Souper Sanford

Sanford's second Thursday of every month Alive After 5 street party in November was themed "Souper Sanford" and featured a soup contest. Entrants in two categories, Home Cook and Restaurant, each made about 5 gallons of soup. For the price of a $7 spoon and card, AA5 attendees were able to sample some or all of teh 15 soups and vote on their favorites. 

Every month on the second Thursday, historic Sanford's First Street is blocked off from Oak Street to Sanford Avenue and merchants and vendors set up along the street for Central Florida's largest and best monthly street party. Some vendors hand out food samples, some trinkets and promotional material, some offer mini-massages. Often there's a bounce house for kids. The event is kid and dog friendly. There are usually several music venues. And of course, a beer tent. Thousands of knowing area residents gather from 5-8 PM and party in the streets. Each month has a theme, and in November it's Souper Sanford. At the end of the night, the votes were tabulated and winners announced. 

But first, my take on the soups. I sampled all 15 soups and was stuffed by the end of the evening. Here is a list of the soup makers and what they offered: 

1. Restaurant - Celery City Craft - Beer Cheese soup (of course!)
2. Restaurant - Christo's - Broccoli Cheese soup
3. Restaurant - The Breezeway - She-Crab Chowder (last year's winner, if I remember correctly!)
4. Restaurant - Zorba's - Avgolemono Soup (Greek lemon and chicken flavor)
5. Home Cook - Angela's African Braiding - Jamaican Chicken soup
6. Restaurant - Mattie's Delectable Desserts - Seafood Chowder
7. Home Cook - GCI Guys - Broccoli Cheese soup
8. Restaurant - Fred's Market - Bell Pepper and Rice soup
9. Home Cook - Sanford Barber Shop - Gumbo, Louisiana style
10. Home Cook - Windshield Specialist - Chicken soup
11. Home Cook - Doc Paper Scissors - Matzo Ball soup
12. Restaurant - Smiling Bison - Zellwood Corn soup
13. Home Cook - Magpie's Modern General - New Mexican Chili Chicken soup
14. Restaurant - Hollerbach's Willow Tree Cafe - Lentil soup
15. Restaurant - Wop's Hops - Italian Wedding soup

Before I write about my favorites--and I had some--a few general comments. First of all, in general, the competition this year was certainly stepped up. Last year there were a few soups that were just not good, this year, they were all good, some better than others, but none of them lacked seasoning. Second, I'd recommend that for next year the organizers and vendors consider using 1-ounce ladles. 15 soups at 1 ounce apiece is rather more than i can eat, and some gave out closer to 2 ounce portions. I think a one ounce portion is enough and would also level the playing field a bit. 

Now for my favorites in each category. My vote went for the first in each, but it was a hard decision, there were a number of great choices in each category.

Restaurant:

• Corn soup from The Smiling Bison got my vote here, but only by a hair. The sweet corn flavor was outstanding and the creaminess made this a real standout for me
• Lentil Soup from Hollerbach's Willow Tree Cafe was a close runner up. Hollerbach's has been making wonderful soups for a long time, and they do not skimp on the ingredients. You can tell this was homemade, nothing from a can or bottle.
• She-crab soup from The Breezeway, last year's winner, was also pretty gosh darned good.
• Bell Pepper and Rice soup from Fred's Market was a surprise to me because I am not a bell pepper fan, yet the pepper flavor was very subtle and so i actually enjoyed their soup

Home Cook:

• New Mexican Chili Chicken soup by Magpie's Modern General was far and above my first choice, in large part due to the carefully roasted chili flavor--it did not overpower the soup, was not overly spicy and in my  mind  was actually the best of all the soups I sampled, and even more so because it was by a home cool. Outstanding and definitely restaurant-quality in my mind.
• Mazto Ball soup from Doc Paper Scissors was also excellent. The chicken broth made this soup a real standout, it tasted fresh and homemade to me. And the addition of the matzo ball was perfect. 
• The Gumbo by the Sanford Barber Shop was also a standout in my mind, in part because it seemed very authentic and contained all the flavors I'd expect in a good gumbo without being overly spicy. They did a nice job as well.

And the winners by popular vote were:

Home Cook: Magpie's Modern General's New Mexican Chili Chicken soup.

Restaurant: Fred's Market's Bell Pepper Rice soup.

But again, I have to admin that the competition this year was really stepped up a few notches. There were not soups that I did not enjoy, and I'd have eaten a bowl of any one of them for my dinner. I did sample all 15 and was stuffed at the end of the night. Alive After 5 is one of my favorite monthly events in Sanford and I rarely  miss it, every month on the second Thursday of the month, 5-8 PM. 

By the way, here is my ballot, before I marked my winners and turned it in. Yes, i tried all 15!

Alive After 5 Chili Cook-off

On the Second Thursday of the month, Sanford hosts Alive After 5 in beautiful, historic, downtown Sanford from 5-8 PM. Every second Thursday of the month, First Street is closed to traffic and lined with various vendors and food samples, as well as artists showing their wares, entertainment, and other fun events. However, the AA5 every January is special--it's time for the annual chili cook-off. Various purveyors, individual and restaurants hand out samples of their chili and the attendees vote for the best. 

This year, it was a popular vote that determined the winner. But no worry, I sampled about half or so of the 25 varieties there--there is only so much chili one can eat. Here's my rundown of what I had and what I thought was the best.

First of all, the best: there were three top contenders and an honorable mention in my book. Any of these were worthy of the top award, but I'll give my choices and reasons:

In First Place: In my humble opinion, the top chili this year was from Shantell's Grill & Oyster Bar, the "3 Sons and 7 Daughters Chili" (yes, that's her family--it does make you wonder where she had time to learn such great cooking skills!).  Why was it the top? Depth of flavor. Shantell's chili had a depth of flavor unlike any others there, I could tell there was layer upon layer. Yes, it was a bit hot, and I liked that. But just by the tiniest nose--and even though it had beans in it--I'd give it top billing. Shantell's restaurant is located just a block or two south of First Street on Sanford Avenue. It's well worth a visit, I just ate there last night!

Second Place: And a very, very close second, was last year's winner, the chili from La Sirena Gorda Cabana (the "Fat Mermaid," as everyone know it), they had their "WhoopAss Chili." By far, this was the most authentic (Texan style) chili. Chuck was cut and slowly roasted, chorizo was also used, the flavor was rich and deep, and the addition of Mexican chocolate (the secret but necessary ingredient for a really rich chili) was use. I was hard put to pick a winner, as it was a very close race. This chili was also on top for me, outstanding. La Sirena Gorda is just off First Street on Palmetto. I ate there last week and was there last night for happy hour. It's really great food and a fun place. You should give it a try as well. 

Third Place: A close third was the chili from Hollerbach's Willow Tree Cafe, "Chicken Scratch Chili." It was unique and unusual in that it also included some root vegetables such as rutabaga, parsnip, and etc. Owner Theo Hollerbach is a constant and star supporter of downtown Sanford, the attend every Alive After 5 and hand out samples each time. I've never found anything they've fed me to be anything less than top notch. The restaurant is located right on First Street, you can't miss it, there's always a bit of a line, and for good reason. I ate there just before the holidays and it was good as always. And, by the way, you owe it to yourself to visit their nearby Magnolia Market, just off First Street on Magnolia Square. You can find lots of authentic German and central European food there. Give them both a try, the restaurant and market. 

Honorable mention #1: Dexter's from Lake Mary put on a very decent showing with their chili, it was very good, assembled and garnished right as you waited. It was also very good and was the people's choice, the winner of the chili cook-off. They, too, had a very Texas-style with the "Texas Smokehouse Beef Brisket Chili." 

Honorable Mention #2: Buck's Catering had a "Turkey Chili" that was surprising because it's use of poultry seasoning and sage reminded me of a turkey and dressing dinner. It was actually pretty good.

Honorable Mention #3 was the chili from Gail Williams Insurance Agency, "White Chili." Her chili was second place in the voting overall. Her's was great in that you could tell that it was made with real, homemade chicken broth--it had that lip-smacking, mouth-feel that only gelatin can give. So it was also very good and I can see why it was so popular. 

Honorable Mention #4 has to go to Angel's Soul Food & BBQ, "Kickin' Lickin Chili." I would be remiss if I did not mention their chili. It was unusual and "outside the box." While a lot of the other chilis had beans in them, Angel's was unique because they used lentils! Yep, lentils. The chili was served over some rice and with a nice, crisp cracker that was extra-tasty. It really was a delight. Angel's is located just around the corner, a few steps south of First Street on Sanford Avenue. There is a reason they are so highly rated on urbanspoon.com--they do Soul Food and BBQ right. I've eaten there in the past and will again, and they, too are a great supporter of Sanford events, including AA5. You owe it to yourself to give them a try sometime. It may look like a dive inside, but the food is awesome!

People's Choice Third Place was from Dreams & Destinations Travel, their "Chili Chili Bang Bang." I'm sorry to say I did not sample their chili, but apparently it was pretty good to come in third among 25 entries. Good job!  

Also rans and misses:  There were a number of other chili offerings that I sampled as well, but those listed above were the best. Some of the others were OK. Some tasted like a can of tomatoes with ground beef. One of them had a burnt taste (you know who you are), and a few of them were cold. I was sorry that I could not sample all of them. I tried to hit the restaurants and local businesses first, and those who are frequent supporters of AA5 and other Sanford events. I congratulate all who turned out on a somewhat dreary evening to provide a lot of fun and good eats to all who were. there. It was another awesome time. A lot of people put a lot of hard work into their chili. Some spent days on it, and you could taste that depth of flavor. Some were more afterthoughts, but still, it's good that the spent the time (and their own $$) to support Sanford and this great, fun event. Kudos to all the participants for being there.

If you'd like to know more about Alive After 5, I suggest you find them and friend them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliveAfter5. 

Celery Soup: Remade Not Bought

"Remade Not Bought" is the title of this year's presentation of stories of Sanford and Seminole County by the local Celery Soup players. These are tales of life in years gone buy as recorded for posterity, gathered from some of Sanford and Seminole County's oldest and most distinguished residents. Tales of life long ago.

This year's performances are are held at the Princess Theater in historic downtown Sanford (115 W. 1st. St., Sanford, FL 32771; 321-578-1463):

• October 18th -- November 3rd
• Friday and Saturday -- 7:30 PM
• Sunday --  2:00 PM
• Doors open 30 minutes before performance

Opening Night Cocktail Party

This year, the Friday Night October 18th opening night performance will be preceded by a cocktail party for all ticket holders at 6 PM at Gallery on First, two blocks west of the theater. At 7 PM, Jeanine Taylor, the founder of Celery Soup, will lead all invited guest into the theater through the backstage entrance.

  Wine will be provided by local resident artist Tom Abbott, and yours truly, the Lake Mary Food Critic is providing celery appetizers. Here is what I am preparing and links to the original recipes. Note that, as a lover of food, I have taken these recipes as a "guide" only and have taken some liberties with proportions and ingredients. But I hope you find them all to be good eats!

Celery Soda

• recipe by Alton Brown
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/celery-soda-recipe/index.html

Wasabi Celery Root Slaw

• Recipe by Janet Johnston
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/celery-soda-recipe/index.html

Chilled Cream of Celery Soup

• Recipe by evelyn/athens
• http://www.food.com/recipe/chilled-cream-of-celery-soup-96294

Olive Stuffed Celery

• Recipe by Catherine Herzog
• http://www.celeryrecipes.org/stuffed-appetizers.html

Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Celery

• Recipe by Helen
• http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Helen_s-Stuffed-Celery-Allrecipes

Blue Cheese and Pecan Stuffed Celery

• Recipe by Rachel Ray
• http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Blue-cheese-and-pecan-stuffed-celery-348289

Peanut Butter Stuffed Celery

1. Recipe by Taste of Home
2. http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/peanut-butter-stuffed-celery

Bacon and Horseradish Stuffed Celery

• Recipe by Catherine Herzog
• http://www.celeryrecipes.org/bacon-horseradish.html

Check back after the event for some pictures! And if you stop in, make sure to introduce yourself to me, the Lake Mary Food Critic!

Taste of Sanford

My friend Tommy and I attended the 4th Taste of Sanford recently. We had gone to the first one in 2009, so this was our second year. Of course it's all about "taste" and so I'll talk about the food, first and foremost, before I come to some aspects of the event that I had a few questions and doubts about. So on to the food.

The best bite I had that was from a Sanford Restaurant was from a newcomer, the new kid on the block, Breezeway Restaurant and Bar in historic downtown Sanford. They had some firecracker shrimp that were awesome. Over the course of several months, we watched as the space formerly occupied by Two Blondes and a Shrimp was transformed into the Breezeway. We have eaten there three times now and enjoyed each meal. I've even blogged about Breezeway. So i was not surprised to find that their Firecracker Shrimp were good---very good. I know now what my appetizer will be the next time I go there. Only one complaint, Steve: how about a web site? Time to enter this century and get your presence known on the web. But this was the best Sanford bite I had.

However, there was a bite that was even better, but it was not a Sanford Restaurant. Still the best thing I had for the evening was from Shula's 347 Grill located in the Westin Hotel in Lake Mary. They had two bites that were great, but the crab cake was truly exceptional--it was almost all crab. I loved it. Their second bite was tender beef (probably short ribs is my guess) served over mashed potatoes. Again, quite a good bite. Based on this, I have to say that without a doubt, the best of Taste of Sanford was the food from Shula's 347 Grill. Based on that experience, I know I will be going there for dinner some time soon and then writing about it here in my blog. And, they did a great job of promoting themselves. Nice job! I'll be seeing you soon!

There were a number of other bites that I found good, and I'd say most places there brought their "A" game to the table (pun intended). Chef Michael, owner of Corner Cafe Home of Gourmet 2 Go had a great vegetable soup that was rich and velvety with tasty chunks of veggies in it. I have eaten at Corner Cafe a number of times and have never been disappointed. Buck's Restaurant and Catering had a nice smoked fish dip. I have eaten at the restaurant and was not a big fan, but I can say that when I've had some of their food at an event like this or at the monthly Alive After Five, it has always been very good. I think maybe their catering is much better than their restaurant, at least that's been my experience. Then again, you should try the restaurant and make up your own mind!  Among the other good "Sanford" bites was Father's Table and the Ale House. There were some good drinks, too, with Tim's wine (yummy Cabernet) and cold beer from Wayne Densch, and even great desserts, like the bite from Empress Sissi (I think that's who had that good cheesecake). Lots of good eats and we sure got stuffed.

There were also a number of other non-Sanford places in attendance and, to some extent, that confused me. I mean, it's called "Taste of Sanford" and yet i was tasting food from as far away as Deland and from the Universal Studios area. What's with that? I really think that a "Taste of Sanford" should be that. I did hear a few words from some of our friends at other places in Sanford, members of the Chamber who did not attend Taste of Sanford. Their take on it seemed to be that the Chamber wanted top dollar from local businesses, and was more interested in promoting out of the area and getting merchants who'd pay bigger bucks, rather than local folk. 

The setting for Taste of Sanford was nice, at the Civic Center. The inside was crowded early on, but thinned out a bit later. The evening was very nice and so sitting outside was also a pleasure with the big grassy area right behind, and a few vendors set up in that area. There were no long lines or large waits like there are at other "taste of" events, and that's a good thing. It's nice to be able to walk around, see what there is, talk to merchants and vendors, and get what you want promptly, I like that a lot.

Three years ago, Taste of Sanford cost me $35 for a couple ($20 individual), this year it was a flat $25 per person. So the price has gone up a bit. Given the fact that there were so few real local Sanford restaurants in attendance, I was a bit disappointed. I'd have liked to have sampled something from some other very local places like Marco Dino's, Angel's Soulfood, Cafe Rouge, Hollerbach's Willow Tree, and Riverwalk Pizza, just to name a few. I'm a big fan of local places rather than chains, yet there were a few chains there. Not that they have bad food, but I prefer the fresh ideas that local "mom and pop" places produce. So, for me, it was an OK experience, but just a bit of a disappointment. I mean, the food from Shula's in Lake Mary was outstanding, there was good stuff from the Debary Country Club and from De La Vega in Deland. Four Rivers from Longwood was good (but why is the "pulled" chicken then chopped so fine?) and Mr. Ted's from way down in Orlando on Kirkman had good stuff as well. But for my money, shouldn't the Sanford Chamber of Commerce strive more to promote Sanford and even at least, Seminole County Businesses?  But I guess that's a matter for the members of the Chamber to take up. 

Overall, this was a nice and fun event, it was a good "Taste of" Sanford and central Florida. Will I go back next year? Probably, probably. But I'd like to see a few more local Sanford places there too! 

Food as Art: The Culinary Arts Court at the St. John's River Festival of the Arts

If you've ever been to an outdoor art festival, you know what the typical food fare is: greasy, warm, prepared in large quantities, and expensive. Definitely not really good eats. Well, that is about to change. 


A great new concept for food at an outdoor arts festival is being introduced this coming weekend at the St. John's River Festival of the Arts. It is called the Culinary Arts Court. Say goodbye to normal carnival food and hello to fine food representing several various cuisines/areas, and various craft beers as well--an added bonus. The Culinary Arts Court will feature cuisine from France, as well as  several areas from the US including Maine, Hawaii, and the Southwest. And they won't just be serving fine foods, wine, and craft beers, but you'll be able to see demonstrations as well.

If you read my blog regularly, you'll know that I am a big fan of downtown Sanford. I am happy to report that I, the Lake Mary Food Critic, have signed up to be a patron for this worthy endeavor, and my friend and partner is one of the featured artists. I seriously hope you will come to downtown Sanford May 5-6 to see what this is all about. And, after the festival, come back here to see what I have to say about the food--you know I'll be writing about it. Hope to see you there, The St. John's River Festival of the Arts, May 5-6, in historic downtown Sanford. 

Slow Food Orlando's Eat Local Week 2010

I am all about eating in local restaurants using the finest ingredients (OK, so I do occasionally fall "off the wagon" and go to a chain), so when I got an email recently about  Slow Food Orlando's Eat Local Week 2010 asking me to pass on this information, I was happy to do so!

If you are not familiar with the slow food movement, check out the Slow Food Orlando web site to learn a bit more. Basically it's about local restaurants using ingredients grown in the central Florida area, preparing food that is healthy, nutritious, and definitely Good Eats! I suggest you take a look and find out what it's all about!