Winona’s (676 Flushing Ave.), the modern European restaurant-cafe and natural wine bar at the edge of Williamsburg that opened last fall, is launching its first pop-up chef residency program. First up, Italian chef Elisa da Prato.
Chef da Prato owns Elisa in Barga, Italy and is known for her metaphysical approach to cooking, presenting dishes that celebrate the natural world, as well as the human experience tied to cooking, eating, and oral tradition.
“We’ve long been fans of Chef Elisa Da Prato’s beautiful, artistic approach to cooking, and the way she incorporates unexpected flavors and ingredients into her dishes while remaining true to her Italian heritage, all while utilizing the most wonderful products, refusing to cut any corners,” said Cressida Greening, Winona’s Co-Owner and executive chef. “Since we are currently only doing dinner service at the weekends we had the idea to offer the space to other chefs on the nights it would otherwise be empty. Chef Da Prato recently returned from Barga in Italy where she had been operating a full service restaurant prior to COVID. Upon returning, Da Prato was keen to get back in the kitchen and reinvigorate the following she had established before her departure, having had the opportunity to hone her dishes to perfection.”
Chef de Prato’s aperitivo and dinner menus launched on Sunday, February 14, and her residency will continue every Sunday and Monday through March 7, 2021. Chef da Prato will lead the kitchen from 12 – 5pm for aperitivo, and afterwards, fo dinner. The pop-up menu showcases her best dishes including the citrus anchovy linguine and chestnut flour fried quail. Greening, who is also a certified sommelier with The Court of Master Sommeliers, will be offering a range of wine pairings to accompany the meal.
Greening says that guests can expect from four weeks of joyful, exuberant cooking during the residency. “Each week will bring its own focus which will be iterated throughout the conceptualization of the dishes as well as the wines being poured by the glass and so on,” Greening said. “Chef Da Prato’s cooking is experiential and at times cerebral but it is above all about deliciousness and hospitality – something which really rings true with our ethos at Winona’s and is one of the many reasons why we’re so excited to kick off this partnership!”
Winona’s offers both outdoor and indoor seating, with reservations available via Resy.