“PRINCE OF VENICE” FOOD TRUCK
HITS THE STREETS OF LOS ANGELES

The streets of Los Angeles having been getting the Royal treatment Italian style courtesy of Italian Crown Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia and renowned L.A. Chef Mirko Paderno of Officine BRERA since the two combined to launch Prince of Venice—a food truck offering fine handmade pastas fit for, well, you guessed it, royalty.

Rolling through the streets of L.A. with affordable and gourmet fresh pasta made from authentic Italian recipes, the pasta dishes and fine desserts offer a great alternative to the already crowed food truck scene.

“I wanted to create a gourmet, fresh-pasta Italian food truck with authentic recipes matched by equally high-quality ingredients,” explains Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia—grandson of the last reigning king of Italy whose vestigial royal title is Prince of Piedmont and Venice. “The concept is to make a variety of fresh pasta in front of the clients and to serve it with incredible handmade sauces.”
  
Importing some of its ingredients from Italy, such as flour, olive oil and truffles, Prince of Venice sources mostly from local Southern California farms, focusing on organic produce, cage-free eggs and free-range meat. The menu will regularly rotate based on the availability of fresh and seasonal items, from produce such as zucchini to luxury ingredients like black or white truffles.  Another point of distinction from other Italian food trucks…no pizza!

Prince of Venice pasta dishes will include Maccheroni Tartufo—Parma prosciutto, house-made truffle butter, fresh truffle, Parmigiano cheese ($14); Creste Di Gallo—slow-braised lamb shoulder, taggiasca olives, lodigrana cheese ($11); Casereccie Alla Riviera—shrimps, cherry tomatoes, calamari, clams, crustacean broth, fresh parsley ($14); Spaghetti Melanzane—eggplant, tomatoes, basil, dried ricotta cheese ($9); Conchiglie Amatriciana—Guanciale, tomatoes, crushed red pepper, pecorino gran cru ($10); and Cappellacci Di Vitello—veal shank-stuffed pasta, Parmigiana Reggiano sauce, natural jus ($11).

Along with delicious handmade Italian desserts such as tiramisù, panna cotta and cannoli, Prince of Venice will offer an assortment of beverages including a leading brand of Italian water, Solé, in a sleek, multi-faceted clear glass bottle made for Prince of Venice. The partners envision the possible expansion of the menu into salads, as well as the sale of packaged fresh pastas and sauces for customers to make their own meals at home.

“I’ve known Emanuele a long time, and I was intrigued when he suggested we partner on a food truck,” said Mirko Paderno, who currently serves as chef de cuisine for Officine BRERA in L.A.’s downtown Arts District and will personally spend time on the Prince of Venice truck as his schedule allows.  “This is not a truck that will simply cruise around the city every day, but will participate in select local events, invite other chefs aboard to collaborate, and host specials like a Truffle Celebration or a Midnight Risotto. From the food to the container to every other detail, we want this to be an extraordinary experience for customers.”

The prince has worked as an entrepreneur, producer, writer, novelist and philanthropist. He spent his first 30 years exiled in Switzerland until a change in Italian law allowed the would-be Crown Prince to visit Italy in 2002. A former international banker and hedge fund manager, Emanuele Filiberto segued into entertainment initially as a soccer commentator, then other roles as a television host and presenter.  Winning Italy’s version of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2009, and becoming the only male contestant ever to win, he is excited to hit the streets of L.A. serving delicious pastas.

During my recent visit to the Prince of Venice food truck, I was impressed by the freshness of the pastas. The pesto pasta with basil, parmigiana and pecorino cheese, almond and olive oil was delightful.

Watching the production of the mobile kitchen was impressive as they’re making handmade pasta on location. There’s no reheating a huge patch of premade pasta, what you’re getting is freshly made pasta that does not disappoint. Nevermind that you’re eating “pretty good pasta made on a truck”, no, what you’re savoring is freshly made, delectable pasta.

Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini once said, “Life is a combination of magic and pasta,” and the folks at Prince of Venice take that sentiment to heart. While the plan is to take the truck and roll out in other markets across the U.S., you can say you were in the know back when this was just a favorite L.A. food truck.

Click here to find the Prince of Venice Food Truck.

Photography Courtesy Of: Prince of Venice

Story by Jose Martinez