Trying to de-mystify the wine world is a noble pursuit.

Image courtesy of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals. © Peter Aker.

When I went to college back thirty years ago, course offerings were pretty unimaginative. OK, boring. There was your usual complement of core classes, followed by the courses that were mandatory for your major. All pretty standard stuff.

There was one class however that stood out in my college career as being a lot more interesting, insightful and ultimately useful than many of the others. I’m talking about Fine Arts 202. A class entitled, The History of Rock and Roll. Do I need to say more? Probably not.

Every Wednesday from six to nine in the evening, seventy five of us would gather in a university lecture hall to discuss seemingly crucial topics. As an example, “Who is more famous because of their untimely death, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendricks or Janis Joplin?”. Don’t answer too quickly, think it through.

And, I was certain that it would be critical later in life to know the chronological order of every Beatles song to make the Billboard Hot 100.  That was the stuff twenty year olds could really sink their teeth into. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t wish to diminish the importance of a stimulating discussion and recitation of the rise of the Byzantine Empire and it’s roll on modern society. But… Not the same.

What does all of this have to do with wine? And, more importantly with the 2012 version Forks & Corks? It’s simple. One of the most interesting parts of the four day event is, Forks & Corks University.

Here’s the scoop. In conjunction with the hugely popular food and wine extravaganza, the Sarasota-Manatee Originals want to educate you on the mysterious ways of the wine world. Let’s face it, many of us out there can’t tell a Cabernet from a Merlot. They’re both red and that may end it for a lot of folks. The Originals want to change all that. And, I for one support that effort.

They have put together two excellent course offerings for this years Forks & Corks U.

Image courtesy of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals. © Michael Klauber

Here’s what you can sign up for:

Vino Italia!

The world of Italian wines has been transformed during the last generation due to the passion and commitment of world class winemakers. Taste some of the fabulous wines that have changed the way the wine world looks at Italy. Class is followed by a four-course gourmet luncheon catered by Sarasota-Manatee Originals member restaurants. Wine pairings are included during each course.

The World of Pinot Noir and Cabernet is King

This program features a diverse selection of pinot noir wines in the morning and a four-course gourmet lunch catered by the Sarasota-Manatee Originals member restaurants featuring wine pairings with each course. Following lunch, enjoy the afternoon session sampling and learning about Cabernet Sauvignon.

Now, just imagine if you would have had either of those choices in college. Slam dunk!

Here in Sarasota we have an abundance of people with a super high wine IQ. The event co-chair, Michael Klauber is at the head of that class. He has put together a superb group of wine experts from around the world to conduct these sessions. This is a wine education that would be hard to duplicate anywhere else. And, it’s right in your backyard.

Both courses will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at Michael’s on East and range in price from $60 to $110.

As you would imagine space for these offerings is limited. And, seats will go fast. If you would like more information on how to reserve your spot and increase your own wine acumen, you can visit the Sarasota-Manatee Originals website by clicking here.

The Siesta Key Farmers Market is in full swing each and every Sunday. You really should head on down to the Davidson’s Plaza in the heart of Siesta Village for a cup of coffee, socializing or just to pick out some fresh fruits and veggies for the week.

Looks great, right?

Everybody loves a great summertime BBQ.

Summertime is BBQ time. Well, actually in the Sunshine State, almost any time is BBQ time. But, let’s not get all hung up on that.

To help you get your fill this season, The Shamrock Pub is putting a brand new twist on the same old tired restaurant BBQ specials. Owner Derek Anderson has rolled out his Summer BBQ Series aiming to bring “local chefs to the people”. It’s an amazing way to highlight all that BBQ was meant to be.

You can catch the Summer BBQ Series on Tuesday nights from 8pm to 10pm. For the modest price of $10 you can enjoy refillable plates of great BBQ and beer. That’s a deal!

The series has recently featured Al Massa (formerly of Michael’s on East), The Whole Foods Sarasota Team and Joe Seidensticker of Libby’s Café + Bar. Not to fear, you haven’t missed the BBQ boat. There are still a couple of special nights left before this summer is history. Here’s the rundown.

Tuesday, August. 23: Branden Conrad / Mad Crow Brewery
Featuring: Beer-braised short ribs.

Tuesday, August. 30: John McGlinchey / Cheney Brothers Food Distributors
Featuring: Black truffle encrusted organic beef tenderloin atop grilled artichoke faro compote and garlic/Kalamata olive smeared canapé with white truffle anchovy crema.

Still on the fence? Check out this video to see what it’s all about.

Shamrock Pub: Summer BBQ Series

The Shamrock Pub
2257 Ringling Boulevard
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-952-1730

Summer and beer. They go together like… (insert your own song lyrics here). But, it’s true. Summer and beer do go pretty great together. It’s either the step up in outdoor temperature or our increased activity level. I’m not sure exactly, but, I do know that a cold beer is pretty darn good in the summer (an ice cold lemonade isn’t bad either!).

The folks over at Libby’s Café + Bar want to help you out with your beer drinking needs this summer. And to that end they are debuting a new line of craft brewed beer and a tasting menu to go along with it.

Beginning Monday, July 11th and continuing every Monday through the end of September you can enjoy one of the eighteen great craft beers from Libby’s list. As you would imagine, there are some fantastic food parings to go along with all of those suds. Plus, there’s a bonus. 50% off all craft beer from 11:30am to close!

Here’s some tasting menu highlights for you to drool over while you make your way there.

Libby’s Café + Bar Craft Beer Pairings

90 min IPA with Crispy Grouper Fish Tacos
Abby Ale with Blackened Boneless Prime Rib
Whale’s Tale Pale Ale with BBQ Pork Mac + Cheese
Dales Pale Ale with “Karubi” Pork Belly Ribs
Maximus IPA with Wasabi Crusted Tuna
Tangerine Wheat with Orange Miso Spinach Salad

LIBBY’S CAFE + BAR
1917 Osprey Avenue
Sarasota, Florida 34239
941-487-7300

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know an amazing food find when you see one.

Four years goes by in the blink of an eye. That’s how long Tommy Klauber of the Polo Grill and his good friend (and relative) Spyder Broussard have been treating East County folks to an authentic New Orleans Low Country Shrimp Boil.

Just check out the menu above. If that isn’t one of the best looking spreads of food that you could possibly imagine, I’m not sure you have much of an imagination! It looks like an amazing summertime dining treat!

This dinner is always a huge crowd pleaser. So, you’ll want to call over to The Polo Grill and get your name on the guest list. It will be the best time you’ll have south of the Crescent City. I guar-on-tee!!

POLO GRILL & BAR
10670 Boardwalk Loop
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
941-782-0899

If you can’t arrange a trip to Paris for this years Bastille Day celebration, We’ve got a nice alternative plan for your celebration.

How about a short trip over to Mattison’s Forty One for their special Bastille Day menu? Chef Paul Mattison and his culinary staff are planning a fantastic tribute to this French holiday.

Beginning on Monday July 11th and running through Sunday July 17th you can indulge in some classic French dishes. Here’s what’s on the menu for you:

• Asparagus poached egg, shaved Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, Mote Marine caviar
• Vichyssoise a potato-and-leek light creamy soup with chives
• Châteaubriand, Parmesan stuffed tomatoes, smoked wild mushrooms, haricot vert, port wine demi
• Poached Salmon rosemary-honey glaze, sweet potato streusel, citrus beurre blanc
• Plate of French Cheese-Baguette and Salad Plate
• Crème Brulée Tahitian vanilla bean custard finished with a caramelized sugar crust
• Gateau au Chocolat

The cost is $38.00 PP (plus tax & gratuity). You can add flights of wine for an additional $15.00.

If a trip across the pond is out of the question, Mattison’s Forty One gives you a great way to celebrate without leaving sunny Sarasota.

For additional details or to make a reservation call 941-921-3400.

MATTISON’S FORTY ONE
7275 South Tamaimi Trail
Sarasota, Florida 34231
941-921-3400

Did you ever think you would be chowing down an all American burger at a Belgian restaurant in Sarasota on the 4th of July? Well, truth be told, I hadn’t considered the possibility either. Until now.

Things have changed in Sarasota. Our restaurant community has exploded with ethnic dining options. That’s been a great development for us as diners. This is just another example of how those two world collide.

On Monday July 4th, you can grab a delicious, hand crafted, angus burger with all the trimmings at Brasserie Belge located downtown at the corner of Main and 301. This big, cooked to order burger is served with Belgian Frites and can be yours for the nice price of $6.50.

Chase that burger down with an ice cold Belgian beer and you have a fantastic Independence Day treat. Served from 11am to 11pm, this would make a great stop before or after the fireworks.

This 4th relax and let Brasserie Belge do the burger cooking for you!

BRASSERIE BELGE
1990 Main Street
Sarasota, Florida 34236
941-706-1944

Food and wine events around Sarasota are about as common as dolphin sightings in our clear blue gulf waters. These festivals all vie for our attention, dollars and palates. Not that there’s a bad one in the bunch mind you. But, now we have clear winner in the race for our culinary affections.

This past Sunday 1,800 lucky (and hungry) Sarasota food and wine enthusiasts were treated to a fantastic afternoon of food, wine and Sarasota sunshine. The occasion? The Sarasota-Manatee Originals annual Forks and Corks Food and Wine Festival. The Grand Tasting, marries over 40 of our great Sarasota restaurants with more than 80 outstanding wineries from around the world. Talk about a food and wine lovers dream!

The sold out event was held at one of Sarasota’s best known landmarks, the stately Ringling Museum of Art.  The museum’s courtyard was the perfect backdrop for the afternoons activities.

I was lucky enough to have had a look around on Sunday. Here are a few of the many highlights.

The Broken Egg shows off a light and lively pasta salad.

It’s Spain’s national dish, Paella. This huge, colorful and delicious pan of goodness was served by Ceviche.

Over at the The Bijou Cafe they’re curing their own salmon. They broke out some of this amazing house smoked salmon pastrami. A great dish and perfect for this type of event.

A beautiful tray of Asian delights courtesy of downtown’s Drunken Poet Cafe.

The Pattigeorge’s crew hard at work cranking out a boatload of Grouper Tacos.

Here’s the finished product. I’ve had a lot of fish tacos in my day. These were as light and tasty as any I’ve tried. Perfect for the occasion.

The Siesta Key Oyster Bar serves up a great two bite Ahi Tuna. The sesame seeds provide just the right texture.

You didn’t think I forgot the meat did you? The Michael’s on East staff was expertly grilling up some flavorful flank steak for these mouth watering and portable sandwiches. I think I may have had more than one. Is that allowed?

Andrea’s, located in Southgate, plated up this amazing Kobe Beef Short Rib. I could not believe how rich and tender this little morsel was. I would have liked a dinner order full.

We couldn’t leave out the dessert. Lynches Pub and Grub offered a light Blueberry Crumble. A nice finish to an afternoon of grazing.

What about the wine? Well, yes, there was lots of that. Winemakers from around the globe came to Sarasota to present their wines to a very receptive audience.

Forks and Corks is about more than just the Grand Tasting. The three day event also includes wine seminars and classes.  There are also a number of special Winemaker Dinners. These multi-course meals allow some of the featured wines to be paired with specially prepared menus and dishes. Sarasota chefs create these dishes to enhance the flavors of both the wine and the food served that evening.

The 2011 edition of Forks and Corks is in the books. But, instead of waiting until next years event to sample great Sarasota dishes, why don’t you make a reservation at one of the presenting restaurants and taste what brought 1,800 drooling Sarasota foodies to the Ringling on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.

I think I’m a pretty outgoing person. I mean, I will talk to most people and do it without prompting. But, what’s it like to sit down with forty seven people you have never met before at one giant Norman Rockwellish table? And, not for Thanksgiving in your Grandmothers basement, but, in a Carrabba’s Italian Grill restaurant. It’s not quite a sociology experiment, but, it is interesting to say the least.

Enter the restaurant and it looks like any other Carrabba’s you might wander in to. But, say the magic words, “Amici Club” and you’ll be escorted to an out of the way side room where there real food feast is happening. It’s a not so secret society of Carrabba’s loyalists who have gathered to sample some of the restaurants signature dishes. And, it’s on the house!

This culinary sampling is one of the benefits of membership in Carrabba’s Amici Club. Along with rewards, giveaways and the like, members are invited to special tasting events. A great deal considering it doesn’t cost a dime to sign up for the club. Patrick Alderman, the Manager of the Carrabba’s in University Park told me that this particular restaurant has over four thousand Amici Club members. The most of any location in the country. To put that into perspective, if all of their Amici Club members showed up on the same evening, it would fill up the restaurant over sixteen times! That’s a lot of mouths to feed.

Here’s a rundown of how the evening went. When you’re lucky enough to snag an invite to the dinner (remember, four thousand invites and only forty eight eaters, you do the math), you get two places at the dinner. You and a guest. So, all of the people attending knows at least one other person. There were also groups of four. Everybody sits at one long table. Twenty four on one side, twenty four on the other. It’s a great concept, because in theory you get to make some new friends. They could have set this room with tables for four, but, this seating arrangement has more of a party atmosphere.

Now comes the food, oh, and the wine. Three choices of red and three whites. Our server, Emily, kept that vino flowing pretty well too. Carrabba’s was not skimping on their VIP’s tonight.

On tap was a six course meal. An appetizer, tonight it was calamari, followed by a Mediterranean Salad, three pasta courses and then dessert. Unfortunately, a monsoon-like Florida storm kept me pinned in my car during the appetizer portion of the show, but, I was able to dash in to catch the salad.

On to the pastas. The first selection of the night was the Pasta Weesie. This is an Alfredo sauce based dish. I will have to say up front that me (and my cardiologist) are not big fans of cream based sauces and this dish had lemon butter in it to boot. It was topped with some perfectly cooked shrimp. I gave it a shot anyway, just a little. To my surprise it was light and loaded with flavor. A flavor other than the sauce. My experience with these kinds of dishes has been less than fulfilling. They are usually heavy, somewhat bland and sometimes mushy. This dish was anything but that.

On to pasta number two, Penne with Fennel Sausage Pomodoro. A great pasta dish. Loaded with flavor and topped with a fantastic fresh ricotta. This dish was everything a pasta dish should be. It was a little like eating an inside out cheese ravioli. That ricotta on top really made this one shine.

The last of the evenings pasta selections was, Tag Pic Pac. Tagliarini pasta in Carrabba’s Picchi Pacchiu sauce topped with basil. A nice light, flavorful pasta dish. There was a downside with this one. It has more to do with the way it was served tonight rather than the dish itself. All of the pasta dishes tonight were served family style. So, once everyone served themselves a portion, the delicate sauce had mostly ended up at the bottom of the bowl. I’m sure that this dish would be great as a single serving plate where all of the sauce stays where intended, on the pasta.

The evening ended with a nice chocolate mousse dessert.

I polled my fellow diners after the meal to see what they thought. Most of my four dining companions liked the Pasta Weesie the best. My choice was the Penne. I think some of that was a little of my subconscious at work. I’m trying hard to like the healthier choices, it’s a battle.

Carrabba’s is really working at the customer loyalty game. The Amici Club, is a great way to keep their faithful in the loop on happenings at the restaurant. I think we all realize that Carrabba’s is a chain with locations across the country. But, it’s nights like this that give it a locally owned and operated feel.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill
5425 University Parkway
University Park, Florida 34201
941-355-4116

Note: Sorry for the delay in posting the second part to this piece. If you want to read/re-read part one, click here.

It all comes back to the chili. Forget about the beer, the fantastic made to order weather and the live music. That’s why we’re here right?

With the booth judging out of the way it was now time for real deal. Chili was being lovingly prepared for two competitions. The first was the People Choice Chili. The champion of this category would be voted on by everyone at the event. Pay your entry fee, get a bowl and spoon, eat great chili and vote for your favorite. It’s as simple as that. And, vote people did. I’m not certain of the exact amount of ballots cast, but, judging by the bag of slips that were turned in it was going to take quite a while to count them.

Here’s are the winners People Choice competition:

1st: Spice Girls
2nd: Morton’s Firehouse Chili
3rd: Rajun Cajun Buffalo Chili Shack
4th: OSHA Violation/Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc.
5th: C & M Championship Chili

The second category was the Best Texas Red competition. This was the one that my “expert” palate would be needed for. The winner of this contest would receive a nice cash prize and an automatic entry into the International Chili Society (ICS) World Chili Cook Off.

Sergei, our head judge and de facto chili tasting commander was about to detail the rules for the REAL event, Best Texas Red Chili. Rule number 1, No bribery. Damn, I was just getting used to the good life! Rule number 2, no beans, pasta or other fillers. We were judging “meat and sauce”.

This process was methodical, anonymous and highly specific. It could not have been more serious. It was the polar opposite of the booth judging. Here’s how it goes (hope I’m not telling tales out of school).

Each entrant turns in a one quart Styrofoam cup that has a number written on the bottom. The cups are split up onto two tables with no judge being able to taste more than 25 chilies. The cups are then assigned a judging number, 1 through 25 for one table and 26 through the balance for the other. That number is written on the front of the cup. Judges are assigned to either table A or table B.

I wasn’t sure how many other judges there would be for the event. As it turned out, there were quite a few. I was about to find out why. Having more judges produces a more consistent outcome. It weeds out somebody who just likes sweet chili or someone else who can’t stand a chili unless it’s flaming hot. The wisdom of the moderate masses.

For the actual evaluation of the chili the process was pretty straightforward. Every judge gets a sheet with numbers that correspond to the chili cups on their table. There is a place to make notes for each of the chilies. Actually, we were encouraged to make notes not just for ourselves, but, for the contestants too. There would be an after tasting debrief for the cooks. They could see how we felt about their entry in detail.

Each table has is a big bowl of plastic spoons in the middle. There is also a nice variety of palate cleansers. Chips, tortillas, sour cream and the like. Oh, yeah, don’t forget about the beer! We were to take a clean spoon, examine the chili in the cup (don’t pick it up!), stir it, smell it and then give it a taste. Then, discard the dirty spoon, grab another clean one from the pile and repeat with the next chili cup. We were encouraged to go around the table as many times as necessary to select our favorite three from the table in order of preference.

After we turned in our score sheets we waited for the official score to be revealed. The top five chilies from each group would make the final table. Here’s something I didn’t know (not that I had any prior experience at this kind of thing). Not only were some of the chilies weeded out after the first round, but, so were some of the judges! Only a few of us would get to judge the final group. It was a waiting game for cooks and judges alike.

When the final table was revealed the best chilies from both groups had made the cut and happily so had I! On to the final round.

This time things were much tougher. The first round had some pretty obvious winners and losers. The chilies that made it to the next level were all pretty tasty. I made my rounds of the final table with Sergei’s instructions playing over in my head, “meat and sauce, meat and sauce…”. It actually took a few days to get those words out of there. It was kind of weird when I was eating a bowl cereal the next morning, “meat and sauce, meat and sauce…”.

Anyway, I circle the table several times, sampling along the way. I made my notes and marked my three top choices. Once my scoring sheet was turned in it was out of my hands. The sheets would be reviewed, scores tallied and a winner proclaimed.

Here’s how the Best Texas Red battle turned out:

1st: Gene Morelli Chili
2nd: Tigersbite – Ray Frederick
3rd: McAfee Antivirus Chili – Tim McAfee
4th: Half-Fast Chili – David Sinclair
5th: Rodney Jones Chili

Congratulations to all of the day’s winners! There were some amazing chilies cooked at the fairgrounds that afternoon. I’m hoping our Sarasota winner represents us well at the World Chili Cook Off.

Also congratulations to Elise Lipoff and the folks at Beks Entertainment Group for putting together a fantastic event. Can’t wait until next year!