The chef (at left) presides over a seven-course classic French summertime feast, complete with wine pairings.  Photo Gallery »
 

Gabriel Viti isn’t one to do things halfway. The native Highland Parker owns two restaurants—Gabriel’s (French-Italian) and Miramar (Cuban-French)—along with a music club, Gabe’s Backstage Lounge, on the North Shore. In his spare time, he trains for Ironman triathlons. When we last saw Viti, at a Bastille Day pool party he threw for a dozen or so of his closest friends last year, he mentioned he was gearing up to climb Mt. Everest—the first of the seven summits that he hopes to scale.

That the man makes no small plans was obvious even before we learned about the Everest goal. His guests that evening were treated to a seven-course classic French meal paired with exquisite wines that Viti had brought out of his cellar just for this party. He served them in glassware from Riedel’s Sommeliers collection—“they go to the area in the world where a particular wine is created and come up with a shape of glass that best complements it,” he says.

A long table overlooking Viti’s backyard pool and immaculate garden was covered in a lovely light-green toile tablecloth, with small arrangements of white flowers here and there. The tanned chef/host animatedly refilled glasses while explaining his menu and sharing stories of his years in France, where he lived, along with Italy and Switzerland, for a total of six years and cooked under some of the world’s most famous chefs. “The French live at such a high level—they really enjoy life,” says Viti, who clearly does the same.

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Photograph: Chris Guillen

Green Zebra Heirloom Tomatoes Provençal

/ serves 8

• 4 medium Green Zebra tomatoes
• 6 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
• 6 tbsp. virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp. parsley, chopped
  salt and pepper

Slice tomatoes into halves, evenly. Mix all other ingredients together. Lightly season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Apply the cheese mixture to the top of the tomatoes with a spoon. Place the tomatoes on a sheet pan and broil until golden brown; at that point they will be warm in the center and ready to serve.

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Lobster Soup with Black Truffles and Zucchini Flowers

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/ serves 8

• 5 one-pound lobsters
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. garlic, sliced
• ½ cup celery, diced
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• ½ cup carrots, chopped
• ¼ cup brandy
• 1 cup cream sherry
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 13 cups chicken stock
• 1 orange, cut into quarters
• 2 star anise
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbsp. black truffles, chopped
• 8 sautéed zucchini flowers
  parsley, for garnish

Boil whole lobsters for eight minutes in a large pot, then plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. When cold, crack the lobsters and remove meat from tails and claws; cut meat into bite-size pieces.

Sauté lobster body shells in butter in a large stock pot until they’re red. Add garlic, onions, celery, and carrots and cook until vegetables have softened. Add brandy and sherry; reduce until half of liquid is gone. Add chicken stock, tomato paste, orange pieces, star anise, paprika, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and black pepper, and cook slowly until reduced by half again. Remove shells, anise, and bay leaves. Strain broth through a chinois strainer and pour back into a clean stockpot. Add cream; bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Just before serving add lobster meat, black truffles, and zucchini flowers. Heat for three minutes; season with salt and pepper. Garnish each serving with parsley.

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Photograph: Chris Guillen