Fabio visits Wisconsin... every "Top Chef" fan's dream come true!

Normally the press releases we get at the Green Bay Press-Gazette border on stupid -- no offense, dear PR folks -- but we finally received one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Fabio Viviani, aka everyone's favorite Italian contestant on "eets a Top Chef, not a-Top Schallop" will be visiting the great state of Wisconsin for a cooking show at Lake of the Torches Resort Casino in Lac du Flambeau on Saturday Nov. 21. With two shows at the casino's convention center -- one at 4 p.m. and one at 8 p.m. -- you can at least make the trip to enjoy some Fabio-tastic food and forget that you drove for 5 hours through a blizzard (not that it would ever snow in November in Wisconsin!).

But, seriously, at affordable prices -- $25 for general tickets and $45 for VIP tickets that include wine pairings and tastes of the food Fabio whips up on stage -- you have no excuse not to go.

Perhaps this is his way of redeeming himself for that losing Wisconsin-inspired dish during the Super Bowl challenge. And, who knows, maybe he will finally make that monkey ass in empty clam shells he promised on season five of "Top Chef."

I'll post updates as I hear back on how to acquire the tickets.

--Malavika Jagannathan, mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com