The champs, back in 1990, of the Classic Division of the Santa Barbara Bouillabaisse Festival. James and Annie Sly, represented the El Encanto Hotel in taking this victory. This year, James, Chef Fredy Orduña, and Annie will be cooking to represent Sly's in Carpinteria.
As you may know, Sly's serves a terrific local bouillabaisse every Friday, as part of our "Blue Plate Specials" - plats du jour, for the francophiles in our midst. What you may not know is the chef/owner James Sly, and Chef de Cuisine Fredy Orduña are pretty good at bouillabaisse - in fact they're champions a few times over. While working for the El Encanto Hotel back in 1990, they won first place in the Classic Division in the inaugural Santa Barbara Bouillabaisse festival, hosted by Fred Brander at Brander Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. As I remember it, as the reigning champs, the next year they weren't allowed to compete - but the crowds saw fit to vote them champs in People's Choice. Next year, alas, they asked James to judge instead of compete, to give someone else a chance. Many years have gone by, and the Brander Vineyard in Los Olivos will again host its popular Bouillabaisse Festival. This year, its to benefit Hospice of Santa Barbara.
Sly's still uses the exact same award winning classic recipe to make their bouillabaisse every Friday as they did to win the contest - and we're going to be entering exactly what we serve in the restaurant in this year's upcoming contest.
Last held in 2006, the absence of this beloved event left “foodies” all over California sobbing into their Sauvignon Blanc yearning for the return of this incomparable afternoon of sunshine, wine, music and fabulous bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse, a delectable seafood soup, is described as the French equivalent of cioppino- Variations on the recipe take center stage at this friendly competition featuring some of the Central Coast’s finest chefs. The event, long associated with Fred Brander and his beautiful winery and vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, is once again being revived as a fundraiser for Hospice of Santa Barbara.
Date: Sunday, August 26, 2012
Time: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: The Brander Vineyard, 2401 North Refugio Road, Los Olivos
Cost: $90
All proceeds benefit Hospice of Santa Barbara.
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