Fine Art and Fine Cuisine Merge on Amelia Island

by Sallie W. Boyles | Photography by Amy Robb/Edible Northeast Florida

Epicurean delights are like fine art—so why not combine the two? The Omni Amelia Island Plantation just off the coast of Northeast Florida has done so flawlessly with its Cocktails + Canvases event.

Over a century ago, America’s most elite families—the Vanderbilts, Carnegies and DuPonts—so much loved summering on Amelia Island that American Resorts magazine named it “The Queen of Summer Resorts.” From breathtaking beaches, moss-draped live oaks, preserved marshes, Victorian architecture, world-class golf courses, Southern hospitality and so much more, what’s not to relish about the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of 100-plus barrier islands that run from Georgia to Florida? In fact, as a recent celebration of the ecosystem’s food and culture demonstrated, Amelia Island simply keeps getting better—more sophisticated in a modern way, perhaps, yet still as gracious as always—with age.

 

Such qualities were accentuated over Veteran’s Day Weekend (November 11 – 13, 2016), when Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort and Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens partnered to produce Cocktails + Canvases, a fusion of the visual arts, creative cocktails, and cuisine. Those who appreciate life’s delicacies but not pretention can only hope that the inaugural event is the first of many to come.

The happening’s inspiration emerged from The Sprouting Project, the Omni Amelia Island Plantation culinary team’s sustainability initiative which combines age-old practices and the latest agricultural innovations: an aquaponic greenhouse, utilizing a complex system of aquaculture and hydroponics to produce lettuces and other plants that are fed from the recycled waste of farmed fish—blue gill, sunfish, and bream—raised on organic material; a varied organic garden with plants like strawberry vines, blackberry bushes, pineapple and guava trees, sage, rosemary, and basil; numerous colonies of bees that produce one thousand pounds of local, organic honey for the resort each year; a barrel room (an earth-sheltered cinderblock and reclaimed wood-pallet structure) to age and store fermented hot sauces, infused balsamic vinegars, and uniquely blended cocktails—e.g., rum and bourbon; and a soon-to-be-up-and-running smokehouse that produces hand-cured, distinctively seasoned meats from local, sustainable farms.

Along with granting guests insider access to The Sprouting Project, Cocktails + Canvases allowed hands-on participation, such as making hot sauces. After selecting what you wanted in your concoction (oysters and bell peppers were among the options), the culinary staff chose the right proportions in mixing up a bottle to take home.

 

Another demonstration included bourbon blending with a mixologist to point out the nuances of each flavor. Taking a bite of rye bread when sipping rye whiskey, for instance, drew attention to the similarity in notes.

An alfresco dinner by the greenhouse was a highlight. Picnic tables beneath crystal chandeliers gave the evening an elegant, Southern-comfort ambience, and artistic culinary presentations incorporated the theme of sustainability. Notably, hors d’oeuvres with garden herbs were served on platters made from oaks that had fallen one month earlier during Hurricane Matthew.

Every presentation, by the way, was a work of art.

The immersion further included observing as well as making fine art, such as painting and glass blowing. The artists, open and eager to talk about their work and inspiration, were also integral to each dinner, and they mingled easily with guests when not busy with their demonstrations. Live music set the tone throughout.

Thankfully, we don’t need to wait another year—or have celebrity status—for a Cocktails + Canvases experience. Local artists abound on Amelia Island, and the Sprouting Project thrives year-round. Every month, the Sprouting Project hosts featured dinners, and each Saturday, chefs give tours of the aquaponics greenhouse, garden, and apiary. Keep in mind, too, that all ten restaurants and lounges on the resort operate with a farm-to-table sensibility.

For more information, readers should contact the concierge at Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort by calling (904) 432–1467 or visit OmniHotels.com/hotels/amelia-island-plantation.