Abilities Benefit at the Middle Grounds Grill

On Tuesday night, Erin and I attended the benefit for disabled veterans by the Abilities Foundation, http://www.abilitiesfoundation.com/, being held at the Middle Grounds Grill, http://www.middlegroundsgrill.com/. Our friends, Jill Plaice and Terry Hall, were the ambassadors for this event.

Event details are below:

Everyday Italian Lifestyle Wine Dinners Restaurant Lineup to Benefit Disabled Veterans Abilities Foundation Hosts May 31- June 1 The Abilities Foundation, along with six Tampa Bay area restaurants, announce ‘The Italian Lifestyle Wine Dinners’series May 31 through June. The series will showcase local chefs matching versatile, value-priced Italian wines with nontraditional Italian cuisine. Featuring a 6:30 pm, four-course wine dinner for $39.99, all inclusive. Ten dollars from each reservation will benefit job placement services for Disabled Veterans returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom who have suffered combat-related injuries. This unprecedented dinner series will showcase local chefs matching versatile, value-priced Zonin Italian wines with nontraditional Italian cuisine at different restaurants each night for six consecutive nights and will have an educational ‘food and wine enthusiast’ theme throughout. Restaurants will feature a four or five-course wine dinner, Zonin representatives and Italian guest speakers, a live auction of chef dinners, wine, and Rays memorabilia, and dinner wines for sale at discount prices. The Abilities Foundation is a nonprofit organization that has helped thousands of Floridians with disabilities obtain mainstream jobs and affordable housing. Zonin USA is Italy’s largest wine producer. Their wines are distributed Republic National Distributing Company, the second largest distributor of premium wine and spirits in the U.S. _________________ Tuesday, June 1st MIDDLE GROUNDS GRILL 10925 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, FL 33706, 727-360-4253 Dinner Ambassadors - Jill Plaice, Terri Hall, and Rory Robertson M E N U ZONIN PROSECCO Assorted Seasonal Hors d’Oeurves CA’ BOLANI SAUVIGNON BLANC Baked Oysters topped with a puree of Pear, Spinach, and Bacon INSOLIA Homemade Pappardelle Pasta Tossed in Carbonara Sauce with Fresh Peas and Pancetta Crisp CHIANTI CLASSICO Espresso-rubbed Lamb Chop drizzled with Espresso Chocolate demi-glace Smoke Paprika Mashed Potatoes BARBARESCO Seared Certified Angus Beef Sirloin sliced thinly, topped with Cabrales Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onions over Baby Roasted Rosemary Potatoes LIMITED LIVE CHARITY AUCTION Chef Dinner, Zonin Winemaker-autographed 3L, Rays Memorabilia BACCOROSA Tuile Cookie stuffed with sweetened Ricotta swimming with Barati & Milano Chocolate, kissed with Pomegranate Syrup

The event was a sell out! Everyone there had a great time meeting new people, eating great food, and sampling a variety of wines with each course.