What’s cooking at the Grand Tasting?

Joey Campanaro | The Little Owl

Have you been to the one in Miami? Any fond/crazy/drunken memories? 
I have participated in Miami, and my fondest moment was at the 212 house. I was hanging with gin makers from Oregon and playing pool. I think I ended up in the ocean at 5 a.m.

What are you serving at the Grand Tasting?
Tuna tomato panzanella. It will be the end of the run for heirloom tomatoes until next year, so I want to end the season with a bang. The dish is seasonal Mediterranean.

How do you prepare for a massive, multi-day tasting?
The prep needs to be organized. The Little Owl is a tiny restaurant, so some things will be prepared on site and some at the restaurant. The more we do on site, the more of a show the ticket holders get. I'm into that.

Will you be attending any of the other festival events?
I hope to get to the Burger Bash. I want to see Mikey Price, chef and owner of Market Table, win the thing.

The most memorable festival/benefit tasting dish you have ever, well, tasted?
Jonathan Waxman's (Barbuto) dishes are always the best, in my opinion. Two standouts are the foie gras tacos or the grilled soft-shell crabs. He is living legend, and the dishes are always winners.