Savoring Sarasota

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Savoring Sarasota

Sarasota Magazine
Savoring Sarasota
Monday, June 8th, 2009

How I love this bargain Sarasota restaurant event!

Savor- noun; to taste with pleasure

Assign-verb; to appoint to

Contributing Food and Wine Editor-title; best job in the world!

Perfect scallops on the Savor Sarasota menu at Mattison's.

Select three of the many restaurants that are participating in Savor Sarasota. Try their special menus and blog about them. And so, my assignment begins.

First, I logged on to www.savorsarasota.com to do my homework. While many restaurants are offering a Savor Sarasota menu, I was looking for high-end restaurants that offer many creative selections on their special menu.

Second, secure reservations during the next week. Not such an easy task when this showcase of restaurants offers three course lunches for $15 and dinners for $25.. In fact, friends from St. Pete came down two nights themselves last weekend to taste with pleasure .

Our decision:

Mattison s Forty-One (this past Saturday night)

Euphemia Haye- (Wednesday Night)

Pattigeorge s- (Friday Night)

Our buddy, Gary, dives into Mattison's pot roast.

If our first experience is a glimpse of the rest of the week, we are in for an extremely flavorful assignment. Mattison s Forty- One hit a homerun for us. The menu is creative and abundant in choices. For appetizers we chose the fried artichoke hearts with tomato, lemon and caper butter, sprinkled with Parmesan, and slow roasted duck spring rolls. Both cooked well, not the least bit greasy and a nice portion for beginning the meal. For my entrée, I went with the server s recommendation of jumbo sea scallops over pancetta and sweet pea risotto with smoked tomato coulis. Talk about savor! The scallops were cooked perfectly and the pancetta added a salty balance with the smokiness of the coulis. Cajun lime blackened mahi mahi with tropical fruit macedoine and citrus beurre blanc was our second entrée choice. A well-balanced dish. The fish was moist and blackening seasoning not overpowering. Both dishes were plated beautifully. Dessert was nice, but the wildflower honey just a tad bit overwhelming for the croissant bread pudding. That s not to say my dinner guest did not clean his plate!

Savor this news&..

Mattison s Forty-One is offering the Savor Sarasota Menu all summer. On Saturday nights, you can also enjoy 25% off any bottle of wine priced over $40.00. Sounds like we will be savoring the extra money in our wallets as well as the great food- this is a will definitely be back experience.