Foodies savor tasty treats at 4th annual Tour of Kitchens

January 28th, 2013

Tour co-chair Donna Reno and Andria Hanley, executive director, Coral Gables Community Foundation. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Alex Villoch and Yvonne Debesa at the Books & Books reception. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Barbie Blanco, Christie Elias and Greg Scott at the closing event. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Jodi Cabrera and Andria Hanley at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Honorary Chair Carmen Cason with Coral Gables Community Foundation representatives Andria Hanley and Jerry Santeiro outside Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Students in the Culinary Arts Program at Gables High with TOK co-chair Pat Blanco (green apron). Photo by Betty Alvarez

Coco Palenque Torre votes for her favorite kitchen at Books & Books. (Her blue kitchen was the Tour favorite last year.) Photo by Betty Alvarez

Linda Gassenheimer was among cookbook authors at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Lorna Valdes and Luisa Quintero at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Matthew Meehan and Coco Palenque-Torre (both of whose homes were on the Tour last year) at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

TOK Closing Event Sub-Committee Chair Mindee Schenkman, Andria Hanley and Gina Guilford enjoy the closing reception at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Nelsie and Juan Parada with Maritza Jacobson at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

TOK Sponsors Rene and John Allen at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Coco Bella table with owners/sisters Mallory and Nancy Martinez at a home on Alhambra Circle. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Tour of Kitchens guests arrive at a destination on Alhambra Circle. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Homeowner Quentin Nason in his Alhambra kitchen, where breads from Zak the Baker await guests. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Zak Stern, aka Zak the Baker with his artisan organic sourdough breads. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Cookbooks for sale at the Giant Gourmet Garage Sale. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Delightful dessert samples by Lucila Venet-Jimenez of Sweet Art by Lucila. Photo by Betty Alvarez

A chef prepares omelets at the Giant Gourmet Garage Sale. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Visitors check out garage sale merchandise. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Dessert chef Lucila Venet-Jimenez of Sweet Art by Lucila in her kitchen. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Priscilla Bittson at the Giant Gourmet Garage Sale. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Sandie Whitmer, Diane Campion and Elizabeth Smith from Les Dames d'Escoffer at the garage sale. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Teena Borek at the Les Dames d'Escoffier table at the Giant Gourmet Garage Sale. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Chicken curry with jasmine rice from Spice Galore awaits guests in a Granada Boulevard kitchen. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Gail Sosby, Robert Klemm and homeowner June Morris. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Guests enjoy an array of samples from Spice Galore at a Granada Boulevard home. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Iris Kolaya and Erica Guzman of Aragon 101 at a home on Granada Boulevard. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Pat Clarke, Granada homeowner Allen Morris and Lily Brandt. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Sara Solomon, Francinelee Hand and Denise Courshon at a home on Granada Boulevard. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Guests enjoy scented candles by Deco Candles at a home on Granada Boulevard. Photo by Betty Alvarez

From Cibo: Carlos de la Fuente and Coral Gables Country Club executive chef Richard Hutton at a home on Granada Boulevard. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Shelley Daniel Rutherford in her kitchen on Granada Boulevard. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Beautiful table decorations at a Granada Boulevard home. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Allen Vino from Roc Kat Ice Cream Co. at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Amanda Bonifay and Andria Hanley enjoy the post-tour reception. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Coral Gables Community Foundation board members Amanda Bonifay and Catherine Grieve, Esq.. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Tour patrons enjoy the courtyard at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Ready, Set, Cupcake! offered delicious cupcakes at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Denise Erwin and Zenia Cabrera from Seasons 52 at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Tour participants at Books & Books closing reception. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Pastry Chef Jessica Rothchild of Rock Star Pastries at the Books & Books reception. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Leslie Kaplan from Ready, Set, Cupcake! by The Piping Gourmets at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Symphonettes volunteers Michelle Diaz, Laura Roberts and Marlee Schutz at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Ruben Ceballos; Coral Gables Community Foundation representatives Bill Bonn and Andria Hanley; and Eddy Arriola of Apollo Bank, the Tour presenter. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Gables High volunteer Jake Mekin offers a mini indulgence at Books & Books closing event. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Seasons 52 brings its mini-indulgences to the Books & Books reception. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Young Symphonettes volunteers Sofia Carrera-Justiz, Lucy Grossman and Michelle Dickstein help out at Books & Books. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Bike-riding tour participants. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Nelsie Parada and Marlin Ebbert in the kitchen with dessert chef Lucila Venet-Jimenez. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Rosa Maria Hervis, Adriana Otero, Rene Cabeza and Snaidero Kitchen Designer Allison Ortiz Kane. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Guests register at Snaidero showroom to start the tour. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Aldo Brito, TOK Sponsor Jerry Santeiro and John Carson. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Andria Hanley and TOK co-chair Pat Blanco. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Andria Hanley, executive director of the Coral Gables Community Foundation, with Eddy Arriola from event-presenter Apollo Bank, with his wife Katie. Photo by Betty Alvarez

First Lady Carmen Cason, honorary chair of the Tour, with Maritza Jacobson and Eva Casal. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Quality Quail Eggs' Chef prepares a delicious quail-egg recipe at Snaidero. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Elena Luca, Heather Harris, Ceci Dubon Slesnick and Bib Cruz-Ledon Sears. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Fried quail egg on tortilla chip from Quality Quail Eggs at Snaidero. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Snaidero buffet included hard-boiled quail eggs with sauce. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Jeannett Slesnick and Mary Young volunteered to staff the check-in at Snaidero. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Julie Connor, First Lady Carmen Cason, Eva Casal and kitchen-design consultant Julia Johnston. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Kara Kautz and Kathleen Slesnick Kauffman pick up programs at Snaidero. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Kourtney and Kevin Weston. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Olga, Mirentxu, and Vince Lago at Snaidero. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Ruben Ceballos and Bill Bonn, chair of the Coral Gables Community Foundation, are ready to set out from Snaidero. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Lilian Izaguirre, Monica Silva and Denys Alt at the Snaidero start. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Molly, Rebecca, and Richard Kane with Pamela Kane-Nadler at Snaidero. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Neli Arias, Herbert Brito, Susy Fernandez and Allison Ortiz Kane are ready to head out. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Tour participants begin with breakfast bites at Snaidero. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Ray Plasencia, Ismael Gil, Hector Castro and Teresa Tunez at Snaidero. Photo by Betty Alvarez

Some 500 visitors trekked through lavish kitchens and savored menu samples from local chefs during the Coral Gables Community Foundation’s fourth annual Tour of Kitchens on Saturday, Jan. 26.

Presented by Apollo Bank, the sold-out culinary expedition began with breakfast bites, coffee and mimosas at Snaidero kitchens + design showroom, 4110 Ponce de Leon Blvd. After checking in, guests set out to visit kitchens in eight fabulous homes throughout Coral Gables.

In addition to hors d’oeuvres, breads and desserts, an array of home-related merchandise was available at the homes. Featured vendors included Pottery Barn, Deco Candles, Williams-Sonoma, Aragon 101, Spice Galore and Coco Bella.

Participating restaurants / food purveyors were Cibo Wine Bar, Zak the Baker, Sweet Art by Lucila, Rock Star Pastries, Spice Galore, Lasso the Moon (catering), the Culinary Arts Program of Coral Gables Senior High School, Roc Kat Ice Cream Co., JoAnna’s Marketplace, Seasons 52, Xixón Café and Ready, Set, Cupcake!

This year’s honorary chair was Coral Gables First Lady Carmen Cason; co-chairs were Pat Blanco and Donna Reno. The 2013 tour marked the first sellout of the event’s four-year history, organizers said.

This year’s tour included a stop at the Les Dames d’Escoffier annual fund raising Giant Gables Gourmet Garage Sale, being held at 1217 Granada Blvd., the home of celebrity dessert chef Lucila Venet-Jimenez, whose kitchen was also a stop on the tour. Lucila is well known for her business Sweet Art by Lucila, which is very popular for wedding cakes and other special occasions.

Also new this year was the participation of BikeWalk Coral Gables, which provided tour participants with a bicycle-ride option.

Whether by car or bike, guests converged afterward at the Books & Books courtyard, 265 Aragon Ave., for a closing reception that featured champagne, desserts and a display on kitchen trends by kitchen design consultant Julia Johnston. Three cookbook authors, Bernie Matz, Linda Gassenheimer and Raquel Roque, visited with guests and signed their books.

In addition to Apollo Bank as presenting sponsor, additional sponsors included Harborfront Landing, Snaidero kitchens + design, Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables and the Alma Jennings Foundation.

Proceeds benefit the Coral Gables Community Foundation and the Coral Gables Senior High School Culinary Arts Program.

Photos by Betty Alvarez / Events Photographer

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