National Lasagna Day – San Remo Ballroom X Guy Grossi
National Lasagna Day at San Remo Ballroom: When Guy Grossi Brought the Community Home to Carlton North
Melbourne’s most welcoming event venue hosted a celebration of food, family, and Italian tradition, dreamed up by one of the city’s most beloved chefs
There are some days that just deserve a party. National Lasagna Day is one of them, and this year, that party was born from the mind of a true icon of Melbourne dining: Guy Grossi.
The idea was all Guy’s. When he came to us with the concept, a celebration built entirely around Italy’s most comforting export, we knew San Remo Ballroom was the only place for it to happen. On Sunday, 26 July 2026, our Carlton North ballroom became the home for Grossi x San Remo Ballroom, National Lasagna Day Party, .bringing together food lovers, families, and friends for an afternoon built entirely around sharing, storytelling, and second helpings.
But more than that, it was a celebration of something much bigger than a single dish. It was a celebration of community.
Layers of Love
Lasagna isn’t just food. For so many Melbourne families, it’s the centrepiece of a Sunday table, the dish that gets passed down through generations, tweaked and perfected by nonnas, mums, and now chefs like Guy Grossi. It’s the smell that fills a home before everyone arrives. It’s an excuse for the whole family to squeeze around one table and stay far longer than planned.
That’s exactly the spirit Guy wanted to bring to San Remo Ballroom, and it’s a spirit we know well. Our own roots run deep in Melbourne’s Italian community, and hosting a day built around connection, tradition, and generosity felt less like an event and more like a homecoming. Guests arrived as strangers and left like family, swapping stories over shared plates, the way only real Italian hospitality can make happen.
This is what heartfelt hospitality looks like in action: everyone welcomed, everyone fed, everyone made to feel like they belong. Whether guests came with three generations of family in tow or turned up solo to soak up the atmosphere, the room had a warmth that felt distinctly, unmistakably Italian.
The Menu: A True Taste of Italian Tradition
Every great Italian celebration is built course by course, and this one was no exception. Guy Grossi designed a menu that told the story of Italian hospitality from start to finish, generous, shared, and full of heart.
Starter: Individual Antipasto
The afternoon opened the way every proper Italian gathering should, with an antipasto board built for sharing. Guests tucked into concia di zucchine (marinated, char-grilled zucchini in the Southern Italian tradition), fire-roasted capsicum, thinly sliced Italian prosciutto, Princi peppered mortadella, creamy bocconcini, and Guy’s signature tuna croquettes. It was a starter designed to get the table talking, a little of everything, passed around, and savoured slowly.
Main: Guy Grossi’s Iconic Lasagna
Then came the star of the show. Guy’s lasagna, slow-cooked, generously layered, and built on the same traditional techniques and quality produce that have defined his cooking for decades, was served alongside a salad for the table. Comfort food elevated, and exactly the kind of dish that turns a lunch into a memory. Generous portions, served with genuine pride, and more than a few guests going back for seconds.
Dessert: Tiramisu
No Italian celebration ends without tiramisu, and this one was no exception. Layers of espresso-soaked sponge, mascarpone, and cocoa closed out the meal the way only a proper Italian dessert can, rich, comforting, and just sweet enough to send everyone home happy.
To finish, guests were treated to coffee from Carted Crema, whose coffee cart kept the espresso flowing long after the plates were cleared, the perfect excuse to linger a little longer over one more conversation.
Raising a Glass, Sponsored by Twelve bottles
No proper Italian celebration is complete without the right drink in hand, and for this one, the beverages were sponsored by Twelve Bottles. The list was built to match the warmth and generosity of the food:
- Bubbles – Villa Chiopris Prosecco
- White – Garofoli Antica Osteria Bianco
- Red – Le Caniette Rosso Bello Piceno
- Beer – Peroni Red
From the first pop of prosecco to the last red poured alongside the lasagna, the drinks list brought its own layer of celebration to the afternoon, rounding out every course and keeping glasses topped up as the stories flowed.
It’s exactly the kind of thoughtful partnership that defines events at San Remo Ballroom: every detail, from the food to what’s in your glass, chosen with care and a genuine love of hospitality.
Live Music from The Godfathers
Every great Italian celebration needs music, and this one had it in spades courtesy of The Godfathers, whose live set brought energy, warmth, and a real party atmosphere to the ballroom floor. As the afternoon rolled on, the band turned San Remo Ballroom into more than just a lunch, it became a genuine celebration, with guests dancing between courses and the room buzzing with the kind of joyful noise only good music and good company can create.
MC Massimo Corrente Keeping the Celebration Moving
Holding it all together was MC Massimo Corrente, whose charm, humour, and easy connection with the crowd kept the afternoon flowing seamlessly from one moment to the next. From welcoming guests to introducing Guy and keeping the energy high between courses and performances, Massimo brought the same warmth and personality that defines everything about this event, professional, personable, and full of heart.
A Bold, Modern Space for a Beloved Tradition
San Remo Ballroom’s retro-glam interiors, flexible layouts, and dramatic lighting gave the event an atmosphere that was equal parts celebration and comfort, contemporary energy wrapped around a timeless tradition. It’s exactly the kind of “big or small, effortlessly joyful” moment our venue was designed for, and a reminder of how a beautiful space can amplify a simple, heartfelt idea.
Whether you’re planning an intimate family lunch, a milestone celebration, or a full-scale gala, our Carlton North ballroom (365 Nicholson Street) offers the versatility to make any vision come to life. Days like this are proof of what happens when great food, great wine, great music, and a great host all come together under one roof.
Why This Matters for Melbourne’s Event Scene
Events like Grossi x San Remo Ballroom highlight exactly what makes San Remo Ballroom one of Melbourne’s most iconic event venues for food-focused celebrations. It’s not just about the space, it’s about the people, the flavours, the music, and the memories made in it. For anyone searching for a Melbourne event venue for a celebration, a Carlton North function centre, or the best place to host a food, wine, and hospitality-led event in Melbourne, this is exactly the kind of experience we love creating.
Full of Heart, Full of Lasagna
From the first slice to the last dance, National Lasagna Day at San Remo Ballroom was a beautiful reminder of our tagline in action: Welcoming. Iconic. Full of Heart.
It was a day about family, whether by blood or by table. It was a day about friendship, forged over shared plates and shared laughs. And it was a day about love, for tradition, for community, and for the simple joy of a really good lasagna.
Thank you to Guy Grossi for bringing us the idea, to Twelve Bottles for the perfect pour, to The Godfathers for the music, to MC Massimo for keeping the celebration moving, and to every guest who joined us in making it real. We can’t wait to do it again.
