Celebrate 40 Years of Valentino With Epic 40 Dishes, 40 Wines Bash

Selvaggio at Valentino, 40 years later

By Lesley Balla

Piero Selvaggio opened Valentino as a modest red-sauce joint in 1972, but after a trip back to Italy, he discovered more regional cuisines and ingredients like radicchio, buffalo mozzarella and white truffles - things that didn't grace the tables of LA before. After that, he turned Valentino in a bastion of haute Italian cuisine with one of the most spectacular wine lists the city had seen. Today, 40 years later, Selvaggio has evolved with the times, and both he and the restaurant still stand the test of time. And there's only one way to celebrate: A truly epic blowout bash.

The affable proprietor and consummate host will throw a spectacular (and filling) dinner on November 14, when 40 dishes will be paired with 40 different wines - or more like 40 small bites and 40 sips. Sotto's Steve Samson, who worked with Selvaggio for years, joins executive chef Nico Chessa and pastry chef Alessandro Stroppa for the menu, which features dishes from Sicily and Sardinia, Selvaggio's homeland. The dinner is $200 per person, or $125 without the wine pairings. Reservations are a must.

After 40 years in the biz, Selvaggio has a lot to say about the critics, the art of hospitality and what it takes to last this lone in a constantly changing dining scene. For a taste, check out this feature in this month's Angeleno magazine.