Saturday is a big day for fans of good food and wine.
It starts with an event from our friends at Rioja and a replay of the fun Rioja & Tapas Escape they held last summer at Mitchell’s Fish House in Winter Park Village. This time there will be more than 40 Rioja wines to taste along with some specially created chef-inspired tapas. Throw in some live music and you have a fun afternoon. An inexpensive one, too, at just $45, which includes tax and tip.
The event is from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Mitchell’s, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park. Call 407-339-3474 or click this link for tickets.
Then try to grab a little nap before Beard in Baldwin kicks off at 7 o’clock.
This will be an outdoor walkabout food and wine tasting featuring some of the area’s best chefs as well as some out of towners, including: Brad Kilgore, Alter, Miami; Cesar Zapata, The Federal Food, Drink & Provisions, Miami; Ferrell Alvarez, Rooster & the Till, Tampa; and Timon Balloo, Sugarcane Raw Bar & Grill, Miami.
The Osprey Tavern’s executive chef, Joseph Burnett, and pastry chef, Kristy Carlucci, are serving as hosts for the James Beard Foundation sanctioned event. Proceeds will help fund The James Beard Foundation National Scholars Program.
General admission tickets are $85 per person; VIP tickets are $200, which gets you inside Osprey for a private cocktail party and a few other extras. (VIP experience begins at 6 p.m., so set your alarm accordingly for your nap.)
Local chefs and restaurateurs scheduled to participate include:
- Kevin Fonzo, K
- Kathleen Blake, Rusty Spoon
- Nathan Hardin, Highball & Harvest
- Wendy Lopez, Tapa Toro
- Katerina Coumbaros, Taverna Opa
- and 17 others
Click this link to the Beard in Baldwin website to see the full list of participating chefs, what they plan to serve and to buy your tickets.