Foodies flock to Premier Sports Campus for Suncoast Food & Wine Fest

Pascone’s Ristorante chef William Sellner said an authentic Italian pomodoro sauce only requires six ingredients: Good tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. 

The chef was offering cooking tips to a crowd of foodies at the 22nd Suncoast Food & Wine Fest on Nov. 2 at the Premier Sports Campus. The fundraiser is organized by the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch. 

Sellner said Italians use a lot of olive oil when making pomodoro sauce because it acts as an emulsifier. If the texture or consistency of the sauce is off, it’s most likely a lack of oil.

“At the restaurant, on average, we probably use 24 gallons of olive oil a week,” Sellner said. “Most people in this country never, ever add enough olive oil.” 

While the chef talked about sauce, he demonstrated how to make a stew. The audience was then treated to a taste of the chef's veal spezzatino. 

The gates opened an hour early for VIP ticket holders, so Lakewood Ranch Country Club residents Michele Campbell and Blythe Hanson were among the first guests to arrive. 

The friends have been attending the festival together for five years. This is the first year they splurged on VIP tickets, and it won’t be the last. 

With over 30 local restaurants dishing up samples, Campbell likes finding new places to eat in the area. 

“It is such a lovely venue,” Hanson said of the Premier Sports Campus. “And it’s supporting the Rotary, which does such amazing work in our community.”