Event forks out a success

The Naples Winter Wine Festival is king of big-time Gulf Coast food and wine events, with $13.5 million raised for charity this year, but a Sarasota upstart has gained quite a following.

The annual Forks & Corks, now in its seventh year, has become a see-and-be-seen food and wine extravaganza for the Sarasota-Bradenton region. This year's Forks & Corks, held the same weekend as the Naples shindig, Jan. 24-27, was a record-setter says Kate Atkin, executive director of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals. The Sarasota-Manatee Originals, which hosted the event, is a nonprofit organization made up of independently owned local restaurants.

“We couldn't be more thrilled,” Atkin tells Coffee Talk. “Everyone left with smiles on their faces. We're still beaming.”