Tastemakers is a tasty trip through downtown and around the world

Downtown Pensacola sees its fair share of pub crawls throughout the year, but there's only one annual restaurant crawl, and it's coming up next weekend.

Tastemakers, presented by the PNJ, returns Aug. 25 and 26, and it's the foodie's answer to a pub crawl. For $30, gourmands can take a two-night culinary trip around the world without racking up the frequent flyer miles. Fifteen downtown restaurants will offer international food and beverage pairings from 5 to 10 p.m. each night. Participants can travel with a Passport that will be stamped at each location to mark the location off their lists, or, new this year, opt for a smart phone app download and do it all on their phones.

The Passport doesn't just serve you during the official hours, either. It acts as a VIP dining card at all of the participating restaurants. And the list of participants is a who's who of downtown dining.

O'Riley's Irish Pub is the new kid on the Tastemakers block this year. Manager Warren Sonnen said they are excited to be included.

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"I think last year there were more than 1,000 Passports sold, so it seems like a pretty popular event," he said.

Sonnen said O'Riley's would be taking advantage of the event to showcase Irish cuisine and raise awareness that O'Riley's has great food every day.

"I think a lot of people still don't know that we have probably some of the best food on Palafox," he said. "So our main goal is to introduce people to our menu."

O'Riley's will serve its Irish boxty, made from fried house mashed potatoes with Cheddar, chives and bacon, served with paprika aioli.

"We do it kind of round, not flattened like traditional," Sonnen said. "So you'll get a boxty and a short pour of Guinness."

Joe Abston is bringing all three of his restaurants — Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, The Tin Cow and Pot Roast & Pinot — into this year's event. He said there are many reasons he enjoys participating in Tastemakers.

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"The idea that it's a tasting is really cool," he said. "The idea that you can show off what downtown has to offer is a big thing. People get to have new experiences and have fun."

Abston said it's important for Hopjacks and Tin Cow, being in the "downtown core," to be part of events like Tastemakers in the spirit of being a "good neighbor," while in the case of Pot Roast & Pinot, it allows him to expose the restaurant to a new audience.

"We really wanted to showcase Pot Roast & Pinot and introduce people to it," he said. "We feel like it's our little gem, and we're very interested in exposing the Passport guests to our little jewel."

On the culinary side, Abston said Tastemakers gives him a chance to explore new ideas while working within the bounds of his restaurants' existing missions. For example, Tin Cow will offer a Sri Lankan take on sliders, a red curry-smashed Angus burger topped with pickled veggies and coconut lemongrass sauce.

"It kind of fits in pretty well with what we do anyway," Abston said. "We often do burgers that are geographically themed or have an interesting aspect to them."

Pot Roast & Pinot, which is known for gourmet takes on classic American comfort food, will instead offer German comfort food: Jager schnitzel and spatlzle, a breaded pork cutlet, pan-fried and covered in a mushroom wine sauce with housemade German pasta sauteed in brown butter and sage.

"It is different than Pot Roast & Pinot's traditional menu... ." he said. "I have German friends and German heritage, so I love that it's still comfort food, but it allows us to play a little bit."

Want to go?

WHAT: Tastemakers 2017

WHEN: 5 to 10 p.m. Aug. 25-26

WHERE: Downtown Pensacola

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS: Union Public House, Four Seasons Catering, Pita Pit, O'Riley's Irish Pub, Dog House Deli, Chrisoula's Cheesecake Shoppe, Seville Quarter, Ever'man Cooperative Grocery and Cafe, Beef O'Brady's, The Ruby Slipper, Skopelos at New World, Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, The Tin Cow, Pot Roast & Pinot and Polonza Bistro.

COST: $30 at participating restaurants; at the PNJ office, 2 N. Palafox St.; or online at pnj.com/tastemakers. Online passport purchases must be picked up at the PNJ by noon Aug. 25. Or purchase a download code for the Tastemakers app and do it all on your phone.

AFTER-PARTY: 8 p.m. to midnight at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Admission and drink specials included.