PRINCE of VENICE

Like other frequent visitors to Los Angeles, Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia has long enjoyed the city's food truck culture, yet noticed that - like a tortellini with nothing inside - there was something missing. Emanuele Filiberto, grandson of the last reigning king of Italy, has teamed with acclaimed Milan-born L.A. chef Mirko Paderno to fill this long-empty niche with the June 15 debut of Prince of Venice Food Truck...

While the L.A. food truck scene is rife with pizza, panini and standard pasta dishes, as well as cross-culture fusion concepts, Emanuele Filiberto aims to kick it up a few notches with Prince of Venice. "I wanted to create a gourmet, fresh-pasta Italian food truck with authentic recipes matched by equally high-quality ingredients," explains Filiberto, 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 or truffles, Prince of Venice will source most 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!

With its pasta shapes to be informed by those on the truck's deluxe fresh-pasta machine, Prince of Venice will launch with such dishes as: Maccheroni Tartufo, Creste Di Gallo, Casereccie Alla Riviera, Spaghetti Melanzane, Conchiglie Amatriciana, Cappellacci Di Vitello... and much more!

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 The 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."

With its proof of concept in Los Angeles, and a dollop of bella fortuna, Prince of Venice will be rolled out in other markets across the U.S.

PRINCE OF VENICE PARTNERS

Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia is an entrepreneur, producer, writer, novelist and philanthropist. The grandson of Umberto II, the last reigning king of Italy, who was deposed in 1946, Emanuele Filiberto 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, and by an overwhelming margin, Emanuele Filiberto develops and produces television shows and international movies through his production company, AristoCrazy, and more recently launched his own luxury fashion brand, PrinceTees. Active in charity through his Prince of Venice Foundation and Emanuele Filiberto Charity Fund Foundation, Emanuele Filiberto is married to award-winning French actress Clotilde Courau.

Paolo Lasagna di Montemagno is an entrepreneur in the field of Contract Catering and of Catering Services since 1994.
Born in Asti (Piedmont, Italy), began his career since the "First Steps" with his father Silvio, who always took care of Catering.
Noted in 2009 the "Eutourist Serv-System S.P.A." , sold previously by his father. In less than a year, a passion for innovation, the knowledge of Food Chains, the constant search for Italian tastes and flavors in the choice of raw materials, have helped to develop the activity coming to a production of about 44,000 meals cooked and served fresh daily.
To date, sold the restaurant business, is involved in Food Logistics Services with "P.L. Company S.R.L.".