Forks and Corks: The Originals Hit It Out Of The Park!

February 1, 2011

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.