Namely, at the beginning of February in Villa Ariston, with special lunch it was marked the entry of restaurants in the JRE Croatia association, which is part of the European gastronomic family active in 16 countries. JRE currently embraces more than 350 European restaurants and chefs, with total of 180 Michelin stars and over 4,000 points Gault Millau guides. There are more than seven million visitors, 6,500 employees and a transactions of 550 million euros.

The Croatian section of this association, which has 44 years of culinary traditions (we have written about it in more details), in 2018, gathers 14 restaurants - Pergola (Savudrija), San Rocco (Brtonigla), Badi (Umag), Marina (Novigrad), Monte (Rovinj, 1 Michelin star), Zigante (Livade), Draga di Lovrana (Lovran), Villa Ariston (Opatija), Blue basement (Volosko), Boškinac (Novalja), Foša (Zadar), Pelegrini (Šibenik), Restaurant 360 Dubrovnik) and Dubravka put (Zagreb). This year JRE Croatia, due to the arrival of Villa Ariston and the departure of Bevenda from Opatija, left by chef Damir Tomljanović, stayed on last year's number of members.

The new ambitions of Villa Ariston, especially with regard to its gourmet restaurant, needs to thank today's owner Mark Barbić, an entrepreneur of Croatian roots with his address in Milan and director of hotel Cintija Vučaj. After a welcome drink (Champagne Veuve Clicquot Brut) and tasty snacks, and the introduction of a new member of JRE Croatia, the lunch in four courses made by an experienced chef started, three made of the seafood and desserts. Since he could not even show a part of his repertoire in such a short menu, he decided to divide the first course into three pieces, and third to divide into two, so we had the opportunity to taste six dishes. It began with a cold appetizer of interesting combinations of bowl of Kvarner shrimps and orada with pistachio cracker, then vacuum-cooked octopus, with shallot foam and cold caponata, and tartar of sea bass with orange and honey cream.

As a warm appetizer served with black and white rice with oysters cooked in beer and caviar of wasabia and parsley, and for the main dish is served interesting duo - roll of mackerel with confit of cherry tomatoes, vegetable cream and dried olives and marinated shark with zucchini and almond pesto, a pancetta chips, a sparkling cream of fennel and crispy vegetables. Along with everything,it is served JRE Malvazija Kozlović, vintage 2015, and as a spice is served JRE Chiavalon olive oil from the 2016 harvest.

The lunch ended with a dessert in the shape of cake of two types of chocolate, with a gel ravioli of lemon peel and mandarin ice cream and Franck espresso.

Irina Ban from JRE Croatia took advantage of the opportunity to inform all present about the Association's plans for the 2018. For the third time, after the Museum of Interrupted Relationships and baroque castle Miljan, a gala event called Talent & Passion Dinner will be held on March 10, where  will cook all 14 chefs from restaurants and members of the Association, and the income from the tickets will be donated for charity purposes (tickets for the event are available at all restaurant-members).

Also, the project Chef at Sea is announced, which will further link Croatian and international chefs JRE. The project is conceived in the form of visiting foreign chefs in Croatian restaurants - members of the Association. Traditionally, JRE Croatia continues with activities which involves partner companies - Miele, Miva Wine Gallery, Franck, Kozlović and Chiavalon. Meanwhile, a new blend of Olive Oil Chiavalon and Malvazija Kozlović has been selected, which are under the special JRE label, can be tasted in all JRE Croatia's restaurants. Furthermore, a new edition of the JRE Croatia's National Restaurant Guide 2018/2019 is expected in early April, which is issued with the support of the Croatian Tourist Association.

Finally, we do not doubt that Villa Ariston will add a new value to the JRE Croatia Association, and the idyllic and historically rich houses to the restaurant guests, in its sumptuous hall and on stone terraces with a view on the Kvarner Bay, will provide numerous culinary surprises and delights. It will be interesting to follow the development of the restaurant as well as its young and ambitious chef.

Translated from source: //www.iceipice.hr/hr/blog/novi-adut-jre-hrvatska