The fourth edition of the Tribute Dinner will also bring together Pere Malagelada, Jaume Font and Aitor Núñez in Calella de Palafrugell (Costa Brava) for an evening dedicated to reinterpreted traditional cuisine.
The countdown has already begun. This Saturday, 25 July, the gardens of the 4* Hotel Alga in Calella de Palafrugell will host the fourth edition of the Tribute Dinner, one of the most special gastronomic events of the summer on the Costa Brava.
The star of the evening will be a story that began over thirty years ago. Chefs Carles Abellan and Oriol Balaguer will be sharing a kitchen once again after three decades, rekindling the professional bond that began in 1995 at the restaurant L’Atalaia and which later brought them together at Hacienda Benazuza, Ferran Adrià’s project in Seville.
“To me, Carles is like a brother. I’m particularly excited to be cooking with him again and sharing this evening with good friends. With him, and also with Pere Malagelada, the architect of this reunion, and with Jaume Font and Aitor Núñez”, explains Oriol Balaguer, who will be responsible for bringing the dinner to a close with a reinterpretation of the classic Massini with cream and truffle and a spectacular chocolate sculpture inspired by Ramats de Foc, created especially for this edition.
The Tribute Dinner will be led, once again this year, by chef Pere Malagelada, head chef at the El Càntir restaurant at the Hotel Alga, who will be joined by four leading figures in the world of gastronomy: Jaume Font, a chef from the Empordà region; Aitor Núñez, the Basque master of the grill; pastry chef Oriol Balaguer; and Carles Abellan, creator of Tapas 24 and one of the figures who has contributed most to raising the profile of the world of tapas.
A unique menu to be enjoyed on a single evening
The Tribute Dinner will begin with an appetiser created by Pere Malagelada using meat from Ramats de Foc, a project that brings together gastronomy, the local area and forest fire prevention.
Next, Carles Abellan will revive some of his most iconic tapas, including his legendary truffle-infused ‘Bikini’. Veteran chef Jaume Font will present his legendary sea bass in cava, whilst Aitor Núñez will offer a tasting of Zarautz-style pork chop and picaña, before master pastry chef Oriol Balaguer rounds off the evening with dessert and his spectacular chocolate creation.
A well-established fixture of the gastronomic summer
The event on 25 July will mark the fourth edition of the Tribute Dinner organised by the 4* Hotel Alga, situated a stone’s throw from Port Bo beach and owned by the Nicolazzi family since 1960. With this latest edition, the Tribute Dinner consolidates an initiative that began with the aim of celebrating Catalan cuisine, its great chefs and the produce that forms part of our gastronomic identity.
The first edition was held in 2023 to honour the career of the Catalan-Alsatian chef Jean Louis Neichel, who cooked in a four-handed collaboration with Pere Malagelada. In 2024, the Tribute Dinner paid homage to the roots of Catalan cuisine and to two professionals who, for years, have also led the way as ‘true gastronomic icons’: the brothers Josep and Jaume Font, from the legendary Hotel Sa Punta in Pals, and Benvi Aligué, from the now-closed Aligué restaurant in Manresa. Last year’s guest was Pere Arpa, a chef from Banyoles, in an edition that demonstrated the respect and passion these chefs feel for the ingredients of our land.
This year, because “the produce is the beginning of everything”, in the words of Ferran Adrià, the spotlight will be on the produce itself and the great chefs who know how to handle it, respect it and transform it into memorable dishes.
Tribute Dinner at the 4* Hotel Alga
Date: Saturday 25 July
Venue: Gardens of the Hotel Alga, Calella de Palafrugell (Girona)
Bookings: www.algahotel.com | Telephone: (+34) 972 617 080
Source: ACEVEDO COM