Her flaming red hair immediately catches our attention as do her outlandishly creative and deviously delicious gourmet creations. And now, the celebrated and charismatic chef Adrianne Calvo bedazzles diners at her Miami eatery with appetizers, entrees and desserts glittering with 24K gold. More award-winning female chefs: Carme Ruscadella, Michelle Bernstein, Leo Espinosa, Cindy Hutson.
Chef Adrianne Calvo.
The young chef was born in Chicago to Cuban parents. Owner of Miami’s Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar, opened in 2007, Calvo has secured an impressive reputation in South Florida’s culinary scene and has turned her name into a symbol of gastronomic excellence. Author of two cookbooks and the recipient of multiple awards and accolades, the 28-year-old chef takes pride in being a culinary maverick, always on the lookout for outrageous and unexpected colors, tastes and mixtures to surprise her patrons.
Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar.
Without a doubt, the chef has garnered prestige and notoriety for her defiant proposals and abundant imagination. But her decision to use gold in her recipes is based on more than a desire to sprinkle a little eye candy onto her plates. “Gold has always been considered to be a mineral with medical and healing properties,” says the accomplished chef. “It’s been used for centuries to calm joint inflammation and arthritis, treat skin disorders, and improve overall health and wellness, so it seemed like a perfect ingredient to add to the mix.”
Chef Adrianne features gold-themed dishes once every month during her restaurant’s “Dark Dining Nights”, a two-hour event where patrons heighten their senses by wearing blindfolds while enjoying a specially prepared multi-course gourmet meal.
Dark Dining Nights.
“We’ll gradually be incorporating gold into our regular nightly specials so more of our diners can have the gold experience without wearing blindfolds,” explains Chef Adrianne who has incorporated the precious metal into her Steak tartare, pastas and some desserts. “We’ve even sprinkled it on kale, to make a Super Green,” she said. “With gold as an ingredient, the possibilities are endless.” ■
