Eat & Drink: Lordly Dining

By Rick Dakan

I’m obsessed with the Netflix show Lords and Ladles. It’s a cooking show where three Irish chefs go to lordly manor houses in Ireland and recreate incredibly fancy meals from the 18th or 19th century. There’s a lot of aspic, animal heads, and gross guts, but also some wonderfully extravagant platters and decadent dishes. It’s a rare treat for the diners to eat like the lords and ladies of yesteryear, and I’m super jealous, even when lamb’s head is on the menu. So I’ve been thinking about ways to eat like a lord here in Sarasota. Dishes that are not only extravagant, but which have a history to them. Here are my top picks for dining with panache on the great classics of fine cuisine: lordly

Chateaubriand at Cafe L’Europe
There’s no better place to start our journey into lordly decadence than famed Sarasota fine dining establishment Cafe L’Europe. St. Armands might not have all the grandeur of the Irish countryside, but there are beautiful beaches and plenty of classical statuary. The restaurant itself offers elegantly appointed indoor dining or al fresco seating where you can indulge not only yourself, but your dog, too, from the restaurant’s delightful Doggie Dining Menu. lordly

The height of lordly fare is the Chateaubriand for Two, carved tableside in the traditional manner. This ultra-tender, tenderloin cut of certified angus beef is served with a vegetable bouquetière and bordelaise and Béarnaise sauces. Named for the famed writer and politician François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand, you’ll be eating in the tradition of a man who survived the French Revolution, defied Napoleon, and served kings. Which is all to say, the man knew how to eat. lordly

One of the aspects of historic feasts was creative and fanciful presentation, with complicated pies and intricate jellies and aspics. Before your Chateaubriand, indulge in Cafe L’Europe’s French Onion Soup, which uses an actual onion for the bowl instead of crockery. It’s all edible and delicious. lordly

Bouillabaisse at Beach Bistro

Beach Bistro has a casual elegance to it, but the prime beachfront location is providing much of the visual splendor we lordly diners crave. This Anna Maria Island favorite is a local fine dining institution which befits a seaside restaurant. And if you’re eating seafood, then go for the lord of all seafood dishes, the famous Bistro Bouillabaisse.

Bouillabaisse has its historical roots in the various fish stews of the Mediterranean, but the dish as we know it is from Marseilles. For the local fisherman of the 18th or 19th century, the fish and shellfish were plentiful, but it was the addition of luxury seasonings like saffron that pushed this dish into the realm of extravagance.

The Beach Bistro version has all the best stuff: lobster, shrimp, fish, shellfish, and calamari, served with the essential toasted bread and garlic aioli. lordly

Grand Plateau at Capital Grille
Yes, technically this is an appetizer to share with others. But what if it wasn’t? What if you just ate it all yourself? Think about that and, if you like seafood the way I do, chilled and served in tower form, then a Grand Plateau for one at Capital Grill is a great way to dine like a lord. lordly

The seafood towers of Brittany are a delightfully traditional and are one of the signature dishes of Breton seaside towns like Cancale. The Capital Grille’s location in a shopping mall in no way compares to the coast of France, but you can instead bask in the astonished stares from nearby diners as you consume this multi-level collection of jumbo lump crab, North Atlantic lobster, shrimp cocktail, and oysters on the half shell all by yourself. Or sure, share it with someone if you’re so inclined. lordly

Crafted Dinner Series at Melange
Those lords of yesteryear hosted meals with dozens of dishes and, let’s be frank, way too much food. But part of the appeal was getting to try a lot of different things. The modern version of this is the tasting menu, and one of the most intriguing ways to try many new and delicious tastes is the monthly Crafted Dinner Series at Melange on Main Street in Sarasota. Each course is paired with one of Pangea Alchemy Lab’s inventive cocktails, and the dishes themselves often include multiple enticing elements like elk, squab, and a trio of mousses from August’s menu. Check out their website at melangesarasota.com for details on upcoming seatings.