A celebrated Argentinian chef and restaurateur who crafted a home-cooked meal for Pope Francis during his visit to New York City recalled his extensive preparation for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, including constructing a “holy grill” specially for the occasion.
Ismael Alba, 66, is a chef and owner of Buenos Aires, a top-ranked Argentinian restaurant in the East Village.
In 2015, he was specifically chosen by a group of priests and United Nations officials to cook for the pontiff — who was born and raised in the South American country — during his highly anticipated trip to New York City.
Alba originally thought that they were playing some elaborate prank, but was quickly proven wrong as intensive preparations ramped up at the Upper East Side home hosting the pope. In the process, Alba accidentally flooded the home’s patio, broke an intercom, and carried a mattress for Pope Francis up multiple flights of stairs after he couldn’t fit it inside the elevator, he said.
“I was supposed to be preparing to cook for the pope, but instead I was preparing the house for the pope,” Alba said.
He also had to deviate from his restaurant’s typical steak and cheese specialties to better fit the Vatican head’s low-sodium diet. After careful consideration, Alba decided on his mother-in-law’s grilled chicken and lemon dish. He also prepared empanadas and bread pudding with the help of his wife, Karine De Marco, his late mother, Maria, and Buenos Aires sous chef Jorge Hernandez.
When the chef finally met the holy man, he said he could feel that his presence was special.
“When I saw the pope, I swear I saw a light around him, like a saint,” Alba told The Post.
To this day, he refuses to feature the chicken dish on his restaurant’s menu because he doesn’t want to be perceived as profiting from his brush with the pontiff, he said.
Alba also had a brand-new grill fabricated in just three days for the occasion. But when he tried to bring it inside the Upper East Side home, it wouldn’t fit through the door. The Swiss Guard helped him break down the grill and reassemble it inside the home, he said.
He hasn’t used the grill since his fateful day with Pope Francis. It resides untouched in the back of his eatery.
“Do you know how many people wanted to buy that grill or have a meal cooked on that grill? But I never used the grill again — it’s the holy grill,” Alba said.
Over the course of the pope’s meal, Alba said they made small talk about Argentina’s then-recent loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup.
The chef also took a picture with his eminence — which was almost halted by the security detail after he tried to put his arm around Pope Francis.
“I swear on my mother’s ashes, he said, ‘Put your hand back, the Pope doesn’t bite’,” Alba said.
Francis personally gifted Alba a set of rosary beads with the Vatican seal to thank him for the meal. After his death on Monday, Alba proudly wore the beads to honor and remember him as “one of the greatest popes who ever lived,” he said.
Alba and his wife praised the pope for his humility, austerity, and focus on expanding inclusion and respect for everyone regardless of their religious background.
“That is what the Bible teaches, that the Church is for everyone and the pope is for everyone,” Alba said.
“His most important message was that God accepts everyone — he does not discriminate,” his wife, De Marco, added.
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