We are honoured to host Chef Iaccarino in Toronto for this prestigious event, celebrating a truly international partnership of culinary excellence,” said Nick Di Donato, president and CEO, Liberty Entertainment Group. “As our partner and mentor at Don Alfonso, it is a marvelous opportunity to highlight the award-winning leadership and talent of Chef Ernesto and the Don Alfonso brand to our esteemed guests and partners. Celebrating Italia! is an honour for us, as well as a testament to the city of Toronto, George Brown College, and its students, and finally, the city’s maturing culinary scene.”

Don Alfonso: memorably Michelin and more…
Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto’s cuisine is characterized by its modernity, Mediterranean flare and the exceptional quality of the raw and locally sourced ingredients used, showcasing the renowned cuisine of Chef Ernesto Iaccarino at Don Alfonso 1890 and the fresh flavors of the Amalfi coast. The Michelin style is reflected in the eight-course tasting menu of uniquely crafted dishes; each dish is created with expert precision using the finest quality ingredients available and plated on one-of-a-kind vessels selected specifically to highlight the food’s characteristics in a stunning presentation. All dishes are perfectly paired with the finest curated wines from the restaurant’s renowned cellar.

Another unforgettable year in review.
Marking the end of the restaurant’s best year ever, Don Alfonso 1890 has seen unprecedented success and earned five-star reviews and unmatched global recognition, including its Michelin star for a second year. Since first opening in 2018, Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto has been lauded with multiple honours including in the Best Italian Restaurant in the World 2024 — I Migliori Ristoranti Italiani Nel Mondo 2024 – given by the prestigious 50 Top Italy. Don Alfonso was the only Canadian restaurant to be recognized in the top ten on the world stage. In addition, its accolades include Best Italian Restaurant outside of Italy – Prosecco DOC Award 2022 – 50 Top Italy, Meal of the Year 2022 Mulino – Caputo Award, for its multi-course prix fixe tasting menu – 50 Top Italy, Best New Restaurant in the World & Tre Forchette (3 Forks) – Gambero Rosso, Best Italian Restaurant in Canada & Top Ten of All Restaurants in Canada – La Liste, International Hotel and Property Awards – Restaurant Design Global, Distinguished Restaurants of North America – DiRoNA, Top 100 Restaurants in Canada – OpenTable, Best of Award of Excellence – Wine Spectator, and Best Restaurants in Canada – Canada’s 100 Best, among others. Dining information, menus and reservations are at http://www.donalfonsotoronto.com.

About Liberty Entertainment Group:
For over three decades the Liberty Entertainment Group, led by Nick Di Donato, has been redefining Toronto and Miami’s restaurant, nightlife and special event experience. As developers and operators of numerous landmark establishments, the Liberty Entertainment Group has become recognized as one of the most successful and innovative companies in the industry. Liberty Entertainment Group continues to gain success and acknowledgment for developing an impressive roster of unique venues including Toronto’s premier special event facilities, Casa Loma and Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex. Liberty Entertainment Group is also responsible for the development of Toronto’s most prolific restaurants including BlueBlood Steakhouse, Don Alfonso 1890, DaNico, three Cibo Wine Bar locations (King West, Yonge St and Yorkville) and the soon-to-be-opened Blue Bovine Steak and Seafood House at Union Station. With over 500,000 square feet of hospitality space, the Liberty Group caters to a diverse clientele of upwards of 1.75 million people per year including A-list celebrities, sports personalities and industry leaders. Visit http://www.libertygroup.com and on social media @donalfonsoto #donalfonsotoronto @libertygroup #libertygroup.”

I would like to thank Susan of the Siren Group for the lovely evening,“Celebrating Italia!,” celebrating the 20 year partnership between the top culinary arts schools in Italy, the Alma School of Culinary Arts, and in Canada, George Brown College’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts.