Every city wants to have something that it is known for. A tradition, a scene, even a vibe—every city would like to have something to build its identity around. The city of Palmetto is trying to build a new calling card for itself—on May 3 it hosted the first ever Taste and Toast Gulf Coast event, a celebration of local culinary and mixology excellence held at the Palmetto Marriott Resort and Spa. “You have your Bradenton, you have your Sarasota, you have your St. Pete, but to bring a good, fun, food and beverage festival like this is something that we felt that Palmetto needed,” says Greg Ciacco, general manager of the Palmetto Marriott. Taste and Toast was held at The Yard at the South Bay Center, a 35,000 square foot outdoor venue adjacent to the hotel that housed over 20 local food, beverage and artisan vendors that took part in the event. The venue links the Marriott, which opened last July, to the Bradenton Area Convention Center, creating a larger shared space that can be used for concerts, festivals and gatherings of all kinds. “We have a unique property here and we had a vision for doing an event that could showcase to the community what we can do,” says Tony DeRusso, managing partner and minority owner of the Palmetto Marriott. “We chose to do a partnership with the culinary field, because here on the west coast of Florida we have a lot of great culinary talent and wanted to give them the chance to showcase their skills as well.” The tasting and toasting of Taste and Toast wouldn’t have been possible without those local food and beverage vendors which included everything from desserts from Bradenton’s Sweet’s Bakehouse to savory bites from Anna Maria Oyster Bar to fresh beers from Motorworks Brewing and more. Taste and Toast was designed to be a culture builder, a festival that could promote all of the culinary traditions that the region has to offer for years to come. With that in mind, 100 percent of the proceeds went to the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Suncoast Chapter’s Education Initiatives, which fund mentorship programs and scholarships for young students in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. “The money we raise here goes to scholarships for students and chefs and we need those kids to stay in Sarasota and Manatee County,” says Susan Kopstead, board member of the Suncoast Chapter and co-founder of local distributor Sea Breeze Coffee and Tea. “Hopefully if we can support that younger population, then they’ll stay in our community and help us grow and get to the next generation.” The fun didn’t stop at the food and drink, however. In addition to a special Kentucky Derby watch party and hat contest, the event was headlined by rising country-rock artist and Florida native Rob Langdon. Langdon, who has reached over a million streams on his debut single Shine, played his first headline show at Taste and Toast, rocking out underneath the stars with all those who attended. Taste and Toast may have been the first of its kind, but it certainly won’t be the last event that continues to put Palmetto on the map. “When we were building this property we always said that we were going to be the entertainment district of Palmetto,” says Ciacco. “Taste and Toast was a big part of our identity when we were building the hotel and it’s going to continue to be a big part of our identity and hopefully a staple in the city of Palmetto.”
