Who says you have to be a big city to have big time chefs?
I have been banging on this drum for over ten years. Sarasota has some great restaurants. And now we have the proof.
Fantastic service and unbelievable ambiance can get you pretty far. But, to climb that last bit of the mountain youre going to need a magician in the kitchen. Having a menu of mouthwatering goodies is cool. If you cant execute that menu, thats uncool.
This is the important part where the chef comes in. Having the ability turn turn the described ingredients into a delicious dish is an art form. And according to the newly published Best Chefs America 2013, weve got 22 full on artists in our midst.
Thats right 22 of our local chefs made the cut. Thats more than the city of Orlando. And, its more than Jacksonville. Miami boasts 48 best chefs. But the Miami-Dade area is more than 4 times the size of the Sarasota-Bradenton region. Four times! OK, I should probably slow down.
The amount of great culinary talent crammed into our small geographic space borders on unreasonable. And, I could not be happier about it.
Are you ready for the list?
BEST CHEFS AMERICA 2013
SARASOTA-BRADENTON
Raymond Arpke
Euphemia Haye *
Derek Barnes
Derek’s Culinary Casual Restaurant
Ryan Boeve
Pomona Bistro and Wine Bar *
Lan Bradeen
Melange
Dino Carta
Sarasota, FL
Francis Casciato
Libby’s Café + Bar *
Harry Christensen
Harry’s Continental Kitchens *
Greg Campbell
Pier 22 Restaurant
Matt Deason
Beach Bistro
Dylan Elhajoui
Mozaic *
Justin Fields
Bonefish Grill
Jeremy Hammond-Chambers
Innovative Dining
Christian Hershman
State Street Eating House + Cocktails
Dana Johnson
Savory Scenes Catering
Tommy Klauber
Pattigeorge’s *
Darwin Santa Maria
Darwin’s on 4th *
Jose Martinez
Maison Blanche
Masaki Matsunae
VIZEN Sushi & Fusion
Paul Mattison
Mattison’s *
Steve Phelps
Indigenous
Jamil Pineda
Michael’s on East *
Ysaac Sanchez
Selva Grill
The list was complied using over 5,000 interviews with chefs from around the country. Its an interesting way to put this type of collection together, But, who knows how to evaluate talent in the kitchen better than someone who also wears the coat.
Heres an added bonus. There are a number of chefs on the list above whose restaurants are participating in our very own Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week. That means you can sample award winning fare without fear of the check. Ive noted those above with (*).
Its just another reason to get out there and dine!
For more information on Best Chefs Americas 2013 CLICK HERE.
Leave a Reply