Paradise Coast Official Visitors Guide 2009 - (Page 16) DISCOVER FLORIDA’S LAST PA R A D I S E sm Get Fresh By Chelle Koster Walton AREA CHEFS TRANSLATE LOCAL INGREDIENTS INTO UNIVERSAL APPEAL. Sandwiched between the bounty of the sea and the land, the Paradise Coast and its restaurants have the edge on buying and cooking local. From the salty-sweet meat of a just-cracked Everglades City stone crab to Florida strawberries transformed into something reminiscent of both California and Romagna, Italy, local chefs create unforgettable masterpieces that taste even better than they sound and look. Meet some of the Paradise Coast’s culinary maestros and learn how they use local products for universal appeal. Farmers Markets Where can you find fresh restaurant-quality local products? During season (November through May), farmers markets convene on downtown Naples’ Third Street South on Saturdays and on Marco Island at Mackle Park on Wednesdays. Immokalee Produce Center on New Market Road operates daily year ’round. Shop for everything from native plants and homemade jams to locally grown tomatoes and Gulf shrimp. “You use what you have around you,” he explains, “sourcing what’s local and what’s sustainable. I look for what is going to go from field to table in the shortest amount of time. The fact that we can buy products ripe — it just makes sense.” Strawberries come from Plant City, clams from Cedar Key, tropical fruit from Homestead and tomatoes from Ruskin. “Our panzanella salad with seared scallops start to finish comes from Immokalee,” Carl says. “The products are grown close to each other, with the same pH in the soil — it’s a match! Everything is picked at the right time, and that lends itself to our philosophy.” Also new to the Naples scene, M Waterfront Grille just opened in Naples in October 2008, but its Executive Chef Brian Roland is no stranger to the Opened in February 2008, Olio on the Bay at Naples Bay Resort characterizes its cuisine as inspired by Napa Valley and Italy. That’s partly because those two culinary destinations count on local product to drive menus, says Executive Chef Peter Carl, who has cooked and studied in both Italy and Napa Valley. local creative dining scene. Roland, a Culinary Institute of America grad, interned at Maxwell’s on the Bay, M’s predecessor. Today at M, he works to make the restaurant an integral part of the community. “I’m a big fan of organics and sustainable agriculture,” he says. “I am working with the community to find ways where more 16 LEARN MORE:www.paradisecoast.com http://www.ParadiseCoast.com/
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