From Runway to Ristorante... Bertolli® Sauce Transforms Zac Posen's Post-Show Party at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Into a Stylish Italian Ristorante

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Fine Italian chefsmanship will walk hand-in-hand down the runway with fine fashion craftsmanship as Lincoln Center transforms into a Bertolli® Sauce Ristorante at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Italy will be served tomorrow night in New York and party hosts include designer Zac Posen and chef and author Rocco DiSpirito. Scoring coveted "reservations" to the post-show party are Rashida Jones, Rachel Bilson, Michelle Trachtenberg, Gillian Jacobs and Emmy award winner, Claire Danes among others.

Inspired by Bertolli® Sauce and created by Bertolli® consumers and foodies just for the occasion, five original dishes will appear on the menu. This summer, Bertolli® Sauce conducted a contest to submit original recipes inspired by Bertolli® Pasta Sauce for a chance to win a trip to New York City and have their dish featured at the Bertolli® Sauce Ristorante. Five winners were selected from hundreds entries and judged by the chefs in the Bertolli® Sauce kitchen.  

The Bertolli® Sauce Ristorante opens its doors in celebration of Mr. Posen's first-ever runway show for Z Spoke. "In my home, food is love.  We've always marked important occasions with menus of homemade dishes, which is why I'm thrilled to be doing just that to inaugurate my first runway show for Z Spoke surrounded by my friends," said the designer.  "I love to cook!"  

Hosting the event alongside Mr. Posen, will be Chef Rocco DiSpirito, well-known as a chef and author. "I am thrilled to be co-hosting the Bertolli® Sauce Ristorante event with Zac Posen. Empowering home cooks to bring great meals to their own families and kitchens is really what Bertolli® and I stand for," said DiSpirito. "I congratulate the winners of the Bertolli® Sauce Ristorante contest for their great recipes. They should be so proud." 

On the Menu

Bertolli® Sauce Ristorante winning dishes include:

• Bertolli® Bean, Poultry & Sausage Polenta Au Gratin developed by Margee Berry from Trout Lake, WA
• Sausage & Kale Four Cheese Rosa Soup created by Andreann Geise of Myrtle Beach, SC
• Walnut Pumpkin Ravioli with Ricotta and Bertolli® Vidalia Onion Pasta Sauce cooked up by Allison Luxenberg of Austin, TX
• Bertolli® Braised Lamb Shank with Mushrooms and Brown-braised Onions served up by Amy Deline hailing from Syracuse, NY
• Bertolli® Easy Seafood Quiche created by Gaylenn Molyneaux of Beaverton, OR

For authentic Italian recipes, including the winning Bertolli®-inspired dishes, and cooking tips to create your own restaurant quality meal in the comfort of your home, visit www.facebook.com/Bertolli or www.VillaBertolli.com.

About Bertolli®

In 1865, in the town of Lucca, in the Tuscan heart of Italy's olive growing region, Francesco Bertolli® opened a small storefront business selling regional foods such as olive oil, wine, cheese and olives. In the late 1800s, the Bertolli® business grew from its Italian roots when Italian emigrants to America, unable to find the products to which they were accustomed, wrote to Bertolli® asking for crates of olive oil. In reply, Bertolli® sent orders to America and thus became the first exporter of olive oil. By the 1890s, Bertolli® was sold in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. From there, business gradually expanded west and eventually found export markets beyond the United States.

From its beginnings in olive oil, Bertolli® today has grown to include a broad range of restaurant-quality pasta sauce and skillet meals. While the Bertolli® portfolio of products is constantly evolving to meet changing consumer needs, it continues to stay true to its Italian origins of culinary craftsmanship and trademark values of guaranteed quality, consistency and authenticity.  Today, more than 140 years since Francesco Bertolli® began selling his olive oil in Lucca, Italy, the original "Villa Bertolli®" at piazza S. Donato still stands, just as Bertolli® remains at the heart of the authentic Italian cuisine enjoyed at home by millions of families around the world.  For more information visit www.villaBertolli®.com.

About Unilever

Unilever [NYSE: UL, UN], one of the world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 150 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.   The company has a portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get more out of life.

In the United States these brands include recognized names such as: Axe, "all," Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli®, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline.  All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.  Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever in the United States employs approximately 13,000 people in more than 60 office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2006. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

SOURCE Bertolli