Lighten Up With Naples Pioneer Tony Ridgway at Ridgway Bar & Grill with fresh ricotta and heirloom tomato, cacio e pepe, plus lemon curd with fresh blueberries
Tony Ridgway epitomizes Naples Originals: as one of Third Street South’s most successful restaurateurs during the past 40-plus, his patrons comprise legions of locals and snowbirds alike. (He is also a founder of Naples Originals.)
Among the changes he’s noted in the city’s dining scene, “Our guests are still the wonderful ladies and gentlemen whose parents and grandparents founded Naples. And cooking is still cooking, but the styles are lighter. We serve much less beef and much more seafood.”
Though Ridgway Bar & Grill’s menus continually evolve to reflect modern preferences, his legacy of imbuing the freshest ingredients paired with meticulous technique remains a hallmark of his culinary philosophy.
Tony is working on his new cookbook so Foodie Camp’s demo and offerings — fresh ricotta and heirloom tomato, cacio e pepe, plus lemon curd with fresh blueberries — fuse popular dishes with soon-to-be favorites on Ridgway Bar + Grill’s fall menu.
“Writing the book has been the best thing I may have ever done. It has reminded me what I love about food; more important, it has sharpened my senses as well as my level of commitment and excellence.”
He adds, “Most cooking is simple steps. It is the cumulative that makes it hard. Participants will be privy to three techniques — I like to refer to them that way, and not recipes. As it is not the list of ingredients that is important, it’s what you do with that list of ingredients.”
Wednesday, October 17, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
1300 3rd Street South, Naples, Florida 34102, United States