Tasty treats promised for Taste of the Keys 2026

The Longboat Key Garden Club's main fundraiser celebrates 15 years of tantalizing taste buds by partnering with Longboat's premier eateries.

By Dana Kampa
| 5:00 a.m. February 11, 2026

Harry's Continental Kitchens General Manager Hal Christensen said his family has been glad to support the Longboat Key Garden Club through all the iterations of Taste of the Keys. The event celebrates 15 years of raising funds for local scholarships this year.

Longboat Key
Neighbors

Longboat Key Garden Club member Lyn Haycock has served an essential role in planning the club's largest fundraising event of the year from the beginning. Now, Taste of the Keys is preparing for its 15th year of generating funds to support scholarships and summer programs for local students, and she said there is plenty to look forward to enjoying.

The gastronomic evening takes place Feb. 26 at the Longboat Key Club Harbourside Ballroom. She encourages those interested in attending not to procrastinate, considering only a few dozen of the 200 tickets remained after the first week of sales.

This year is set to feature culinary bites from about 14 restaurants, including longtime participants like Harry's Continental Kitchens.

General Manager Hal Christensen said his family has found it rewarding to support the garden club and specifically this event in its various iterations since the beginning.

"We've always been big supporters of the garden club, through the fashion show and different names," he said. "We've been part of it for as long as I can remember."

Even as event veterans, selecting a dish to feature isn't always easy, especially considering how many regulars have their favorites, such as the chicken florentine. However, he believes the slow-cooked, boneless spare rib with creamy polenta they plan to dish up will be a crowd-pleaser.

Palma Panza, Lyn Haycock, Patty Sileo and Susan Phillips

Christensen said the family has always taken pride in being connected with the community. Residents shared their appreciation for that community spirit late last year when they gave Harry's Continental Kitchens the Legacy Family Business Award at the annual Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce awards.

"Being a local business that has been open here for 47 years, we want to support the people who support us," he said.

Hal Christensen from Harry's Continental Kitchens said attendees at the 2026 Taste of the Keys fundraiser can anticipate their iconic braised short rib.

But the family's involvement with this event has deeper roots. Christensen remembers when he and his brother attended summer camp through the garden club's scholarships.

"My kids actually get them now to go to Mote," he said. "My 16-year-old used to get them when she was 6 to 8 years old."

Haycock said last year's fundraising focus was on both hurricane recovery and student scholarships. As Longboat Key has continued to move forward with rebuilding, the club has been able to return its attention to these scholarship programs.

"We hope to have more scholarships to give away this year and keep the same grants we were able to do last year," she said. "They're really impactful to especially the nonprofits here, and the local schools with gardens."

Recipients of this year's grants from the Longboat Key Garden Club shared stories of how the funds will bolster their environmental educational efforts.

Restaurants planning to participate include Chart House, Columbia Restaurant, Dry Dock Waterfront Grill, Elegant Lady Cheesecake Parlor, Harry's Continental Kitchens, Lazy Lobster of Longboat, Lido Beach Resort's Drift Kitchen & Bar, Lo' Key Island Grille, The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Ringside at Cirque St. Armands Beachside, Ventura's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar and Zota Beach Resort.

Haycock said she knows attendees will enjoy trying out dishes from the two newest additions. Lo' Key Island Grille General Manager Courtney Rossler helped at the event by working behind the cocktail bar, but this will be the first time the restaurant is officially hosting a booth. Lo' Key Island Grille celebrated its one-year anniversary last month.

The Klick Band kept partiers dancing until the very end of Taste and Tunes of the Keys.

That, of course, leaves space behind the bar for a secret local celebrity bartender, the name of whom Haycock kept under wraps.

This is also Ringside's first opportunity to officially participate as an open restaurant. Last year's Taste and Tunes of the Keys took place just before the circus-themed restaurant's opening, and while the team offered sweet treats, Haycock said diners will have plenty more to look forward to this year.

"If you haven't been to the restaurant yet, this will be a great way to sample it," she said.

There will also be plenty of opportunities to dance the night away with live music by The Klick Band.

One successful element introduced last year and carrying over this year is the auction that is launching Feb. 12. Attendees can take a look early and make their bids right up until the evening of the event.

Visit LBKGC.BetterWorld.org after the auction opens.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.