Inaugural SoDelFest unmitigated success
It is rare when "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men /iar-theachd ” to paraphrase Robert Burns This past Saturday, due to the generosity of Independence for use of their lovely facility, an outpouring of charitable giving, by many business sponsors from the surrounding towns, as well as statewide, national and international purveyors and a cast of local celebrity chefs, musicians and winos, a remarkable first time event succeeded.
In a way I was reminded of attending the original Sea Witch or Jazz Fest or Oyster Eat or Punkin Chunkin, etc. Relaxed afternoon hangin’ with a bunch of pals, having fun, or as the kids say, “chillin.” Indications are this event will grow, and those who attended the premier will add it to their panoply of memorable "first night” events to chide those missing, who missed it, with ”Ya shoulda been there.”
Initially I was planning on naming names, listing the generous sponsors and touting those who made the event a success. After a couple of false starts, I decided to generalize a bit in order to avoid leaving out some reader, sponsor, group or volunteer, who was integral to providing the entertainment. So hats off to a stellar performance, by a diverse group of talented organizers, a bevy of wonderful volunteers, winos, foodies and minstrels, plus an eager and appreciative audience that exceeded the promoters' most optimistic expectations.
The First Annual SoDel Wine Food and Music Festival appeared to be a remarkable success. My Sunday email was loaded up with notes from thankful readers who trusted me enough to give the “bargain of the season” a whirl. I want to thank you for your kind words, especially those who stopped for wine 101 or just accosted me to say Hi.
Although I had my own programs to perform, there was plenty of time to roam the show. My best girl Barbara came along to help me set up. Then we wandered about and cased the joint. I decided to hold off on the critiquing part of my job, until after I had completed my presentations. In the man cave, Teller had provided 36 varieties of liquor that caught my eye. Hadn’t sampled much Irish whiskey, real gin, rye, barrel-aged bourbon or top flight single malt Scotch in a while. In my younger, dumber days, I have erred, deciding if I didn’t swallow the alcohol, it wasn’t dangerous, always a bad decision. Those fumes will lay you low. They are the provocateurs of the noun “snort” used in Cat Ballou. Never quite faltered to the Kid Shelleen stage, but working a wine class, with a horse as your straight man ain’t easy. The communications become a bit garbled. So, I decided to save these for last. I also assured a ride from son Connor who was working until 6 p.m., and missed the festivities. In the man cave a product named George’s Bloody Mary mix caught my eye, no likker, so I gave it a try. Excellent product for those occasions where fresh isn’t an option
I rarely tire of these opportunities to learn. I caught parts of Hari Cameron, really enjoyed the sherbet made by freezing with liquid nitrogen. Great demo item. Could go on and on about the food, but next year will be different and I don’t wish to tease those readers who couldn’t make it. Caught up with several chef pals and kibitzed as they were busily baking biscuits for the eager crowd. Someone once told me never eat anything bigger than your head. The food folks kept it reasonable but seconds or thirds were encouraged. Cultured Pearl and food as art - beautiful presentation. The food was spectacular, diverse, with 14 stations fully stocked for made to order delicacies. Maryland raw oyster bar was right on.
Hadn’t seen Gary Papp in a while. Gary, long time chef at the Buttery in Lewes and owner of Essential Chef catering fame and I had a chance to visit. He told me of his new restaurant in the Safeway shopping plaza, named Palate Café & Catering. I’m always up for a new spot and Gary can make everything from 20-minute grits to a soufflé, with panache. So I’ll be checking out Palate, post haste.
Those who read to this point will note, I failed to review any wine. I plan on covering all those selections I haven’t already reviewed, during the next few weeks. I would be remiss not to mention that my fellow scribbler, nibbler and biber pals from Cape Gazette showed up en force. One of the joys of working for CG is there are so many who enjoy the culinary arts and the joy of wine. It is a pleasure to discuss wine and food with knowledgeable people that don’t show up wearing bibs.
For the patient. iar-theachd is Scottish Gaelic for succeed. Originally Bobby Burns wrote, “The best laid schemes o mice an men gang aft agley." High school kids think John Steinbeck wrote the words, but he actually paraphrased to “often go awry.” Burns may have ripped it from the Burgundians, ”Les plans les mieux préparés par les souris et les hommes S'égarent souvent” translates. Plans best prepared by mice and men often go astray. I don’t know any mice, but you can bet your bippy Barbara and I will have this event on the top of next year's event list.
Email John McDonald at chjonmc@yahoo.com.
