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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
YOUROBSERVER.COM STATE STREET EATING HOUSE + COCKTAILS
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Crab and watermelon ceviche
This cocktail hot spot might be a newcomer to the event, but the employees of State Street Eating House + Cocktails plan to hold their own during the restaurant’s first appearance at Taste of Downtown. Chef Adam Ruth, who has worked in restaurant kitchens since age 15, is taking a similar approach to the one he uses to arrange his own menu items: Base everything on ingredients that are currently in season. Ruth will prepare a crab and watermelon ceviche that he SEE STATE PAGE 2
TSUNAMI SUSHI AND HIBACHI GRILL
The Taste of Downtown takes locals on a trip around the world. NIKI KOTTMANN BLACK TIE REPORTER
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ithin a 0.2-mile stretch of downtown Sarasota from North Palm Avenue to Main Street, locals can experience opera, a Tony Award-winning musical and more than 1,800 square feet of art galleries. On Sept. 10, another artistic outlet will be joining the creative buffet along this stretch: the third annual Taste of Downtown. The event kickstarts the social season with an afternoon of fine food and wine at the Sarasota Opera House. Since its inception in 2014, the event has raised raised more than $28,000 for the Sarasota Youth Opera. Twenty-two restaurants from the downtown area will partake this year, and attendees can taste everything from Japanese to Peruvian bites. According to Tsunami Sushi and Hibachi Grill General Manager Jeffrey Karasawa, attending is like “traveling the world in four hours.” Organizer Jennifer Simms says she likes to host the event in September because it gives locals something to do before season begins. She also notes that it attracts a wide demographic, from people in their 20s to 70s. “We were trying to put together an event that is more community-based,” she says. “A lot of our events are more opera-centric, but we also wanted to do something that attracted more members of the general community.” To preview this year’s Taste of Downtown, the Observer spoke with four participating chefs to see what dishes they plan to serve, what ingredients they can’t live without and what gets their creative juices flowing.
Niki Kottmann
Ahi Tuna Tower
Tsunami has participated in the event every year, and its proximity to the Sarasota Opera House has continually helped its staff provide the freshest dishes possible — and allowed them to replenish their food supply within minutes. This year, the restaurant will serve its Ahi Tuna Tower, which includes spicy tuna with sliced avocado and shredded Alaskan king crabmeat on top of a bed of sushi rice, topped with tempura flakes, housemade spicy mayo and eel sauce drizzled on top, SEE TSUNAMI PAGE 2
MATTISON’S CITY GRILLE
Niki Kottmann
Niman Ranch Pork Medallions
Mattison’s is no stranger to event catering, and its commitment to what owner and Chef Paul Mattison calls “pure, simple and clean” food carries over into its preparation for the event. The restaurant has participated since the inaugural event, and Mattison looks to his dinner menu to decide what dish he wants to feature at the event. This year, he’ll be preparing his Niman Ranch Pork Medallions with braised cabbage and apple brandy demi-glace. SEE MATTISON PAGE 2
SELVA GRILL
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Shrimp ceviche
Selva Grill specializes in Latino cuisine, and the restaurant plans to celebrate that cultural vibrancy with its dish. “We decided to do the shrimp ceviche, because it has most of the flavors and colors we would like to share,” says executive chef Ysacc Sanchez. “We would like people to have fun and enjoy their food at the same time.” Sanchez, who grew up in Peru, says presenting his dishes colorfully is as important as producing quality, fresh food, echoing the lively cultural tradition of his SEE SELVA PAGE 2