Casa Don Alfonso in Clayton is teaming up with Vicia for a one-night-only collaboration dinner on Oct. 20, bringing together two very different culinary traditions under one roof. The event runs from 5 to 10 p.m. at Casa Don Alfonso, tucked inside The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, and pairs Southern Italian cooking with the seasonal Midwestern ingredients Vicia has built its reputation on.
The pairing comes as Vicia rides a wave of national recognition. According to Sauce Magazine, Vicia was named one of five nationwide finalists for the James Beard Foundation's 2026 Outstanding Restaurant award, marking the first time the restaurant has advanced to that finalist round. Vicia, which opened in 2017 at 4260 Forest Park Avenue, has built its identity around seasonal Midwestern ingredients and close relationships with local producers, the same report notes.
Casa Don Alfonso, for its part, opened in 2021 and is part of the Iaccarino family's Don Alfonso 1890 restaurant lineage, per the same account. The restaurant sits inside The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis at 100 Carondelet Plaza in Clayton, and its menu draws on Mediterranean recipes inspired by Mario Iaccarino's childhood in Southern Italy, according to The Ritz-Carlton, which describes the restaurant as a love letter to the Sorrento Coast.
Three New Dishes, One Night Only
For the collaboration, Casa Don Alfonso executive chef Yalcin Arslan and Vicia co-owner and chef Michael Gallina will create three new seasonally inspired dishes exclusively for the event, the report states. Those new plates will be served alongside selections from each restaurant's regular menu, and the entire collaboration menu will be available à la carte throughout dinner service rather than as a fixed-price tasting.
The two restaurants will offer an à la carte menu blending Southern Italian cooking with seasonally driven Midwestern ingredients, the outlet notes. Gallina said Vicia celebrates the bounty found in St. Louis and Missouri, adding that the collaboration will explore local foodways through a new culinary lens. Arslan said the dinner will celebrate St. Louis creativity and community.
Reservations Required for the Clayton Dinner
Dinner reservations are required for the one-night event, the report notes, though specific pricing and booking details were not included. Vicia operates under Take Root Hospitality, which also includes Bistro La Floraison and Winslow's Table, according to Feast Magazine. For diners eager to sample two of St. Louis's more distinct culinary voices side by side, the Oct. 20 evening at Casa Don Alfonso offers a rare chance to do it in a single sitting.
