Gatto Bianco by Fancy Feast (PRNewsfoto/Purina)
Cat food: it’s what’s for dinner. This summer, New Yorkers got the opportunity to dine like a feline at Gatto Bianco (White Cat). The pop-up restaurant was inspired by none other than Fancy Feast.
A Fine Dining Experience, Inspired By Cats
According to a press release from Nestlé Purina, the “limited time, Italian style trattoria and culinary experience” celebrated the brand’s “new globally inspired Medleys recipes.”
Fancy Feast’s in-house chef Amanda Hassner partnered with Michelin Star-winning Italian chef Casare Casella to create the menu. According to the press release, they drew inspiration from the new Fancy Feast Medleys line and traditional Italian cuisine.
“My role at Purina and with Fancy Feast is to bring human food and pet food into focus together. I want to make sure our pets are getting the very best meal experiences, and part of how I achieve that is by creating for humans a sense of how cats — and dogs — relate to food,” Chef Hassner told People. “I prepare and present human food experiences to my colleagues who then create new pet products inspired by those dishes.”
Recreate the Fancy Feast Experience at Home
The restaurant was open to the public for dinner on Aug. 11 and 12. Just 16 feline fanatics got to dine each night. The famous Fancy Feast cat made an appearance, too.
The meals included a complimentary tasting menu starting with a “culinary exploration for cat lovers.”
Additional courses included baked sea bass, Osso Bucco-inspired salmon, Tuscan-style spareribs, braised beef in wine sauce, lemon panna cotta, and almond cake with chocolate.
“Food connects us to others in meaningful ways and can transport us to places we’ve never been, and cat owners can now give their feline companion that same rich mealtime experience,” Chef Hassner said.
Those who didn’t nab a table at Gatto Bianco can still get a taste of the experience. Fancy Feast shared recipes on their website inspired by the restaurant’s menu.