The Dante Club celebrated its 37th Calabrese Night Dinner and Dance on Saturday featuring the band Introduction.
The theme for the 37th edition of La Serata Calabrese (Calabrese Night) was Il Giardino Di Olive Della Calabria (The Olive Garden of Calabria).
Calabria is famous for its agriculture which features such exotic crops as olives, citrus fruits, figs, chestnuts, prickly pears (ficchi d’India), in addition to more traditional crops such as grapes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers.
The sold-out event featured fine dining a la Calabrese with such regional dishes as chicken broth soup, lasagna, penne rigate (ribbed penne), calamari, stuffed green peppers and insalata misto.
The main course Chicken Supreme was a delicious traditional Canadian dish.
The traditional Calabrese dishes combined with the Chicken Supreme to celebrate the best of Italian-Canadian cuisine and culture.
“You couldn’t ask for a better evening of celebration of our Italian and Canadian heritage,” said Hector Ciccone, the president of the Dante Club.
“You know, within Timmins’ Italian community we like to compete over who throws the best dinner is the Calabrese, the Abruzzese or the Trevisano,“ said Dr. Chris Loretto, a member of the board of directors for the Dante Club.
“But really all three dinners are celebration of our great Italian culture and it is also a wonderful opportunity for all of Timmins to come out and enjoy our Italian cuisine, music and cultural traditions."
After dinner, the diners were treated to the eclectic tastes and musical offerings from the band Introduction, who hail from the Welland-Fonthill area of the Niagara Peninsula.
The band played great dance music ranging from traditional Italian songs such as Ti Amo, C’e la Luna Mezzo Mare, Calabrisella Mia, and then transitioned to rocking 1950’s song such as Chubby Checker’s Twist Again and more contemporary songs.
“This has turned out to be great evening,” said Joanna Norkum, the organizer of Calabrese Night. “The food was great and Introduction is an amazing band.”
Although the dinner is to celebrate Calabrese culture and cuisine, Calabria being the southern most mainland part of Italy, famously shaped as the foot and toe of the Italy boot, members of the public are very much welcomed to join in the celebration.
Attending the Calabrese Night dinner were local leaders such as Mayor Steve Black. Deputy Police Chief Des Walsh was there and so was Luc Duval, City Engineer; Glen Sheculski, Director of Education for the Northern Eastern Ontario District Catholic School Board.
“My wife and I are having a great time,” Domenic Colantonio, a Government of Canada employee. “We loved the food and the band is great to dance to.”
The dinner was sponsored by most of Timmins' leading companies such as Goldcorp, Lake Shore Gold, the Torchia Group, Gorf Contracting, Tim Hortons, Cedar Meadows, Custom Concrete, Melissa Kelly Dance Academy, Hollinger Dental Group and NPLH Drilling.
Individuals like Dolores Larch also contributed.
“We had great support this year from the Timmins community,” said Mark Norkum. “People like Paul Delmonte of Delmonte Gravel for example.”
“Jeremy Pietela of Custom Concrete, Cain Safety Systems and Robert Rubino and Son’s Trucking, so many I can’t list them all, but I thank them all.”
For those that missed, La Serata Calabrese (Calabrese Night), the Dante Club will host Abruzzese Night on Oct. 21, 2017 as well the Valentine's Day Dance on Feb. 14, 2017.
This year the first annual Dante Club Golf Tournement will be held July 29, 2017. The following day, July 30, will see the celebration of Timmins' first annual Festa Italia in association with the Downtown Business Improvement Association.
For more information on Dante Club events, please here.