Boca Bacchanal - 2013
Boca Bacchanal – Grand Tasting March 25, 2013 - written by Jean McGill
The tasting was held at the Mizner Park Amphitheatre in Boca Raton on a sunny, breezy afternoon. They had all the tables set up under a large tent. We were greeted at the entrance by a friendly staff that provided us each with a wine glass and booklet listing all the participating restaurants and wineries. We began our tasting at the Melting Pot, with a decadent chocolate cake and a luscious strawberry drizzled in dark chocolate. We made our way through the venue, sampling a variety of savory selections, including Bogart’s meatball with ricotta cheese on top, Howard’s Market – turkey chili, roasted Brussels sprouts w/radicchio, Rack’s Downtown Eatery – sushi grade tuna taco w/avocado aioli in a hard potato shell, Legal Seafood – Yellow gazpacho w/lump crabmeat, City Oyster – Shrimp & vegetable quinoa, All Star Gourmet Cupcakes – Jamie, the owner recommended the coconut Mounds cupcake and the German chocolate with pecans; they had an endless variety of cupcakes for every taste. Another popular item was the macaroons…hard to choose, everything was delicious! Capital Grille – Kona rubbed sirloin steak, shallot butter mashed potatoes, Chops Lobster Bar – Thai ceviche lettuce wrap, Rosso Italia – fennel sausage stuffed in a baby pepper, NYY Steak – charred NY strip steak w/baby arugula & yellow grape tomatoes, also stuffed BBQ bacon wrapped shrimp, stuffed with pepper jack cheese, Truluck’s – stone crab w/mustard sauce, Maggiano’s – chicken alfredo pasta and tiramisu, Pinon Grill – crab cakes, Texas de Brazil – flank steak w/chimichurri and mashed potatoes. A variety of premium wines and beer was also part of the experience. We sampled only red wines, from Merlots to Pinots, Malbecs and blends. Wines from Don & Sons Winery – Aquinas Pinot Noir, Castle Rock Winery – Pinot Noir, J Lohr Vineyards – Hilltop Cabernet, Salvatore Principe – Malbec, Canopy Management – PromisQous Red blend. There was so much to choose from, [unfortunatley] there was no way possible to try it all. Overall, it was nicely done, a wonderful variety of deliciously prepared food complimented by fine wines…certainly a feast for the taste buds!
In its 11th year, the Boca Bacchanal is the major fundraiser of the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum. A festive weekend which celebrates and enhances the appreciation of wine and food, Boca Bacchanal brings together world class chefs and vintners, offering their finest specialties, providing the entire community with a delightful opportunity to support an outstanding cause.
Proceeds from this wine fest weekend enable the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum to provide innovative, diverse and rapidly growing heritage education and historic preservation programs for Boca Raton area residents and visitors. The programs are recognized as an essential building block for understanding the unfolding history of Boca Raton. In 2012, more than 75,000 children and adults experienced its on-site and outreach programs, such as history tours, exhibits, lectures, school programs, special events and archival research. The BRHS&M believes that heritage education contributes to the identification and cohesion of community and culture and it is the Society's mission to have a visible role in sharing our local history. For additional information, please visit http://www.bocabacchanal.com/.
Read MoreThe tasting was held at the Mizner Park Amphitheatre in Boca Raton on a sunny, breezy afternoon. They had all the tables set up under a large tent. We were greeted at the entrance by a friendly staff that provided us each with a wine glass and booklet listing all the participating restaurants and wineries. We began our tasting at the Melting Pot, with a decadent chocolate cake and a luscious strawberry drizzled in dark chocolate. We made our way through the venue, sampling a variety of savory selections, including Bogart’s meatball with ricotta cheese on top, Howard’s Market – turkey chili, roasted Brussels sprouts w/radicchio, Rack’s Downtown Eatery – sushi grade tuna taco w/avocado aioli in a hard potato shell, Legal Seafood – Yellow gazpacho w/lump crabmeat, City Oyster – Shrimp & vegetable quinoa, All Star Gourmet Cupcakes – Jamie, the owner recommended the coconut Mounds cupcake and the German chocolate with pecans; they had an endless variety of cupcakes for every taste. Another popular item was the macaroons…hard to choose, everything was delicious! Capital Grille – Kona rubbed sirloin steak, shallot butter mashed potatoes, Chops Lobster Bar – Thai ceviche lettuce wrap, Rosso Italia – fennel sausage stuffed in a baby pepper, NYY Steak – charred NY strip steak w/baby arugula & yellow grape tomatoes, also stuffed BBQ bacon wrapped shrimp, stuffed with pepper jack cheese, Truluck’s – stone crab w/mustard sauce, Maggiano’s – chicken alfredo pasta and tiramisu, Pinon Grill – crab cakes, Texas de Brazil – flank steak w/chimichurri and mashed potatoes. A variety of premium wines and beer was also part of the experience. We sampled only red wines, from Merlots to Pinots, Malbecs and blends. Wines from Don & Sons Winery – Aquinas Pinot Noir, Castle Rock Winery – Pinot Noir, J Lohr Vineyards – Hilltop Cabernet, Salvatore Principe – Malbec, Canopy Management – PromisQous Red blend. There was so much to choose from, [unfortunatley] there was no way possible to try it all. Overall, it was nicely done, a wonderful variety of deliciously prepared food complimented by fine wines…certainly a feast for the taste buds!
In its 11th year, the Boca Bacchanal is the major fundraiser of the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum. A festive weekend which celebrates and enhances the appreciation of wine and food, Boca Bacchanal brings together world class chefs and vintners, offering their finest specialties, providing the entire community with a delightful opportunity to support an outstanding cause.
Proceeds from this wine fest weekend enable the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum to provide innovative, diverse and rapidly growing heritage education and historic preservation programs for Boca Raton area residents and visitors. The programs are recognized as an essential building block for understanding the unfolding history of Boca Raton. In 2012, more than 75,000 children and adults experienced its on-site and outreach programs, such as history tours, exhibits, lectures, school programs, special events and archival research. The BRHS&M believes that heritage education contributes to the identification and cohesion of community and culture and it is the Society's mission to have a visible role in sharing our local history. For additional information, please visit http://www.bocabacchanal.com/.