March 10, 2017 was the first-ever Evansville Culinary Tour and it was fun! The hours of planning and fretting payed off in seamless moves between restaurants and courses and happy people. I'm nothing short of amazed!
Here’s a brief synopsis: At Salad World Downtown we had a few minutes to meet and greet each other and to hear the agenda for the next 2 hours. We split between us 2 of Salad World’s famous Life Changer Calzones and 2 nicely spiced Cajun Baked Potatoes. Right from the get-go it was obvious we needed to prepare for some serious eating. Chef Dana is a gracious host who fed us well and sent us out with a blessing. It was a wonderful experience in every way.
At Arazu on Main, Heather made sure the table was set beautifully when we arrived with 2 plates of Chef Penny’s crispy, meat-filled Cuban Cigar Appetizers, and assortment of hummus and baba ganoush and kalamata olives on the Shepherd’s Platter which came with pita bread and an extra side of fresh dipping vegetables for the gluten-free guest at the table.
The Bazaar Sandwich contained a generous blend of lamb and beef all rolled into a tender lavash. It was unanimous: We loved every bite!
Down the street, Chef Yahzen of Angelo’s Italian Restaurant cooked us up some incredibly fine fare, as well. Barry was our server and he won our hearts instantly when he set a platter full of luscious Lasagna and dinner rolls and gluten-free Pasta Carbonara on the table. As if that weren’t enough, Chef Yahzen sent out some rich and delicious Tiramisu for us to sample. We were beside ourselves with delight!
We took a brisk walk in the sunshine to the River City Coffee Company where the owners, Clint and Heather Vaught, met us with a table set for coffee and cookies. Clint showed us how to hand brew their special blend of coffee and we all watched in amazement as he described the intricacies of the craft. Who knew there was so much going on in a cup of coffee? We nibbled on gluten-free Energy Balls and sipped our coffee as we leisurely rehashed the past 2 hours.
Afterwards, several people on the tour did a bit of shopping on Main Street. To a person, a good time was had by all.