Unique Eats @ Pink and Swine 2017

We just love it when a restaurant does good deeds for our community, and 4 Rivers Smokehouse is truly a restaurant with a heart.
​
We were honored to be invited to the  Pink & Swine event on April 7, hosted by the 4 Rivers Restaurant Group in partnership with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and Visit Florida. With the beautiful backdrop of Goodwood Museum and Gardens, this charitable event with a cowboy theme featured gourmet foods from local restaurants paired with fine wines and craft beers from around the world.

Attendees mingled among the best chefs in Tallahassee and enjoyed an evening under the stars with the music of the Tobacco Road Band. All proceeds from the night went to benefit Florida State University’s Deadman School of Hospitality and the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center.

---

The Food
​The talented chefs at this year's Pink & Swine Event represented some of Tallahassee’s favorite area restaurants, and some new places we had not yet come across.  

With so many great restaurants and vendors represented, we were almost overwhelmed with all the great food we got to try.  We've selected a few of our favorites to highlight here.  These unique offerings really impressed us and we are looking forward to trying these restaurants out again soon.  

4 Rivers Smokehouse

Chef John Rivers never disappoints.  A BBQ master with a statewide reach, Chef Rivers has changed the game for Tallahassee BBQ.  Right as we arrived we were greeted by the sights and scents of a whole smoked pig.  Topped with a cool, fresh, won't-find-it-on-the-menu Mango Salsa, this was an awesome way to start the evening.    

---

The Blu Halo

You're looking at a liquid nitrogen powered ice cream machine, and the mad scientists behind it.  

​The Blu Halo treated us to maple flavored bacon ice cream with dehydrated apple slices, and it sort of blew our minds.

The Blu Halo opened a few months back at the north end of Tallahassee, and is well worth a ride up Thomasville road to check them out.   

---

Panacea Pearl Oyster Co-Op

The Apalachicola Bay is known for some of the best oysters around, and now just a few miles east, and a few miles closer to Tallahassee, this outfit is harvesting a very special crop which we got to enjoy freshly shucked on the half-shell. 

Grown in the Gulf using a special line system, these oysters spend time submerged, but also hang freely in the open air at low tide.  This causes the muscle of the oysters to close tightly, a process which fattens the oyster and tenderizes the meat. The finished product is juicy, salty, and one of a kind. 

---

 Salt Water Seafood Company

Shrimp and grits are a favorite of ours and these were awesome.  They called them Cajun Angels. Shrimp wrapped in bacon and seasoned to perfection.  

Paired together with these creamy grits and we were set.  We're not sure if these are officially on the menu, but they should be... We suggest you try to order them either way!

---

---

Catalina Cafe

Rounding out the night was Catalina Cafe with an Upside Down Banana Bread.  

These deserts were a nice sweet compliment to the smoky, tangy and spicy flavors of the night, thanks to their signature Homemade Caramel Syrup.

Catalina Cafe has made a name for its self as a sweet little coffee shop, so the next time you are in Cascades Park, make sure to stop in and try their coffee and baked goods. 

---

The Drinks
​ABC Fine Wine and Spirits and Erie Brewery were also in attendance, showcasing some of their  unique refreshments.

Erie Brewing Company

New to our area is a cool brewery out of Pennsylvania which recently opened a seafood restaurant in Panacea called Mad Anthony's.  The restaurant's namesake here, was a nice robust beverage, and readily available at their restaurant which we hope to check out soon.

---

Gorgeous Rosé

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Gorgeous Rosé.  Now Rosé is probably the last thing you would think of to serve at a BBQ, but this is an excellent wine.  

​Produced in South Africa, it's a Pinot Noir Chardonnay blend with a crisp, sweet taste.

Gorgeous made for a great drink, and the bottle is just so fancy.  

We recommend bringing this along to the next dinner party you are invited to, as it would make an excellent gift. 

---

Full Sail Wheatwine Ale

We didn't try any liquor at the event, but this was pretty close.  Full Sail is a Bourbon beer, brewed and then aged in the toasted oak barrels used to make Four Roses Bourbon.

It's strong in all the right ways and tastes just like a good Bourbon should.  Definitely worth checking out for something different, but be warned, it is strong.

---

Einstok Icelandic Toasted Porter

By far our favorite drink of the night was the Einstok Icelandic Toasted Porter.  

​This drink is an experience.  Brewed with roasted coffee, nothing about this drink is ordinary.  We learned that Einstok is the only Icelandic Beer sold in Florida, and is growing in popularity.  

Made in Iceland using their crystal clear water sources, the result is a crisp clean beer along the lines of a Guinness, but without any of the heaviness.  

This is possibly one of the most unique beverages we have ever tried, and we highly recommend you all do the same. 

---

All in all, we were blown away by the range of products and flavors now available right here in Tallahassee. 

We still have a year to wait, but plan to be back for Pink & Swine 2018.  If you missed it this year, not to worry, you can always check out these great restaurants anytime right here in town.

Don't forget to like our Facebook page for our latest news and updates, and as always...

Stay hungry Tallahassee!

--TFB