ESB “TRUST” Dinner
Chef Peter McNee
We are excited to announce the First TRUST Dinner guest chef of 2023, Chef Peter McNee, Executive Chef of Convivo in Santa Barbara whose beautiful, bright delicious food has a strong Mediterranean influence. Chef Peter’s food is best described as ‘Nomad Italian‘ as it strays from traditional Italian, sourcing inspiration from other cultures’ cooking, but at its soul remaining thoroughly Italian. Following an extremely successful culinary career at award winning restaurants in the Bay Area, Chef Peter opened Convivo in 2016, a staple of Santa Barbara’s culinary scene!
The Cuisine…
This experience will be a multi-course dinner including both individual and shared plates all full of variety, color and flavor drawing from Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and a touch of France! It wouldn’t be a Trust dinner without beautiful wines, so bring your favorites to pair! Let Chef Peter share with you dishes crafted specifically for this event. Food allergies will be accommodated at chef’s discretion. Please include in notes.
About Chef…
After graduating college, McNee left his home state of Minnesota for California to pursue a career as a chef in San Francisco. While attending culinary school he worked at famed Stars and later at Tra Vigne in Napa Valley. Not satisfied with his stateside teachings, Peter embarked on a yearlong culinary pilgrimage to Italy to cook with the ‘nonna.’ While living with host families, cooking and traveling throughout the country, he fell in love with Italian food and culture. Returning to the Bay Area, he was drawn to iconic restaurateur Larry Mindel, the founder of Il Fornaio restaurants, and his shared passion for Italy. As Executive Chef at Poggio, McNee and owner Mindel formed a lasting friendship and partnership. The restaurant has earned multiple 3-star reviews from the San Francisco Chronicle and placement within the coveted “Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area” rankings each year since 2008. At the tome Poggio was included in the 2016 Michelin Bib Gourmand list for the San Francisco bay area. In 2016 Chef Peter opened Convivo restaurant and bar at the Santa Barbara Inn, 901 East Cabrillo Boulevard. Convivo, whose name means ‘to come together’ and is the root word for the Latin term for ‘feast.’ McNee describes his style of food for Convivo as ‘Nomad Italian.’ “The foundation – our soul – is Italian but our destination is Santa Barbara and the menu draws from different styles and traditions along the way.”
What is a “Trust” Dinner?
A trust dinner is an upscale multi-course meal (5+ Courses), where guests put their trust into the Chef, who will be preparing a one of a kind dinner revealed upon arrival! Why no menu in advance? Because: #1.) we like to surprise our guests, and #2.) we want to remove any pre-conceived notions regarding what the dishes will taste like, or look like. This is part of the experience, and part of the fun.
What we can tell you is that the food will be fantastic. We are featuring only chefs who have inspired us, who have shown great passion and remarkable skill and pedigree; chefs who have a distinctive culinary voice. Their biographies and the event description will provide sufficient details about the dinner; (for example: Mediterranean, Modern, or Vegetable-driven). The team at Epicurean Santa Barbara will know the menu in advance, so we can notify the chef of dietary restrictions, and answer any questions regarding the dinner.
Trust dinner are BYOB. You heard us right! In the event reminder, we will offer wine pairing suggestions for the dinner, and you are welcome to bring whatever bottles (or spirits) you see fit!
