A GRAND FINALE

[Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist]

The culmination of the Forks and Corks Festival with a Grand Tasting made for a grand finale. The majestic setting of the Ringling Museum courtyard created a beautiful backdrop for this very special tasting event. While the weather did not cooperate with Friday night’s Cirque Culinaire, the sun shone brightly on what may be the best Sunday afternoon of the year. In spite of the heat, 785 food and wine lovers fervently sampled delicacies from the area’s Fresh Originals restaurants and fine wines. The wines were too numerous to keep track of, but believe me, there was an abundance to satisfy everyone’s tastes. Winemakers and wine representatives were on hand to personally introduce guests to the wines, as was local wine retailer, The Butcher Block. In case you missed out on this glorious afternoon, here’s an opportunity to live vicariously, see what you missed, and get an idea of what these independently-owned local restaurants have to offer. The menu of the day was:

15 South
Octopus Salad & Focaccia with Balsamic Dipping Sauce

Bijou Café
Crepes de Canard – Duck Leg Confit Crepes with Mushrooms & Savory Red Wine Sauce

Blasé Café
Fresh Vegetable Pasta with Balsamic and Olive Oil

Broken Egg Lakewood Ranch
Cheese Blintz with Berry Sauce

Café Venice
Chicken Salad Canapes

Caragiulos
Watermelon & Arugula Salad with Feta & Toasted Sunflower Seeds
Chicken Fegatini with Mission Fig & Balsamic Reduction
Rosemary Shrimp & Sweet Chili Glaze, White Bean & Tomato on Crispy Polenta

China Palace
Chinese Honey Roasted Pork

Colony Restaurants
Ahi Tuna Lollipops with Cucumber Thai Mee & Mango Wasabi

Cosimos
Key Lime Mousse in Filo, Graham Cracker Crumbs

Cosimos 2
Tiramisu Spoons, Espresso Glaze & Ladyfingers

Crow’s Nest
Mini Caprese Salad with Pesto Marinated Calamari

DaGiorgio
Bruschetta

Euphemia Haye
Caesar Salad

G’s Pizza
Garlic Knots & Antipasta Salad

Libby’s Café + Bar
Individual Truffled Porcini Mushroom Torte,
Coach Farm Goat Cheese, Wild Organic Strawberry Syrup

Lobster Pot
Lobster Bisque & Seafood Fiery Pasta

Marie’s Italian Kitchen
Antipasta Salad & Meatballs

Mattison’s Forty One
Chilled Avocado & Cilantro Soup Shooters

Michael’s On East
Sesame, Ginger & Garlic Marinated Flank Steak
with Fresh Ground Horseradish & Warm Bread

Ophelia’s On The Bay
Ravioli of Puff Pastry with Creamy Maine Lobster & White Truffle Perfume

Pattigeorge’s
Pork & Prawn Dim Sum with Aged Rice Vinegar Dipping Sauce

Polo Grill
Asian Chicken Sliders

Rotten Ralph’s Anna Maria Island
Chicken Salad in Puff Pastry

Sandbar
Shrimp & Crab Ceviche served with Chips

Sarasota Olive Oil
Assorted Olive Oils and Dipping Bread

The SKOB - Siesta Key Oyster Bar
Fish Tacos

Sun House
Herb-crusted Baby Iowa Pork Shank

The Waterfront
Churrasco

The most raves of the day seem to be for the Crepes de Canard from the Bijou Café. How Jean-Pierre Knaggs could host a winemaker dinner that ended after 11:00pm the night before, be at the museum at 7 a.m. to set up, and still turn out delicious food all afternoon long remains a mystery to me. Other favorites were the Colony’s Tuna Lollipops and Sun House Restaurant’s lusciously tender Pork Shank, and I just wanted to lick Libby’s Mushroom Torte right out of the pastry shell. There’s something about the unlikely match of watermelon and feta that I love, and Caraguilo’s knows it, too. The only desserts featured of the day named Cosimo’s a success whether it’s one or two.

All of the featured foods proved how fortunate we are to live in an area that has so much culinary talent. Make sure you support our local restaurants, especially during this blend of off-season and dire economic times. And if you neglected to attend this year’s Forks and Corks Festival, don’t make the same mistake next year. In fact, I recommend that you relish every moment of it.

[Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist]

Photos for this event can be seen in a couple of different places. They are featured under my page and WQ Mag Admin AKA Kim's page, or just search for "Tasting Photos".