Chefs Table | Vanilla Lemonade

: Welcome to our dining room

We welcomed a group of guests in our kitchen last week for a fabulous dinner. When we have the chance to host guests in the kitchen, the vibe and passion is extraordinary. The entire team works on planning, setup and menu writing. Then the chefs take creativity to the next level, going back and forth about cooking techniques, flavor profiles and presentations. We work together bouncing ideas until we get goosebumps from excitement! Having the opportunity to play and create is the driving force in our kitchen.

: We are ready with our toys!

We used Evo Grills, Sous Vide Tanks, a Rotary Evaporator and Smokers to make the meal into an experience!

First Course is Prison Soup.....We went with that theme when we chose the underliner!

: Chef knows how to capture an audience before the first course even hits the table!

The kitchen transforms into a dining room that one would find in a home. The guests also get to know the chefs and service staff as you would at a dinner party at someone’s house. We love to be able to interact with our guests, as it helps to create this unique dining experience.

Rotary Evaporator!

This is what we used to create the first course “Prison Soup”. The tomato puree in the lower bulb rotates; with pressure and heat, the vapors drip into the bulb on the left. Like in prison, the first course was bread and water….only our clear water was tomato flavor….

: Fresh, a-la minute cooking!

We cook everything in front of our guests, taking questions along the way!

Speck Ham Fritters

Speck Ham Fritter in a Squash Blossom and Spicy Cream

: Filled with beauties…

This course is one of our favorites; the payoff of the guests expressions of delight provides us immediate satisfaction!

Making it happen!

Get your cell phones/camera's out....

Chilled Salad Course!

This dish was awesome! The guest loved it and were happy to tell us!

"Ok Chef, I am floored!" - Priceless

The details of executing an event like this are fine tuned. The coals on the grill have to be in perfect sync with the flow of the evening.

Hibachi Cooking!

: Finger Limes- These are sweet and tasty small beads, so perfectly delicate!

We work closely with our vendors, which helps in our never-ending thirst of new products and knowledge! These limes are new to me – they come from Australia and are relatively new in American cuisine.

Crispy skin-on Wreck Fish after the sous vide bath!

Beautiful Chef's Garden garnishes!

Key West Wreck Fish, Sous Vide and Crisped Skin! Perfect!

The care in planning and design of these dinners starts way before we even know about them. Take a look at these beautiful radishes, the farmers and their teams put such love into the products that land on our plates!

Chef's Garden Cherry Bomb Radishes!

Plenty to pick from!

Can you say truffles....

: Pasture Prime Waygu Beef – Southern style!

This beef comes from Florida, and is 100% DELICIOUS!

Cheese Course- Full of flavors!

: Smoking Cheese

We love cheese, actually can’t get enough and are always looking for something new. We fell in love with Southern Belle Goat Cheese this week- it is awesome….guarantee you cannot walk away after one bite!

Tiffen Box Take Away, filled with Ginger Marshmallows, Cake Balls, Artisan Truffles, Sea Salt Pretzel Sticks and Florida Strawberries!

Our guests had planned a fireworks cruise, and sadly for us, requested dessert on the go. While we missed sharing another course with them, we did love the opportunity to create some magic for them to take away!

The event was a great success, as I told the Executive Chef, “I’m not sure who had more fun, the guests or the chef’s!”

A few nights ago, we had an event in the kitchen. Now, we do these Chef Table Experiences fairly often, but so far they haven’t gotten old.

We push the stainless prep tables out of the way, throw down a rug, move our “On Stage” cooking stations into the kitchen, hang a chandelier and put in a dining table and chairs….Voila, kitchen space turns dining space. Our guests love it, we can seat something close to 30 people, and more if we go the reception route.

Thru the Chefs and Sommelier spieling courses and pairings, we establish a relationship with our guests. Some experiences are interactive for the group, rubbing truffle oil on pulse points or discovering the Miracle Berry, we create our own Umami. Storytelling and personality keep the crowd engaged and by the end of the evening, the entire staff has connected with the guests, leaving us all with wanting more.

Of course the food is the star of the show, take a look at some of the dishes from the other night. Then go straight to the kitchen and cook 🙂 Bon appetit!

Truffle Caviar, Mozzarella Basil Salad, Tomato Water

We put a bit of liquid into the bottom of the Nitro Bowl, and add a few dry ice chips to keep the salad properly chilled! Awesome presentation with the fog spilling out onto the table! @kingfarmmyakka

Coconut Smoked Key West Wreckfish, Pepperdew Jicama Slaw, Black Currant Bursts

@thechefsgarden Fiddlehead Ferns are just about done for the season

Braised Mangalista Pork Belly, Garlic Herb Gnocchi, Zellwood Corn Puree, Chive Oil

Braised Pork Belly

Strawberry Nitrogen Sphere, Citrus Foam, Hot Chili Pearls, Smoked Hawaiian Sea Salt. Have to admit, I didn't get to it fast enough to get a good picture- but you can get the idea.

@copperriverwild - Copper River Salmon All the Way!

Sir Ahmed and the Chicken. Could be the name of a storybook, haha!

Chicken feet for tomorrow's soup!

Sous Vide Whole Milk Fed Chicken Breast and Thighs-

Whole Milk Fed Chicken- Leg Confit Stuffed Squash, Sous Vide Breast and Thigh, Scarlet Runner Bean Hash, Hen of the Woods Mushroom, Absinthe Gastrique