Mattison's Restaurants, Grill, Steakhouse & Catering in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Bradenton, Wedding Caterer

Sarasota Herald Tribune's Style Magazine, By Deborah Seeber, October 2006

The Sarasota Herald Tribune
Style Magazine
By Deborah Seeber Photos By Mark Sickles
October 2006

In the good old days, you went to an event, went home, and that was that. Pretty simple. Today, however, many events on the Gulf Coast, be they fundraisers or weddings, are bookended with pre-parties and after-parties.

Not only do event planners have to come up with a menu for the main event, but also must plan for the before and after. And, in somecases, the before and after have become as elaborate, if not more so, than the event itself. I ndeed, in our drive to party hearty, the impresarios, caterers and doyennes jockey for position like thoroughbreds out of the gate. The thirst to come up with something new and innovative, and, in some cases, just a little bit shocking, rules....

One common factor most events have, however, is that they are linked to a fundraiser.

"The event season is packed and people want to be able to support a variety of organizations," says Anna Pohl, catering director for Paul

Mattison. She points out that it is important to be creative and push the envelope when planning an event or party, with so many soirees on the docket. Among those Mattison and company are handling this year is the UnGala (and last month's teaser, The Unparty), the party regarded as the unofficial kickoff of the season.

Both Mancini and Mattison agree that another area that has expanded beyond the main event is weddings. "It's no longer enough to just have the wedding," says Mancini. "Now you have to have an after-party, too." Mattison s gang reminisces about a New York event planner with deep pockets who chose Sarasota as her destination wedding spot and leaked to the press that her wedding was in fact that of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Egotistical? Yes. Publicitygenerating? Certainly. Although the wedding was held at The Ritz-Carlton, the bride managed to get Mattison to convert the Plaza into a Miami nightclub for the rehearsal dinner. And although the press was alerted, Brad and Angelina were nowhere to be found.

This year, in what promises to be a wild season, beginning with the UnGala and culminating with all the festivals the Film Festival, Jazz Festival, La Musica, Festival Diapente and the Wine Festival there will be parties and more parties. Famiglio, famous for the settings he chooses and for the mystery and anticipation he generates, muses, "Hmmm, maybe I ll have one in the parking garage downtown . . ." "Which garage?" I ask. He looks at mehard and then says, "What, are you nuts? You think I m going to tell you that?"

Chef Paul Mattison s Pomegranate Martini
" 2 oz. pomegranate vodka 2 oz. pomegranate juice 1/2 oz. sweet & sour mix.
" Fill shaker with ice. Add ingredients. Shake vigorously. Serve in chilled martini glass. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Chef Paul Mattison s Raspberry Shooter
" 1-1/2 oz. Stoli raspberry vodka 1/2 oz. Triple Sec 1 oz. cranberry juice 1 oz. sweet & sour mix Splash of Sprite
" Fill shaker with ice. Add ingredients. Shake vigorously. Serve in 8 oz. tall shooter glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint.

Negamaki Two Ways by Chef Paul Mattison

Ingredients:
" 4 oz. seared, rare strip loin 4 oz. seared rare mahi 1 c. carrots, julienned 1 c. snow peas, julienned 1 c. red peppers, julienned 2 oz. plum sauce
Method:
" Slice tuna and beef very thin against the grain. In small mixing bowl, toss vegetables in salt, pepper and plum sauce. Lay sliced meat flat and placesmall amount of vegetables in middle. Roll semi-tight. Garnish with curried peanut sauce and honey-ginger creme fraîche