A Taste of Venezuela

You might expect to see Venezuelan-American chefs Ivo and Isbelis Diaz in New York City. But Paoli, Wisconsin? Well, it is true. The mother-son chef pair, who own and operate the Brooklyn restaurant Casa Ora, will be at Seven Acre Dairy Company for two dinners to benefit Dane County’s Centro. Casa Ora is known for its Venezuelan cuisine plus craft cocktails. Wednesday’s meal (6 p.m.) is a six-course tasting menu, featuring some of Casa Ora’s menu items, like mandocas, mini arepitas and asado negro. Thursday’s dinner (reservations from 4-9 p.m.) is a three-course set menu of some of Isbelis’ favorite Venezuelan dishes including camarones en coco and pabellón a caballo. And you can enjoy it all along the beautiful Sugar River. A portion of the proceeds from each dinner benefits Centro.

media release: On January 22 and 23, critically-acclaimed Venezuelan-American chefs Ivo and Isbelis Diaz will hold two dinners at Seven Acre Dairy Company in Paoli, Wisconsin, to showcase their culture and food as part of a fundraiser Centro, Dane County’s leading non-profit serving the Latinx community.

Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, mother-son team Ivo and Isbelis Diaz spent their careers in the New York City restaurant before opening Casa Ora in Brooklyn, New York, in 2019. The restaurant features Isbelis’ homespun, yet refined, Venezuelan cuisine with Ivo’s service and modern cocktails. The restaurant quickly established itself as one of New York City’s, and, soon, the country’s, most prominent restaurants. Casa Ora has been featured in Bon Appetit, while Thrillist named it one of the City’s top restaurants. The Latin Times named Casa Ora one of the best restaurants in the United States. In 2021 the Michelin Guide–the international restaurant community’s most important awards publication–recognized Casa Ora for the first time. In its most recent publication, Michelin heralds the Diazs’ “passionate and charming staff,” and “explosively flavorful” dishes.

“I am excited to be coming to Wisconsin to be able to extend our food so people can get to know our Venezuelan cuisine and culture. Getting the chance to be introduced to the amazing community of Wisconsin, we want to show off the great food we grew up with and continue to extend that cultural bridge that Casa Ora has been for the past five years in Brooklyn,” says Ivo Diaz.

On January 22, Ivo and Isbelis Diaz will craft an exquisite and elegant 6-course tasting menu, featuring some of Casa Ora’s most iconic and celebrated dishes. On January 23, the duo will team up on a 3-course set menu that showcases Isbelis’ take on her favorite Venezuela classics. Tickets are $100 for the January 22 dinner and $50 for the January 23 dinner. A portion of the proceeds from each dinner benefit Centro.

Tickets can be found at: https://sevenacredairyco.com/dinnerseries/