Escape to Italy - one bite at a time!
Join our exclusive cooking & wine experiences in New Jersey, led by a private chef from Italy!
This is your VIP invitation!
We’re bringing a taste of Italy to you - join us for a hands-on cooking experience (or two!) to learn the secrets and magic of authentic Italian cooking.
Excited to unveil our January 2026 cooking experiences with Chef Melina, who’s traveling from Italy to join us LIVE!
Meet Chef Melina:
your guide on this
culinary adventure
Melina was born and raised in Australia by Italian immigrant parents from Calabria, located in the south of Italy. At the age
of 19, she opened her first restaurant in Australia with her brother, which was the beginning of her love affair with food.
At 22, Melina went to Italy for the first time and that's where she left her heart. In 2009, Melina opened her cooking school, traveling between both countries before transferring to Italy indefinitely in 2017.
Melina began escorted food tours after realizing that the story behind each dish, each plate is what it truly makes it special. Her love for Italy, her love for food, and her passion for sharing that is evident after spending just 5 minutes with her.
"Cooking is my biggest love but sharing
is my biggest joy."
Melina is also the host of Olegana Travel Boutique’s women-only group tours to Puglia and Sicily, where she happily shares her love for Italy with other women.
“In every tour, in every class, in every meal prepared in my restaurant, my goal is always the same, to teach my guests to learn to live like an Italian, to love like an Italian .. learn to BE Italian.”
Taste, stir, cook, sip & enjoy the flavors of Italy!
The flavors of Northern Italy
A hands-on cooking class
A hands-on cooking experience that highlights the flavors of the Dolomite Italian cuisine.
Menu highlights:
Antipasto: Caprino cheese with walnuts on apple & walnut salad
Primo: Gnochetti di ricotta e spinaci allo speck
Secondo: Polenta with mixed mushrooms & cheese fondue
Dessert: Apple strudel with fresh rolled pastry
January 24, 2026 | 11am - 2pm | Ridgewood, NJ
Limited to 28 attendees
Italian Sunday Lunch
A hands-on cooking class
A warm, hands-on cooking experience + a delicious, family-style lunch that captures the true spirit of an Italian Sunday.
Menu Highlights:
Antipasto: Canederli in brodo — bread dumplings three ways (beetroot, spinach & speck)
Primo: Risotto with Asiago and Amarone wine reduction
Secondo: Classic Italian chicken broth
Dessert: Frittole — fried dumplings with pastry cream
January 25, 2026 | 11am - 2pm | Ridgewood, NJ
2 spots left!
A taste of Puglia
A hands-on cooking class
Celebrate the bold, rustic, irresistible flavors of Puglia as you cook, taste, and dine in a beautiful restaurant setting — all reserved just for you.
Authentic regional dishes prepared from scratch with Chef Melina - a cozy, communal dinner with wine.
Menu Highlights
Antipasto: Friselle with tomato & fresh burrata
Primo: Handmade Cavatelli pasta with broccoli
Second Primo: Sciatelle with rich meat ragù
Dolce: Tette delle monache — delicate pastry with soft cream
January 26, 2026 | 6:30 - 9pm | Waldwick, NJ
Limited to 25 attendees
A sweet taste of Sicily
A hands-on cooking class
Step into the flavors of Sicily with an intimate, home-style dinner hosted inside a beautiful private home.
Enjoy a multi-course dinner featuring traditional recipes, fresh ingredients, and warm storytelling that transports you straight to the island.
Menu Highlights:
Antipasto: Panelle e Cuzzilli – crispy chickpea fritters & Sicilian bites
Primo: Cavatelli with Pesto Trapanese – tomatoes, almonds, basil, pecorino
Secondo: Lemon Polpette with Caponata – tender citrus meatballs with classic eggplant caponata
Dolce: Tiramisù with Modica chocolate – a Sicilian twist on a beloved dessert
January 27, 2026 | 6:30 - 9pm | Mahwah, NJ
Limited to 15 attendees
