Winter weather can be temperamental, even in temperate and tropical Sarasota.  In the waning days of January, temperatures alternately dipped and soared as the atmosphere shifted from damp and gray to bright and sunny. On Sunday, January 25, 2026, the afternoon temperatures hovered in the mid to upper 80s, bringing an almost summerlike-intensity to the packed courtyard at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art where Sarasota’s culinary elite mingled at the Grand Tasting for the 19th annual Forks & Corks Food & Wine Festival. Despite the unseasonably hot weather, the event had a light and lively feel. The gusty coastal breezes helped guests showcase their billowing, colorful sundresses to their fullest advantage and brought a welcome cooling effect, and voracious diners came prepared to drink and dine the day away to the sounds of live music. Forks & Corks is a multi-day event, but the Grand Tasting is always the hottest ticket for good reason. Dozens of area restaurants are on-site, providing tasty bites of food that can be enjoyed with sips of wine from vintners who have come from all around the world. While a valiant effort was made, there is no way a single diner can sample every morsel of cuisine at Forks & Corks. But out of everything I did nosh on, I had a few favorites. Some restaurants stuck with the classics. Mi Pueblo dished up a traditional carnitas street taco with slow-cooked pork, cilantro, onions and avocado green salsa that was everything you could want in a street taco. Lucky 8 also kept it simple with their mini smash burger. The smashed beef patty was well-seasoned, and decked out with classic condiments like onions, pickles and American cheese. Beachside Hospitality (the restaurant group that now encompasses the former Chiles Group restaurants, including The Beach House, Sandbar and Mar Vista) embraced the Margaritaville theme, keeping it beachy with a papaya shrimp ceviche with pickled Fresno chiles and a plantain chip. They also offered a bonus shot of housemade pineapple-infused tequila that really hit the spot.

Nearby, the table representing both Jack Dusty and Rufa at The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota offered another seafood dish with their tuna nikkei appetizer. This was easily the most beautifully-plated bite of food of the day: a crisp blue corn tortilla chip layered with avocado mousse, green radish, coriander blooms and tamarind ponzu with a sweetly surprising dollop of mango gel hidden below. Also, keeping it fresh and simple was CW Prime now helmed by Chef Drew Adams. Their beef tartare with shallot, chipotle, garlic oil, cilantro, parsley and fried potato was earthy, crispy and flavorful but still light and refreshing on a hot day. Harry’s Continental Kitchen's eponymous cheese torta featured chevre, pesto, pine nuts and sundried tomatoes on lightly-toasted melba. The goat cheese was rich and creamy, but still late and tangy, and the Mediterranean flavors kept the bite from feeling too heavy. Harry’s was also one of the few places to get something sweet. Their double fudge brownie bites were super rich and decadent.But the highlight of the day was the chicken satay from Drunken Poet Cafe. A juicy bite of grilled, marinated chicken was coated in a silky peanut sauce and perched on a lightly-pickled cucumber slice that was bright and refreshing in the midday heat. This was one of the few dishes that could be eaten in just one bite, but ironically, I could have eaten twenty more.