The 94th running of the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show, the USA’s premier foodservice exhibition, was percolating in Chicago on Sunday, starting with the keynote speech delivered by Starbucks Chairman, President and CEO Howard Schultz.
The four-day event, which runs through May 21, is expected to draw over 58,000 visitors from more than 100 countries. They will have lots to see and learn about, as more than 1,800 suppliers will show their stuff at 2000-plus booths. Among them are innovative frozen food purveyors such as cut pasta- and sauce-making company Giovanni Rana. The versatility of its product line is being spotlighted by James Beard Award-winning Chef Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia (Chicago’s only four-star Italian restaurant) and Italy’s Michelin-starred Chef Giancarlo Perbellini.
“We are thrilled to be participating in the most highly regarded, restaurant industry trade show in the US, bringing our pastas and sauces to markets across the country,” said CEO Gian Luca Rana.
The company is hosting several interactive activities at the NRA venue to show how Giovanni Rana products are easily folded into any menu and work with today’s dining trends. At 10 AM each day attendees can visit the booth (#1868) to watch Chef Tony Mantuano square off against Chef Giancarlo Perbellini in a cook-off competition where they will prepare dishes based on a mystery basket containing Giovanni Rana products and other ingredients.
At 2 PM daily there are cooking demonstrations along the themes of “Guilt-Free Pasta,” featuring dishes with calorie counts of under 600; “Pasta Brunch,” incorporating pasta into a weekend menu; and “101 Ways to Love Pesto.”
The Rana Group, which was founded in 1962 in Verona, Italy, produces pasta in the United States at a facility in Bartlett, Illinois. The extensive range runs the gamut from North Atlantic Lobster Ravioli, Chicken Tortelloni and Gnocchi to Marinara Bolognese, Alfredo, Basil Pesto and Gourmet Mushroom sauces.
