Dishcrawl Is Touring Bayshore Beautiful!

I'm getting married this year and fortunately for me, I am done with the planning. Five months early and I don't have anything left to do- it's a little surreal as I expected to be running around like a crazy person for my entire engagement period. The only thing I have to tackle for my wedding? A diet, and it's proving to be easier than I thought. That's right: I'm doing what most women do before one of the most important days of their lives and having a go at losing some poundage and having fantastically toned arms.

However, don't misunderstand me. When a food event presents itself to me, I grab at it and don't let go, allowing myself to indulge and appreciate what went in to each dish. I'd like to highlight Dishcrawl, a relatively new concept in the Tampa Bay area. Dishcrawl takes attendees on a tour of the selected Tampa neighborhood of the night, presenting four different restaurants and allowing those restaurants to showcase a sample of a dish (or a couple of bites of multiple dishes). Dishcrawl also fosters relationships between these ticket-holders and chefs and owners.

Dishcrawl is a fantastic concept, allowing me to take full advantage of all the food offered, but without having foodie's remorse the next day. Chefs prepare thoughtful dishes to share and they can be decadent, savory, sweet, flavorful, juicy, rich, spicy, or any combination of the millions of food adjectives you can think of. I think it's so wonderful to be able to visit a handful of different restaurants in one night, sampling what they have to offer, feeling satiated at the end without growing a food baby, and making some friends in the process.

In fact, I spent my last Dishcrawl event with two new food blogger friends of mine, Blaire of Dreaming Ingredients and Joe from Tastiest Spot in Town. We had so mush fun going from one restaurant to another, from one cuisine to another, and if you think all of the above sounds like a good time, I recommend purchasing tickets for the Bayshore Beautiful tour taking place on Tuesday, March 26th, at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased at dishcrawl.com/tampa and, if you would like $5 off your ticket, enter code "Jen" (without the quotations, obvi) at checkout.

Oh, and if all that didn't convince you, Dishcrawl Tampa's ambassador is our very own Tracy Guida, food blogger extraordinaire at My Other City by the Bay. She knows her stuff.

Marchand's Bar & Grill Celebrates Local With Their Farm-to-Fork Menu

Go local. Now more than ever, it's so important to support our local farmers. It's a cause I can stand behind and implore people to do the same. Let's support our local farmers and local businesses. When I was asked to attend a dinner debuting the new Farm-to-Fork menu at Marchand's Bar & Grill, I knew it would be right up my alley.

Marchand's Bar & Grill is located inside the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in downtown St. Petersburg. This Farm-to-Fork menu is inspired by the seasonal ingredients from local farms. For each dish, I'm going to point out the local farm where the ingredients are from. Here is a list of the local farms that Marchand's has formed a relationship with:

• Mitchell's Natural Produce
• Glory Road Farms
• Pure Florida Apiary
• Worden Farm
• Geraldson Farms
• Seeley's Ark
• Pasture Prime Family Farm
• Hunsader Farm
• 3 Boy Farm
• Jones Potato Farm
• Watercress Farm
• Eco Farms

Marchand's, just as I expected, provided us with a quality six course dinner with wine pairings. To begin, we were treated to a Florida Orange Mojito, shown the ballroom of the hotel with it's magnificent chandelier, heard some history of the hotel, learned how the hotel supports local artists and then we were lead to the Marchand's dining area. 

How cool is that??

The first course ended up being my favorite of the night: the Mangalitsa "Croque Madame".

This toasted treat had the perfect combination of, well, everything. This dish was absolute perfection. Made with ham, Georgia Red cheese, a fried quail egg and served on toasted brioche with a Silk Onion Soup Shooter on the side, I was so pleased. I ended up spreading the yolk over the bread and getting a taste of all of the components with each bite. It was a very, very grown up grilled ham and cheese sandwich, essentially. Wonderful textures, contrasting flavors that all worked very well together- I would drive all the way to Marchand's just for this dish (and I live a good 45 minutes away). 

[Mangalitsa: a curly-hair hog that has been raised at Pasture Prime in Summerfield, Florida. Georgia Red: a washed rind, semi-soft cow's milk cheese produced by Flat Creek Lodge in Southeast Georgia. Florida sweet onions: grown by Cincotta Ranch.]

The next dish was Tile Fish, something new to me. This plate featured Golden Tile fish, Romanesco cauliflower, Sun choke hush puppies and Rock Shrimp Nage. This fish, cooked with the skin, was flaky and tender, yet had some crunch from the skin. This dish is also low in fat, but it fooled me- that's how rich and flavorful it was. 

[Golden Tile: From East coast of Florida. Rock Shrimp: Deep-water shrimp caught off the coast of Florida. Romanesco grown by Worden Farm.]

This next one was my second favorite of the evening. What else is better than pork and fried mac 'n cheese together? Nothing, I tell ya!

The macaroni and cheese was fried crispy with traditional mac 'n cheese inside and served over smoked bacon collard greens, but the main highlight of the dish was the pork cheek, served in a Murcott Tangerine BBQ sauce, which reminded me of upscale asian cuisine. Tender and full of flavor, I savored each bite, willing more pork cheek to just keep coming out.

[Pork Cheek: Mangalitsa again. Murcott Tangerine: grown by Mixon Fruit Farm. Collard Greens: grown by Hunsader Farm.]

Next up!: a Key West Yellowfin Snapper with a chorizo black bean cake and warm yellow tomato vinaigrette and olive oil. It may seem a little strange, but the vinaigrette was my favorite item on this plate. It was light and refreshing, making for a great pair. 

[Peppers in Black Bean cake: grown by Worden Farm. Yellow Tomato: grown by Hunsader Farm.]

Our last course before dessert was Braised Rabbit with Savoy cabbage and Gold Creamer potato puree in a Pinot Noir reduction.

Well, it's true: I've never tried rabbit. The thing I love most about being a food blogger, besides all of the wonderful people I get to meet, is that I'm forced to try new food. That's a good thing. Without that experience, I never would have discovered sushi, duck, deer, etc and now, rabbit.

I loved the flavors of this dish, with the creaminess from the potatoes being the highlight in my eyes. The braised cabbage added just the right amount of crunch.

[Rabbit: raised by Seely's Ark. Gold Creamer potatoes: grown by Jones potato farm.]

With the night nearing to a close, it was time for dessert. We were presented with a trio (from left to right): Tiramisu, Caramel Oatmeal Pie, Smores Hazelnut Ganache Torte.

First, the tiramisu was very yummy. Second, the Caramel Oatmeal Pie was my favorite. Like eating an oatmeal cookie that just makes your mouth water, this pie was that but juicier. Third, I'm not a chocolate fan, but this torte had a graham cracker crust, beautiful lightly torched whipped cream, fruit and pieces of strawberry meringue. 

[Strawberries: from Honeyside Farms. Orange Blossom Honey: from High Hat ranch. Oranges: from Mixon Fruit Farm.]

Finally, I just want to thank every single person who made tonight possible. To every member of the staff from servers to the chef to the restaurant and hotel managers: thank you for an unbelievable night and great conversation; I can't wait to come visit again. Cheers!

Dishcrawl: The Hyde Park Edition

One of my favorite parts of going to food events is the fact that we can sample multiple dishes, thereby allowing us to get a feel for the menu and not get completely stuffed in the process. Dishcrawl is doing it right with their walking tours of different areas of Tampa Bay, featuring four restaurants with samples at each.

This past Tuesday I attended the Hyde Park tour with my newest foodie friend Blaire from Dreaming Ingredients. Blaire won a ticket to this tour from my blog and her blog should be in everyone's Google Reader. She's not only hilarious, but she really knows her food- two marks of the perfect food blogger, in my mind.

Our first stop was Irish 31, the pub I've been meaning to visit. We sat outside on the patio with live music and with the great weather, it was a perfect first stop to meet some new people.

Irish 31 certainly set the tone for the rest of the night, in a positive way. I was hoping that every other place would be just as good (and they were)! I mentioned in my food truck post that I'm a newbie to Shrimp and Grits. Thank you, Irish 31, for continuing my love for this perfect combination. The trio we were presented with consisted of a take on Chicken Pot Pie, a perfect sample amount of their Pot Pie made with celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms and peas in a rich gravy and topped with a bite-sized puff pastry; Legendary Boxty, a perfectly crispy rolled mashed potato ball, lightly fried and served with a housemade horseradish sauce; Shrimp and Grits, sauteed tiger shrimp with red tomatoes, onions and herbs on top of velvety grits.

Each dish seemed to be made with such precision, from conception to presentation. The smooth mashed potatoes paired nicely with the slightly spicy flavor of the horseradish. Since the potato ball was fried, there were different textures going on in this dish that I appreciated. 

 

I could have continued to spend my evening on Irish 31's patio, sipping my drink, eating their food, and listening to the live music, but it was time to walk the block to Piquant, a new French restaurant and bakery that took the place of Sophie's Bakery & Cafe. Sophie's was eclectic and certainly had its charm, but I have to say that I'm so glad Piquant is in existence. In fact, I went to brunch yesterday and will be posting about it tomorrow. From the moment we walked into Piquant, I knew it would become a favorite restaurant of mine- the decor is classy, light and welcoming. I can picture myself sitting in their cozy reading area with my book and some tea when I just want some time to relax. 

At this stop, we were able to sample their peach-infused iced tea, chocolate croissant, almond croissant and a delightful passion fruit meringue. The croissants were flaky and delicate, with the almond croissant having almonds and honey on the outside and almond paste on the inside. The passion fruit meringue had such a mixture of flavors. There was a tartness and a sweetness and it was served atop a crispy shell. The meringue turned out to be the highlight of my evening. It was so light and airy and really cleansed the palate. 

The third stop of our Hyde Park tour was Wine Exchange, a bistro and wine bar. I've been to Wine Exchange many times and I always opt for something with mushrooms. I was excited when a plate of two salads were placed in front of me instead. It's times like these that force you to step away from your go-to dish and try something new. Wine Exchange offered a Cuban Salad and a Grape-Pecan Chicken Salad.

The Cuban Salad consists of iceberg lettuce tossed with ham, swiss, tomato and green olives with a Cuban vinaigrette dressing. This salad reminded me very much of the 1905 salad from Columbia. Normally I don't like comparing one restaurant's dish to another restaurant's dish, but in this case, it's to point out just how great this Cuban salad is. Everyone in Tampa has heard of and most have experienced the 1905 salad and it's delicious and popular and amazing...and the adjectives go on and on. For Wine Exchange to have something similar is something I definitely want to highlight and congratulate them on because it's different enough to be unique to Wine Exchange, but similar enough that anyone who likes a good vinaigrette salad needs to try this one.

The Grape-Pecan Chicken Salad features the Wine Exchange's signature chicken salad over mixed greens and tossed with pecans, celery and grapes, with an herb vinaigrette. Our dish was served with a white wine blend from Stark Raving. Blaire said that she thought this combination would be perfect for a quick and light lunch and I completely agree. 

The final stop on our tour was at Timpano Italian Chophouse, a place I have visited before and love. In fact, Blaire and I have plans to visit again for a full meal and some cocktails. 

We arrived to Black Skillet-Roasted Mussels, tossed with EVOO and sea salt; Fire-Roasted Meatballs, with housemade marinara and basil chiffonade; and Mozzarella Bocconcini, served with Pomodoro sauce. This was my first time eating mussels (I know, it's basically blasphemy), but it's because of Timpano that I will continue to try mussels at other area restaurants. Bravo. One thing my readers should know is that when I go to Timpano, I grub. This is why no pictures exist of my food but rest assured that it was savory with perfect punches of flavor. 

I strongly recommend all of these restaurants and can't wait to feature some additional items on this blog. 

With Cigar City and Bayshore tours coming up, be sure to sign up for a Dishcrawl event soon! 

And with a thank you to Tracy for being a fantastic Dishcrawl ambassador and Blaire for being the kind of foodie you can laugh with and learn from, this blog post is over. Fin.

Dishcrawl Tampa Hyde Park Edition (Giveaway)

Dishcrawl is such an exciting idea to me! New to Tampa, but tried and true in tons of other cities nationwide, Dishcrawl partners with a handful of restaurants in a particular area of town and guides participants from one place to another so dish samples can be noshed on. Who wouldn't want to be a part of it?

The premier Dishcrawl event took place in Palma Ceia, visiting Catrinas Cocina y Galeria, Cru Cellars, Hott Mess and Datz and the next one takes place on Tuesday, February 26 and will take place in historic Hyde Park (new blog post to follow after the event). Scheduled for March is Cigar City and Bayshore.

Not only do participants get to taste some great food, but they also get to meet the chefs and owners of each restaurant, building that relationship, which is always appreciated. Do YOU want to go to the Hyde Park tour? Thanks to Dishcrawl, I have an extra ticket to give away to one lucky reader! 

Enter using Rafflecopter below (***IF YOU DO NOT SEE THE GIVEAWAY, MAKE SURE TO CLICK "READ BELOW" UNDER MY SIGNATURE***). You have a total of 4 potential entries. This giveaway will run until Sunday night, February 24rd, and the winner will be emailed and announced on Monday, February 25th. If you have any questions regarding Rafflecopter or this giveaway, please email me at jensfood@yahoo.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Michael Angelo To Host Publix Cooking Class (Giveaway)

(*Scroll down for the giveaway*)

If you know me, it's no secret that I'm obsessed with Publix. I worked there during and post high school and to shop anywhere else on a regular basis is blasphemy in my home. I actually worked for a handful of years at the Publix in Citrus Park, right across the street from my high school. It's the only Publix in Tampa with a cooking school and I have to say, it's pretty neat! With a fully-functional kitchen, Publix cooking schools make learning a meal fun for everyone. The Publix cooking schools offer cooking classes for friends, family, couples and kids.

While each Publix has a full-time chef who hosts the vast majority of the classes, they are also fortunate enough to have renowned chefs, authors, cooking celebrities and restaurant chefs come into their store to host a class or put on a demonstration. In fact, Wolfgang Puck himself visited my Publix while I was working there!

Now, Michael Angelo and his mom Sara, the two behind the Michael Angelo Gourmet Foods Italian frozen meals, will be visiting two local cooking schools to put on a Italian holiday meal demonstration.

Michael Angelo's is one of the only frozen meals that I'll actually eat and how exciting that he chose the Publix schools to share a unique holiday meal! Michael and his mom will be at the Publix cooking school in Tampa on Thursday, October 18, and he will spend the next evening, Friday, October 19, at the Publix cooking school in Sarasota. Tickets are $45 per person and you can register for the class on the cooking school website. 

I encourage registration as this class promises to be great! Here is the menu:

Appetizer

Caprese Stacker

Toasted crostini, grilled eggplant with basil pesto, heirloom tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella seasoned with Italian style dressing

Primi Piatti

Rigatoni Pasta alla Norma

Zesty tomato sauce with roasted eggplant, capers, kalamata oliver, calabrian chili peppers and al'dente rigatoni pasta topped with ricotta salata and imported Romano cheese

Secondi Piatti

Beef Tenderloin Ripieni

Beef loin filled with sauteed spinach, prosciutto, imported Romano cheese and pine nuts, seasoned with Tuscan-style fresh herbs and served with roasted vegetables and red wine sauce

Dolce

Tiramisu

Tiramisu hand-dipped in Belgium dark chocolate, garnished with zabaglione, raspberries and blackberries.

Now, the lovely people at Michael Angelo are supplying me with two single-serve vouchers and two family-serve vouchers to give away to one of my readers! 

All you have to do is comment below (please be sure you leave your email address is the comment if you don't use it to sign in) and tell me what your holiday tradition is AND what your favorite Michael Angelo frozen meal is, if you have tried any. 

Contest runs from now until next Saturday, October 13th at midnight. Good luck!

Seasons 52 Autumn Menu Tasting

Ah, Fall. The season where the leaves change, cooler temperatures welcome me in the morning and I anticipate the falling of snow. Oh, wait, I'm in Florida where none of these things happen. Luckily, I believe we may have found something better in Seasons 52, especially when the feel of Fall is in their new menu.

Earlier this week I was invited to taste some of the items on the new Autumn menu that was launched last week. Seasons 52 always puts on a great event and this time was no exception. With a handful of us in attendance in one of the private party rooms, it was cozy like the season should feel and we experienced fantastic service from the staff.

In case you are unfamiliar with the Seasons 52 concept, the restaurant has a pretty great one. They take the freshest ingredients of the season, each season, and craft a menu that truly shows the tastes of that time of the year. There are a few core menu offerings that you'll find year-round, but Seasons 52 really works to revamp their menu each Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter to bring you something new every time. One of the best parts? Every single menu item sits at 475 calories or less. So, not only do you get a flavorful, unique, and seasonally-inspired meal any time, but you can eat guilt-free without really realizing it in the taste of the dish.

Each dish at Seasons 52 is created by award-winning Chef Clifford Pleau and at the tasting, each course was paired with a wine chosen from the "Drink Them Before They're Famous" wine selection, selected by Master Sommelier, George Miliotes. We were treated to a live video stream of the two of them explaining what we would be sampling throughout the evening.

First up was the Vista Hills Orange Pinot Gris paired with Portobello Mushroom Flatbread and Double Hummus & Sea Salt Lavosh.

The "Orange" in the wine comes about because this wine is a white made as if it were a red wine. With both white and red wine characteristics, along with the notes of raspberry, apple and citrus fruit, this particular selection pairs well with everything. 

The flatbread is made with mushrooms, spinach, garlic, a blend of four cheeses (mozzarella, parmesan, goat cheese and gorgonzola) and drizzled with...get ready...Truffle sour cream. In my mind, you can pair truffle oil with just about anything and it's love. Truffle Oil is earthy and warm, yet sweet and savory, and really works to highlight individual flavors in a dish.

The Sea Salt Lavosh was paired with two different hummus treats. I couldn't decide which I liked more so I alternated between bites, sometimes even mixing, and it was awesome.

The Edamame hummus was made with mint, garlic and olive oil.

The Red Pepper hummus was made with garlic, fire-roasted red peppers and chili powder.

Next, we were treated to Cider-Glazed Grilled Chicken Skewers paired with Farrier Andiron Semillon wine. 

These chicken skewers would be great to order for a private party so everyone can just pick their skewer without having to deal with large spoons and scooping anything. It's an easy presentation!

If you'd like to order an individual portion as your meal, this would be the presentation you would get. The chicken skewers come with a Fuji apple slaw, toasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries- all flavors that go perfectly together. The chicken is coated with both the cider and mustard sauce for a unique taste.

Of course, the individual portion is really eye-catching with the pierced apple at the top. I couldn't keep from trying it out. It received the food blogger stamp of approval.

Next up we had the Avanthia Godello, Valdeorras with Maple Leaf Farms Sesame Duck Salad.

With chopped greens, apples, mint, cranberries, butternut squash, jicama and toasted pecans, there was a lot going on in this salad, but it presented beautifully. This was my first time trying duck and quail (which you'll see later) and I wasn't completely thrown off like I expected myself to be when I first saw this course on the menu at the beginning of the evening. The flavors were all there and the dressing used really captured all of the components of the dish. The duck was flavored well and added even more depth to a dish that already had a lot of depth.

Now, when I went to the Summer menu tasting back in June, we had one of the most delicious steaks of my life. I'm a girl who likes her red meat done very, very well. In fact, at Japanese steakhouses I'm jokingly told to "come back the next day so we can cook it all night" and "oh, so you want beef jerky?". I normally won't eat a steak that has any pink in the middle whatsoever and so my experience with beef probably isn't as great as anyone else's. 

However, the Piedmontese Steak at Seasons 52 is my exception. It's a huge, probably incomprehensible, feat for me, but I will eat this steak medium well. It's true! It's so flavorful! In the summer it was paired with asparagus and fingerling potatoes, but for Autumn we have broccoli and sweet potatoes.

Paired with the steak was the Tilia Bonarda, Mendoza. This wine, from Argentina, is made from grapes grown at a 2,000-5,000 elevation in a long and cool growth process for maximum flavor. 

This next course had a side that I would probably jump through flaming hoops of danger to eat. I guess fungi is my friend as I'm pretty much obsessed with mushrooms. We had Manchester Farms All-Natural Grilled Quail with MUSHROOM RISOTTO and spinach with cipollini onions. 

Again, I had never tried quail before and it was a little more gamey than I am used to, but the flavor was there and I'd go back for more.

The mushroom risotto was so good that among all of the fresh, unique and amazing flavors, this was the thing that truly captured me. Ah, if only I could make mushroom risotto this well...

This dish was paired with two different wines: the Michael David Petite Petit, Petite Sirah and Flenelly Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch.

These old world wines were complex and earthy and paired very well with the Quail and risotto. I vote that the Master Sommelier knows what he's talking about. 

Lastly, and the part that everyone gets the most excited about, we had our choice from the Mini Indulgences.

Choices include: Key Lime Pie, Mocha Macchiato, Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse, Pecan Pie with Vanilla Mousse, Belgian Chocolate Rocky Road, Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cannoli (my personal favorite), Market Fresh Fruit and the newest one for Autumn, Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Snap Crust.

In this mini, there are two layers of everything- mousse and crust- so you get the full taste in each bite!

Thank you once again to Seasons 52 for truly making our tasting a great experience to share!

Fin.