September 12, 2013 | Posted in:Around Town

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The second Table Talk event- Raising the Bar: Farm, Food And Spirits [In Orlando]

The second Table Talk event was held at K Restaurant Tuesday, September 10th from 10:00am until noon. The interactive series presented by Rockaway PR features area industry professionals in panel form to discuss trending culinary topics, the theme of this Table Talk was Raising the Bar: Farm, Food and Spirits. Panelists included Chef Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant, Matt Anderson of Enlightened Grain Spirits, Kaitlin McGavock of The Courtesy Bar, Paul Johnsen of the United States Bartenders Guild and Nathan Clark of Wondermade.

The breakfast centered event was provided by K Restaurant, Lake Meadow Naturals, Cigar City Brewing, Wondermade and Enlightened Grain Spirits and highlighted the craft spirits, craft beer and craft cocktail components in the growing Orlando marketplace.

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Enlightened Grain Spirits took the Bloody Mary to the next level with their Rosemary & Lavender Vodka.

Kicking off the well attended event was the Inspired Bloody Mary made with Enlightened Grain Spirits Rosemary & Lavender Vodka and K’s in-house cold smoked olives, the Bloody Mary took on a pleasing smoky quality the longer it sat. The Rosemary & Lavender vodka was a beautiful balance between the savory and piney Rosemary with the floral and delicate Lavender. Happily, this lovely spirit can be purchased locally at Mucho Tequila and More Liquor and Vines Wine and Spirits.

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Lake Meadow Naturals eggs cooked two ways, cheddar and chive biscuit and Wondermade Marshmallows.

Delicious Kegs & Eggs were provided by Lake Meadow Naturals, K Restaurant and Cigar City Beer. Chef Fonzo perfectly prepared and presented a tasty breakfast of sunny side up eggs, (to highlight the eggs quality and freshness) a brisket hash and cheddar and chive biscuits with gravy. Deviled eggs with bacon provided additional savory notes and Wondermade showcased their original and S’mores flavors of artisan marshmallows. The Florida Cracker White Ale was a nice palate cleanser between bites, cementing the belief that Brunch should include a crisply styled craft beer.

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Cigar City Florida Cracker White Ale, with a smile.

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Chef Fonzo created a brisket potato hash that received raves from attendees.

Sitting in on the talk also provided an opportunity for an open question and answer session. Attendees asked where the Orlando craft cocktail and food movement is now and where it’s going. All indications from the panelists were clearly- full steam ahead!  Orlando seems to be caught up with national trends pertaining to craft beverages and is now on track to become a culinary destination with more and more travelers seeking a local food scene and local foodie experience. We’ll look forward to more innovations from these creative forces and the others active in the food, wine and culinary scene in Central Florida.

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Paul Johnsen of the United States Bartenders Guild, Kaitlin McGavock of The Courtesy Bar, Nathan Clark of Wondermade, Matt Anderson of Enlightened Grain Spirits and Chef Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant.

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Cheers to an informative and interesting event!

Join the conversation on Twitter. Use hashtags #rockawaytabletalk, #mixologymovement and #foodiechat with your comments or questions and to see comments and pictures from the event.

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Hello, I'm Lisa Wilk! I'm a freelance food, wine and travel writer, photographer and presenter based out of Orlando, FL. While covering local restaurants and food events in the #1 tourist destination in the US, I find endless cooking inspiration when dining out. You'll often find me in the kitchen putting my own spin on those elevated chef creations to enjoy at home and when entertaining. I have a love and enthusiasm for wine, wine education and wine pairing. Find me about town teaching and demystifying wine as part of the popular @TheTastyTrio in the popular Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Perfectly Paired program series I've co-developed. Taste, Cook and Sip along with me on Twitter and Instagram at @TasteCookSip and @WineChix! Cheers!

1 Comment

  1. Taste Cook Sip | Food trends, farm to table & WHY Orlando?! Norman Van Aken leads round table with area chefs. - […] kitchen located in downtown Winter Park. I had the pleasure of attending the previous Table Talk, Raising the Bar: Farm,…

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