In 1967, Sophia Loren was 33 years old, Ferrari was selling the 365 GT 2+2 for less than $20,000, and wine producer Santa Rita was bottling its Barolo Riserva.

Sophia's no longer 33 (though we think she looks pretty wonderful for a 75-year-old!) and the Ferrari you see pictured above costs a LOT more than $20,000 (it was owned by actor William Holden), but you CAN drink the Santa Rita Barolo!

On the evening of December 3, Mario i sentieri will host a vintage Italian wine dinner, pairing nine vintage Italian red wines (from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s) with a superb Tuscan meal. Other commitments prevent Sophia Loren from joining us, but it should be a fantastic evening. We look forward to seeing you!

Door opens: 7:00 p.m. Dinner starts: 7:30 p.m.
Price: ¥20,000 (course, wine and tax included)
Please call to reserve at 03-6418-7072.

Can you believe it's November already? Neither can we, but, hey, time flies when you're having fun. Tearing down October's calendar page and exposing November's reminded us that it's getting close to end-of-year Christmas party and bonenkai season.

If you're thinking about organizing an event, we'd love to host you here at Mario i sentieri, and we'll be delighted to help you create a memorable event that will fit your budget. Please call us for reservations on 03-6418-7072!

With Mario i sentieri open for dinner six nights a week (and lunch Mondays through Fridays), chef Mario doesn't get much time to rest, and lately, he's been working on his days off. Not that it looks like work when you're flying down to Miyakojima to consult with the management of one of Japan's most luxurious beach resorts about making improvements to their Italian restaurant.

Mario has been planning the menu and training staff in Italian-style service at the Grande Mare restaurant in the Shigira Bayside Suite Allamanda, a luxury all-suite resort that's a 45-minute flight from Naha. We've posted a few of his snapshots taken at the hotel, where Mario says he's managed to squeeze in a few rounds of golf, a few swims in the ocean, and a few good Italian meals, washed down with a few good bottles of Italian wine.

The next time you're at the restaurant and ask Mario about his suntan, don't be surprised if he says, "Hey, I was working!"

To learn more about the Shigira Bayside Suite Allamanda, visit: http://www.nanseirakuen.com/miyakoisland/allamanda/index.html

On Tuesday, November 17, Mario welcomes one of the most famous names in wine – Ruffino – to Mario i sentieri for a winemaker's dinner.

Adolpho Folonari, proprietor of the storied Ruffino estate, which has been producing wine for over 130 years, will be on hand to pour and discuss his Orvieto Classico, Lumina Pinot Grigio, Aziano and superb Riserva Ducale Oro. And as always, Mario will prepare a dinner to specifically complement the wines being poured. We hope to see you there!

Door opens: 7:00 p.m. Dinner starts: 7:30 p.m.
Price: ¥12,500 (course, wine and tax included)
Please call to reserve at 03-6418-7072.

Come to Mario i sentieri and enjoy an amazing lunch at an amazing price. With choices ranging from ¥1,000 to a four-course feast including a glass of spumante for only ¥2,800, lunch at Mario i sentieri fits every taste and every appetite. Please call us for reservations on 03-6418-7072, or just drop in, from Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. (last order 1:30 p.m.).

STAUB LUNCH
Every day Mario chooses from the freshest ingredients to prepare a hot lunch like Mama used to make. Served in a Staub cocotte with salad, potatoes and bread. ¥1,000

PASTA LUNCH
Homemade pasta of the day with choice of three sauces, served with salad, bread and coffee or tea. ¥1,300

SPECIAL LUNCH
Homemade pasta of the day, your choice of the day's special meat or fish main course, dessert and coffee or tea. ¥1,800

MARIO I SENTIERI LUNCH

A glass of spumante to start things off, followed by a delicious lunch of antipasto, Homemade pasta of the day, your choice of the day's special meat or fish main course, dessert and coffee or tea. ¥2,800

Lunch is served Mon-Fri from 11: 30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (last order 1:30 p.m.)

On Monday, November 9, the family-owned Castello Banfi vineyard will join Mario i sentieri in a collaboration pairing delicious Tuscan food and wine. A constellation of single vineyards encompassing more than three dozen varying subsoils, the Castello Banfi estate produces a wide range of superb wines, and the tasting dinner will include the sparkling Banfi Brut, the pinot grigio/chardonnay blend Le Rime 2007, and a pair of beautiful reds, Banfi's Cum Laude Sant' Antimo 2006 and Brunello di Montalcino 2004. We will pour an additional wine at the dinner, but you'll have to come to the dinner to find out what it is!

The wine promises to be superb, and a Japanese-speaking representative from Banfi will be flying in to discuss the wines as they are poured (and drunk), but the evening won't be just about the wine. Mario is planning a Tuscan feast that will complement the wines throughout the entire course of the meal. We hope to see you there!

Door opens: 7:00 p.m. Dinner starts: 7:30 p.m.
Price: ¥13,500 (course, wine and tax included)
Please call to reserve at 03-6418-7072.

New for October is the Mario i Sentieri business lunch. Last month we started serving lunch, Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., and the response has been excellent, so we're adding a "business lunch", to help you take care of your important clients, and yourself!

The new business lunch includes a welcoming (and welcome – it's a jungle out there!) glass of spumante, an appetizer, pasta course and main dish, as well as dessert and coffee or tea, all for only ¥3,000. Please call us for reservations on 03-6418-7072!

Critic Robert Parker's wine ratings influence the prices not only of individual bottles but also of entire vintages. Parker devised his 100-point rating system to try to provide wine lovers with a framework on which they could compare different wines' color, appearance, aroma, bouquet, flavor, finish, and overall quality level or potential. Parker says, "Scores, however, do not reveal the important facts about a wine ... there can never be any substitute for your own palate nor any better education than tasting the wine yourself."

Autumn has always been our favorite season. Cool weather, clearer skies (we can see Mount Fuji again!), warm clothes and ... mushrooms! From this month, we'll be celebrating autumn by putting mushrooms on the menu wherever we can – maitake, shimeji, eringi, porcini, enokitake and shiitake. Also – of course – you can look for chestnuts on the menu as well. We know that's more of a winter thing, but they're coming into season, and we like them.

World famous Italian soprano Barbara Frittoli (no relation to world famous Italian chef Mario Frittoli) came to dinner at Mario i sentieri the other night, and though she did come into the kitchen, she left the cooking (no frittata) to Mario. For Mario, meeting Barbara was a huge thrill, as he'd been a fan of her music for many years. No word from Barbara on whether or not meeting Mario was a thrill, but we know she had a good meal!