Sarasota-Manatee Originals Launches Reimagined Culinary Tour Series

SARASOTA-BRADENTON, FL — Sarasota-Manatee Originals is relaunching its signature food-and-wine trolley experience under a new name, with tours scheduled this spring and summer across Sarasota and Manatee counties.

The newly rebranded Originals Culinary Tour, formerly known as The Blend Trolley Tour, will feature progressive tasting stops at local restaurants in Sarasota, Bradenton, Siesta Key, Anna Maria Island and the Nokomis-Venice area.

Each ticket includes five chef-crafted dishes with wine pairings, trolley transportation between stops, gratuities and a $20 wine credit at the end of the tour.

Tickets cost $173.71 each, including tax, and are available online here.

“They not only get to go to five places within one night where the chef comes up with a specific dish that they want to showcase, but [also] you will have the chef come out at each location and talk about the dish, which is a really cool experience, just getting to meet them and talk to them,” Marne Gaston, director of operations for Sarasota-Manatee Originals and the series’ tour guide, told Patch. “And also we have a wine expert on each trolley, and they will select wines that will go and pair very well with each dish. So, they will talk about the wine, why it works with that food and things like that. That’s two experts that you get the chance to have a conversation with and learn from.”

She added, “It’s totally different than any other experience when you think about eating out on a regular bass or even another wine dinner, where you might have one chef. This gives you five different chefs and they really bring their best because they want to make a good impression and they want people to have a good time.”

At the request of board members, Gaston revived the culinary tours, which came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, two years ago.

Initially, the series, now in its third year, was called The Blend Trolley Tour, but the Sarasota-Manatee Originals team decided to rebrand it.

“I think we decided that the blend was a little confusing, the name, so we changed it to the original culinary tour,” Gaston said.

She said the concept remains the same, with chefs presenting a dish at each stop and a wine expert on each trolley explaining the pairings.

Not only do those attending get to enjoy new local culinary experiences, but the tours are also helpful for the restaurants during a time when business tends to slow.

“It's good to get some seats filled in the restaurant, and the restaurant to have some new customers that hopefully will enjoy themselves and come back again,” Gaston said. “It's just a slow time of year, and it's great to have people coming in during the week, when they may not have anybody there, or have a lot fewer people there.”

The first tour is set for May 21, 5 to 8:30 p.m. in Sarasota, with stops at Michael’s On East, Mimi Brasserie & Speakeasy, Rose & Ivy, Brick’s Smoked Meats, and Hanami Sushi & Cocktails.

A Bradenton tour follows on June 11, 5 to 8:30 p.m., with stops at Mean Deans Local Kitchen, Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, Taverna Toscana and Mattison’s Riverwalk.

A Nokomis-Venice tour is scheduled for July 2, 5 to 8:30 p.m., with participating restaurants including Pop’s Sunset Grill, Fins at Sharky’s and Cassariano. Additional restaurants for that tour will be announced later.

Gaston said the organization plans a total of five tours in the upcoming months, including future stops on Siesta Key and Anna Maria Island.

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