The Argentine chef and restaurateur who cooked homemade meals for Pope Francis during his visit to New York City recalled his extensive preparation for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, including building a “St. Grill” specifically for the occasion.
Ismael Alba, 66, is the chef and owner of Buenos Aires, the top Argentine restaurant in East Village.
In 2015 he was specially selected by a group of priests and UN officials to cook for the pope born and raised in a South American country during a highly anticipated trip to New York City.
Alba originally thought they were playing some elaborate pranks, but quickly proved wrong as intensive preparations rose in the Upper East Side home hosting the Pope. In the process, Alba was placed on the task – he said he even had to arrange for repairs to the house’s broken intercom and pipes, and could even carry the mattress up multiple stairs for the Pope after failing to fit inside the elevator.
“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 the typical steak and cheese speciality of restaurants to better fit the Vatican Head’s low-sodium diet. After careful consideration, Alba decided on his mother-in-law’s grilled chicken and a lemon dish. He also prepared empanadas and bread puddings with the help of his wife, Carina de Marco, his late mother, Maria and Sou Chef of Buenos Aires, Jorge Hernandez.
When the chef finally meets the saint, he says he can feel his presence is special.
“When I saw the Pope, I swear I saw the light around him like a saint,” Alba told the Post.
To this day, he has refused to introduce chicken dishes to his restaurant menu.
Alba also took the opportunity to make a new grill in just three days. But when he tried to bring it into the Upper East Side house, it didn’t fit through the door. Swiss security guards helped him to disassemble the grill and reassemble it inside the house, he said.
He has not used the grill since his fateful day with Pope Francis. It is not touched behind his eatery.
“Do you know how many people want to buy that grill or eat with it? But I’ve never used the grill again. It’s a sacred grill,” Alba said.
During the Pope’s meal, Alba said he spoke a bit about Argentina’s then loss to Germany at the 2014 World Cup.
The chef also took photos with his excellence. He was almost stopped by security details after trying to put his arm around Pope Francis.
“I swear to my mother’s ashes, he said, ‘I’ll put your hands back, and the Pope won’t bite,” Alba said.
Francis personally gave Alba a set of Vatican seals and rosary beads to thank him for his meal. After his death on Monday, Alba proudly wore beads and remembered him as “one of the greatest popes ever lived.”
Alba and his wife praised the Pope for focusing on his humility, austerity and expanding his inclusion and respect for everyone, regardless of their religious background.
“That’s what the Bible teaches, 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,” added his wife, De Marco.
