Sizzle Dining to feature participating island restaurants
An annual food extravaganza sees a record number of participants for its 2023 event, with proceeds benefitting a local non-profit that addresses child hunger.
Sizzle Dining will run from Sept. 7-27 and gives participants the chance to sample Southwest Florida flavors and delectable cuisines. This year, foodies will have the opportunity to dine at 95 restaurants throughout the month — for less. It will feature a set-price menu at $19 or $29 for two-course lunches and $29, $39 or $49 for three-course dinners.
The charity-driven promotion gives diners the experience of new restaurants, hidden gems to be discovered and established favorites around Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers, Marco Island, Naples, Sanibel and Babcock Ranch. Each participating location will offer special Sizzle Dining menus, so diners can try types of food that may normally be outside their comfort zone price-wise.
“This is a special event that takes place in the restaurant where everyone from the dishwasher to the valet, hostesses, cooks, chefs and owners participates,” Sizzle Dining founder Guy Clarke said. “It’s a way for them to give back and do something.
“It’s heartwarming,” he added. “To get the kind of positive feedback we receive and to see the donation checks each restaurant sends to the charity, knowing how hard everyone is working. That’s why Sizzle Dining is a success.”
For every meal purchased during the event, each restaurant will donate $1 directly to Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida, a local chapter of a national non-profit charity that feeds 7,500 food-insecure elementary-aged students each weekend in Lee and Collier counties during the school year.
“Blessings in a Backpack is an obvious choice,” Clarke said. “We’re in the industry and we feed people every day. But there are children in our community who don’t have access to food on a daily basis.”
Last year’s hurricane-shortened event raised more than $20,000 for the non-profit.
“It’s been a wonderful partnership in the sense that we are able to pull together the restaurant community and give back to help support children,” Blessings in a Backpack Executive Director Cecilia St. Arnold said in a prepared statement.
Created to cater to every type of palate and diner, options range from small, independently owned specialty restaurants to high-end dining establishments. Sizzle Dining provides the opportunity to discover and try new things, while restaurants get to showcase their best menu items.
Clarke said the menu tends to be the deciding factor when diners are choosing what restaurants they want to visit. Deciding what the menu will feature, is not always easy for participating restaurants. Factors to consider include staying within budget, adjusting portion-size and keeping true to the brand of the establishment.
“I consider our existing production load, the seasonality of local products and the feel of the group of items within our existing culinary identity,” Marcus Preece, general manager of Cielo on Sanibel, said in a prepared statement.
He noted that one $49 Sizzle Dining dessert course selection will feature a classic caramelized vanilla bean custard, served with the bounty of fresh fruits and berries from South Florida this summer.
On the islands, Tutti Pazzi Italian Kitchen on Sanibel is also taking part.
Sizzle Dining was founded in Naples in 2016. Clarke is also the creator of BaconFest Naples along with his wife, Erin Clarke, a culinary school-trained chef and restaurant management consultant. The promotional event originally launched with 26 restaurants as dinner only. Today, Sizzle Dining has grown into a 21-day event that draws thousands of visitors to restaurants.
“Last year, we really focused on the power of collaboration,” he said. “Through Sizzle Dining, restaurant owners see that the best way to pivot is to pivot together instead of seeing the restaurant down the street as a competitor.”
To see the list of the participating restaurants and menus, which are added daily, visit www.sizzledining.com and make a reservation directly with each restaurant.
For more information on Blessings in a Backpack, visit swfl.blessingsinabackpack.org.