Celebrated Chef and Master Sommelier to Showcase Gourmet Expertise at Conrad Maldives

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has snapped up celebrated chef Marc Forgione and award-winning Master Sommelier Joseph Spelling to exhibit their tasty American cuisine and wine expertise between 25th and 28th March.

Marc Forgione has taken America by storm with his relaxed yet high-style approach to New American cooking. Joint owner of successful New York restaurant, ‘Marc Forgione’, the chef is highly praised for his culinary talents where the “ingredients are the star”.

With past experience working alongside commended chef Patricia Yeo at AZ in New York and top restaurants in France such as Le Pres D’Eugenie, Forgione secured success as Chef de Cuisine at New York’s popular restaurant, BLT Steak. His accolades culminated in a 27 in the Zagat Guide making it the highest ranking steakhouse in the history of New York City and earning him a promotion to Corporate Chef for the BLT Restaurant Group, which has since enabled him to develop recipes and expand the BLT brand across the country.

During the event Forgione will be joined by the highly successful Joseph Spelling, a Master Sommelier since 1996 and one of just 95 Americans and 160 individuals worldwide. Currently working for JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery in California, Spelling is also an international leading wine educator, writer, and consultant, as well as frequent instructor and examiner in the Court of Master Sommeliers.

He has also been awarded the rare title ‘Best Sommelier in the World’ in French Wines and Spirits and named the ‘Bon Appetit’ Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year.

Guests at the resort can enjoy this combined American expertise at three special dinners. The first on March 25th will be held in the resort’s famous Wine Cellar, which boasts a 30,000 strong wine collection. Liaising with Marc Forgione, Joseph Spelling will select the perfect wine to complement each mouth-watering course, ensuring that guests enjoy a complete culinary experience.

On March 27th, guests can delight in their talents in the resort’s idyllic Sunset Grill Restaurant. Set on stilts 50 metres out to sea atop a coral reef, Marc Forgione’s food will be carefully matched with boutique wines chosen by Joseph Spelling and enjoyed in private dining booths amidst the fresh open-air.

Finishing on March 28th, guests can feast with the fishes as the pair present their creations in Ithaa; one of the world’s first all-glass under-sea restaurants, a unique dining venue five metres below the surface with 180-degrees of panoramic underwater views.

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is renowned for its fine dining, boasting seven award-winning restaurants and three bars, deeming it the ultimate resort for gourmet cuisine.

A dining and wining experience with Marc Forgione and Joseph Spelling costs from $130 (£90) per night per person for guests staying on a half board basis and $190 (£130) per night per person for guests staying on a bed and breakfast basis.

Set in a picturesque corner of the Maldives, the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island combines three distinct resort experiences on two islands, linked by a bridge and surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and lagoon. Accommodation includes 50 Water Villas, 79 Beach Villas and 21 Spa Water Villas.

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