I can’t believe another year is in the books and it’s time to select the best of what I tasted over the past year.  The end of 2022 also marks my 8th Anniversary since I began this journey to find the best dishes that Vero Beach and the Treasure Coast have to offer.

Last year was a busy one for us here at The Treasure Coast Foodie! We hosted over 28 foodie dining experiences, ranging from meetups, cooking classes, food-eating challenges, wine education, and a few exclusive chef’s tables. The highlight of the year was the debut of the Treasure Coast MasterChef competition. A panel of industry-leading judges tasted and selected the Top 4 best dishes from the Golden Forks Awards ceremony. Those chefs went on to compete at the finale event for the title of Treasure Coast MasterChef. This year, the competition has been separated from the Golden Fork Awards, and a preliminary event has been added. We opened applications to chefs from all over the Treasure Coast to sign up and compete. The event, held in partnership with Indian River State College, will take place on the IRSC Mueller campus on March 8th (prelim) & 22nd (finale). Tickets are on sale now and won’t last long, CLICK HERE to purchase if you would like to attend.

Two new food bloggers joined the team in April, Lisa Hastings and Jackson Harbin (Kid’s Choice Food Picks), offering fresh new restaurant review perspectives. In May, filming for Season 2 of Holy Grail Eats took place, highlighting 6 more of the best local restaurants. If you missed seasons 1 & 2, CLICK HERE to catch up before season 3, set to release this summer!

Our website has undergone a complete overhaul and brand refresh, making it easier to navigate and stay up-to-date with all the latest food-related news & reviews. In addition, we’ve added two new social media accounts. You can now follow us on TikTok and Twitter, providing even more ways to stay connected with us!

Now on to the awards!  Let’s jump right in and see who this year’s winners are and see what I had to eat from the past year! Listed below are my Top 10 Best Dishes (in no particular order), Chef of the Year, and Restaurant of the Year winners.  The winning dishes were selected from reviews or dining experiences we’ve had in 2022.

Top 10 Best Dishes

Cobalt Restaurant – Vero Beach, FL

WAGYU Beef Coulotte – “WA” means Japanese, and “GYU” means cow. Its high level of marbling makes it a coveted cut of beef. It was served with a potato puree and mushroom jam.

CW Willis Family Farms – Vero Beach, FL

Classic Cheeseburger – All beef Angus burger is topped with your choice of cheese, green leaf lettuce, tomato, and red onion served on a toasted bun.

Fire and Wine – Vero Beach, FL

Pan-Seared Golden Seabass – The seabass is pan-seared, and served with an olive relish with tomatoes, saffron vinaigrette, and fresh herb oil. (this dish was part of a special event we hosted here and not a regular menu item)

Garage Pizza – Vero Beach, FL

Pepper & Salt BBQ Pizza – Ricotta base, Pepper & Salt brisket, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, jalapeño, red onion, and a BBQ sauce swirl.

Riverside Cafe – Vero Beach, FL

The Crabby Pig Sandwich – It’s made with lettuce, tomato, thickly sliced pork belly, a crispy fried soft-shell crab, and dressed with a cilantro lime sauce, all served on toasted rye bread.

Scampi Grill – Vero Beach, FL

Veal Osso Bucco Lasagna – 12-hour braised veal Osso Bucco, fresh pasta sheets, ricotta cheese, fresh herbs, and tomato ragu. CLICK HERE to see how it’s made on our foodie show, Holy Grail Eats!

Sweet Kiss Ice Cream – Vero Beach, FL

Spanish Tortilla – Potato, eggs, mozzarella cheese, and black forest ham.

The Marketplace Fudge and More – Sebastian, FL

The Marketplace in Sebastian has just about every sweet treat you can imagine! With some of the best fudge, fudge turtles, candies, butters, pickles, popcorn, and more!

The Wave Kitchen & Bar – Vero Beach, FL

Paella A La Costa – This Calasparra Rice Dish is made with Clams, Mussels, Scallops, Shrimp, Chorizo, Chicken, peppers, peas. CLICK HERE to see how it’s made on our foodie show, Holy Grail Eats!

Wood N Spoon – Vero Beach, FL

Cream of Tomato Soup with Guerre Cheese

and The Chef of the Year award goes to. . .

Chef Daniel Wise

In 2018, our chef of the year opened a test kitchen in a surprising location, a shell gas station. Despite the unusual location, the food I tasted during my initial review was impressive and I knew the chef was destined for great things. After working his way around several other restaurants in town, he finally found the opportunity to run his own establishment. He, along with another business partner, re-opened the exclusive Maison Martinique located inside the Caribbean Court Boutique Hotel. Along with Maison, he also re-opened Havana Nights, a piano bar located on the upper level, and The Creperie, a brand new breakfast venue located in the Shell lounge at Maison. The chef’s passion and culinary talent shine through in every dish he creates, so my pick for the 2023 Chef of the Year is Chef Daniel Wise!

and the Restaurant of the Year award goes to. . .

Pepper & Salt BBQ

This restaurant has caused quite a stir in the local restaurant scene since it opened in April 2022. As a BBQ enthusiast, I’ve always dreamed of touring Austin, Tx to try the best BBQ in the country, so you can imagine my excitement to find a taste of truly authentic central Texas-style BBQ right in my own backyard. My first visit during the soft opening was everything I hoped for and more, with bold flavors and tender meats exceeding my expectations. With their simple menu and reasonably priced options, Pepper & Salt BBQ is destined for greatness in our community, so that’s why I nominate them as my pick for the 2023 Restaurant of the Year.

What do we have planned for the rest of 2023? You will just have to stick around and keep following us to find out!

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