Dress in your favorite caftan and bring your air of privilege, because Tonno in Gloucester is celebrating hit TV show The White Lotus with a themed brunch this month. Enjoy a complimentary Italian Spritz and Regaleali Sicilian wine tasting, alongside dishes like tomato, mozzarella, and basil “How’s your Caprese? I was told that the cheese here was made by a blind nun in a basement” and Monica Vitti’s “Spaghetti with Big Clams, ‘The menus all pasta, I’m going to be so bloated.’”
If you know, you know.
In addition to the brunch, served family-style, each guest receives a The White Lotus gift bag with a hat, sunglasses, and a beach towel. Fancy dress is encouraged – prizes will be awarded for the best character-related costumes.
David Petrilli, the restaurant group’s operating partner, is a big fan of the show and created the concept. “As someone in the hospitality industry, one of my favorite aspects of The White Lotus is seeing how the guests and staff interact as their storylines are crossed,” Petrilli says.
The group’s previous forays into TV-themed dining – a Godfather 50th anniversary dinner and a dinner series inspired by the show Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy – were such successes that they were encouraged to expand the concept. “I thought it would be a fun idea to bring that same White Lotus experience to our guests,” Petrilli says.
Those events have become so popular, they are currently discussing a “best of” dinner at the group’s North End restaurant Prezza and both Tonno restaurants.
The second season of The White Lotus follows guests and employees over the span of a week at the White Lotus’s Sicily location, the team loved the idea of indulging in the concept with their own guests, a spokesperson explained, adding that brunches are special because it is a way to showcase private events for the general public. The event, May 21 at Tonno Gloucester, follows on the heels of successful White Lotus events at the group’s Prezza restaurant in Boston, The Blue Ox in Lynn, and Tonno Wakefield.
It’s all so much fun that the group is developing the menu for a dinner series at The Blue Ox inspired by Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico. The show, in which Longoria explores Mexico discovering the flavors of different regions, just aired the fifth of six episodes, and culinary director Jay Silva and Petrilli have been taking notes.
For details on upcoming events, check social media for Tonno Gloucester, Tonno Wakefield, and The Blue Ox. $100 per person includes tax and gratuity; cash bar following cocktail hour.