The Vero Beach Food, Wine & Music event made its culinary debut last weekend and the gluttonous grins on event-goers clearly demonstrated that residents of Vero Beach are ever-eager to ensure that the cups of local charities runneth over.
The multi-day experience kicked off Thursday night with guests mingling with celebrity chefs at a Fire & Ice VIP party in the Crystal Ballroom at Costa d’Este to thank sponsors and give the six beneficiary charities a platform from which to share their missions. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society, The Source, H.A.L.O. No-Kill Rescue, Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, United Against Poverty and the Hibiscus Children’s Center.
Students from The Source’s Dining with Dignity culinary program, under the direction of Chef Joe Wisor, assisted the various chefs throughout the weekend.
On Friday night, attendees gathered under the stars for an evening with Matteo Bocelli, son of acclaimed Italian singer/songwriter Andrea Bocelli, accompanied by pianist Eugene Kohn, violinist Anastasiya Petryshak and vocalist Jessica Brando. The open-air tent housed an intimate supper club with music drifting down the river along with the breeze.
Bocelli wooed the audience with love songs in English and his native tongue as gourmands nibbled on an assortment of delectable bites prepared by Wild Thyme Catering’s Chef Travis Beckett. Beckett created what he called a “charcudite,” piled high with antipasto skewers, bacon wrapped dates, meats, cheeses, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, crackers and tomato caprese.
Saturday evening drew a crowd to Riverside Park once again, this time tempting bon vivants to dine on gourmet cuisine at a five-course wine dinner created by Celebrity Chefs Graham Elliott, Shaun O’Neale, Alex Thomopolous and Christi Ferretti. Between courses, guests danced to the soulful sounds of the Marcia Mitchell Band, working off some of the deliciously decadent calories.
Much to the foodies’ delight, courses included assorted appetizers, a beet and avocado salad, salmon BLT, pork tenderloin with amaretto squash puree and chocolate cake with a bacon pistachio crust topped with rosemary ganache and Cheerwine berries.
As they dined, epicureans were treated to cooking demonstrations by the celebrity chefs.
“Whether it’s a table at a fancy restaurant, a table here under the stars, or a table where you’re feeding the homeless, everything great in life happens around the table,” said Chef Elliot, while giving a step-by-step demonstration on the creation of his salmon BLTs.
At the heart of the event was the vision of its founder, Fé Domenech, to support local nonprofits. An event planner for more than 20 years, Domenech has seen firsthand what it takes to pull off a successful affair.
“Who doesn’t love food, wine and music,” said Domenech. “The best memories are related to those topics. Good positive memories come from a dish our parents or grandparents made, or when a song takes you back to high school.”
Domenech said she was inspired to do more for the community while recovering from a near-death experience.
“In 2015, I passed away and came back,” she said. “I decided that everything else I do from that moment forward was going to be payback. These people do so much, and I felt that I did so little.”
The weekend continued with a Pups and Pinot Human & Canine Couture Fashion Show and Luncheon on Sunday; look for coverage in our March 1 issue.
Photos by: Denise Ritchie, Gordon Radford, and Stephanie LaBaff
Click HERE to see more or buy photos
