The American Visionary Art Museum, which has brought us a whole lot of unusual sculptures over the years, wants to give us a whole lot of food and drink, too.
They're dishing and pouring it out Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. an event called Sante. It's a fundraiser for the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland, but let's get to the part you really want to hear about -- the food, which will be provided by chefs from several restaurants. Here's the menu:
B&O American Brasserie – crispy pork belly with cherries and smoked balsamic
Chesapeake Fine Foods – caviar, crab cakes, smoked salmon and pastries
Crush – tuna tartare paired with a mini-cocktail
Linwoods – coconut shrimp, crab cakes, crispy oysters, five-spiced duck and papaya served in wonton cups, filet of beef roulade, smoked salmon tartare, Moroccan meatballs and Thai-seared tuna
Milan – lobster mac-n-cheese
Parfections – chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate bark and filled truffles
Blue Hill Tavern, Caroline's Cupcakery, Clementine, Corks, RA Sushi, Taharka Bros. Ice Cream and The Wine Market will round out the menu.
Culinary demonstrations will be conducted by Joy Ludwig (pastry chef at Charleston), Sandy Lawler (chef/owner of Feast @ 4 East) and Jesse Sandlin (executive chef at Vino Rosina and former "Top Chef" contestant).
Guests can wash all that down with American craft beers from The Brewer's Art, Flying Dog, Harpoon, Heavy Seas, Lagunitas, North Coast, Smuttynose, Stillwater Artisanal Ales, Stone, 21st Amendment and Weyerbacher. European beers include Ayinger (Germany), Lindeman's (Belgium), Orval (Belgium), Pinkus Organic (Germany), Rochefort, (Belgium), Samuel Smith (England), Traquair House Ale (Scotland), Westmalle (Belgium) and Zatec (Czech Republic).
Aveniu Brands will pour wines from around the world. The Maryland Wine Association will serve local wines. Laurie Forster, aka "The Wine Coach," will offer informal wine-tasting instruction. Boylan Bottling will provide artisanal natural sodas.
If that doesn't sound like enough to eat and drink, there's a VIP reception at 2 p.m. with "premium" foods and drink not available at the main event. No word on what the foods will be, but the drinks will include tastings of gin led by Nelson Carey, sommelier and owner of Grand Cru wine bar; rum by Joe Squared owner Joe Edwardsen; and tequila by Blue Agave owner Liz Atwood.
Tickets are $100 for the premium tasting; $75 for general admission in advance, $85 at the door; and $40 for designated drivers (no alcohol).
Tickets are available online or by calling 443-322-0377.
Fifi the Pink Poodle is a regular at the museum's kinetic sculpture race. Maybe she'll show at Sante. Sun file photo