Paddlefish Beer Dinner – Disney Springs
Great businesses support great causes and Paddlefish, the amazing and iconic Levy restaurant at the heart of Disney Springs is no exception. In aid of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida they hosted a Beer Fundraising Dinner that took place on the top deck of Paddlefish earlier this week.
Supported by the Big Top Brewing Company of Sarasota and Gainesville fame, Chef Steven Richards and his team crafted food and beer parings, creating some memorable dishes, executed perfectly and were true “Show Stoppers”.
The first course was aptly called “The Best Parts of the Chicken Sandwich,” which saw Chef Steve present a slider sandwich filled with crispy Chicken skin and a Chicken Liver Mousse that was epic. This was superbly paired with the Big Top Trapeze Monk Belgian Style witbier, a highly carbonated witbier infused with citrus notes and our favorite of the night.
Second course was the “New Bedford Surf & Turf”. A massive New Bedford Sea Scallop with braised Lamb on a bed of grits. The Scallop was outstanding and provided a perfect “foil” for the rich Lamb and Grits base. Big Top pulled out all the stops with this beer pairing and chose Big Life Tropical Lager, with a lager taste as you would expect but with a subtle punch of Pineapple taking it to another level.
The Entrée was Beef Chili. But not your usual fayre, this beanless Chili boasted Australian Wagyu short rib, some of the best Basmati rice we have tasted, crème fraiche, jalapenos and house-made habanero sauce. This Chili had so much flavor, only mildly hot but bursting with complex tastes. Big Top paired this with their take on an English Style IPA, the Circus City IPA, robust enough to stand on its own.
We rounded off the dinner with Pineapple Upside Down Cake paired with the most unusual and intriguing Hawaiian Lion Coconut Coffee Porter. For us the best example of beer pairing as not only did this beer pair with the dessert but there were also elements of the beer cooked right into the drizzle sauce.
Taking inspiration from their hometown, Big Top pays homage to Sarasota’s historical association with the Ringling Circus and design schools evidenced by their name and logo and supported by some truly collectable “Can Art”.
You never know what to expect at set dinner events and there are so many to choose from these days, but the Levy team at Paddlefish or indeed their other location at Disney Springs, Terralina Crafted Italian right next door really look after their guests and provide not only a memorable evening but delight and educate your palette, all taking place with some of the best views in Central Florida. Almost forgot to mention the amazing service, as you would expect it was friendly, professional, attentive and faultless.
Watch out for a Wine Pairing Dinner taking place in late September at Paddlefish, also special events at Terralina Crafted Italian. Take it from us they are not to be missed.
