Meet the

Chef

{ Matteo Bergamini }

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What is your most memorable moment as a chef?
Cooking for some celebrities that I have been a longtime fan of, like Mark Wahlberg, Andy Roddick, and Gavin Rossdale. It’s a crazy cool feeling cooking for them knowing that you just went to see their movie or watch them play.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten?
A couple of years ago I wanted to move back to Italy to keep quiet and figure out where I wanted to continue my career. When I told my former employer, Daniel Boulud, he responded, “You are too young to keep quiet.” He was right. I came back, and now at 29 years old I am the executive chef at SD26.

Rule No. 1 for first dates (or in our humble opinion for the first three months of dates): Keep the wine flowing. It won’t be a problem with SD26’s nifty Enomatic digital dispenser. Tap it for $100 worth of vino and you’ll be all set — for the first date, at least.

The Place

There’s a lot to mention when discussing SD26: the owners (Tony May and daughter Marisa May, of San Domenico fame), the $7 million decor, and the ingenious chef (that’s him to the right). Surely, though, you’ll pardon us if we focus our attention on the magical wine dispenser. It’s called Enomatic, and SD26 is the first restaurant in NYC to have it. Located in the mod lounge area, it makes 24 perfectly preserved vintages available for swillers to self-serve at their leisure. Pair your pours with selections from an extensive meat and cheese menu or with authentic Italian small plates, like soft, egg yolk-filled ravioli with truffle butter and Sicilian caponata.

The Offer

$100 Enomatic SmartCard for just $50
Doubling down with an expertly curated wine list on the line? This one’s a no-brainer. The card doesn’t expire, calling for repeat visits, and going out on a limb with that interesting-looking refosco is a risk-free proposition: Every bottle, from the riesling to the barolo, is served in pours of one, two, or five ounces, so you can easily adjust your level of commitment — to the wine and your date.

Photos: Janelle Jones