Celebrating 50 Years of Café: A Legacy of L’Europe
This season marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic Café L’Europe opening its doors to serve Sarasota diners.
To commemorate this milestone, the restaurant is launching a year-long celebration with a variety of special events, including this Legacy Chef Wine Dinner series, where acclaimed local chefs who got their start at Café return for a night of storytelling over fabulous wine and exquisite cuisine. Bookings are exclusively offered via OpenTable Experiences for $250 per person (pre-paid) inclusive of tax and gratuity.
View the menus from the first two Legacy Chef Wine Dinners with Chef J.P. Knaggs and Chef Ray Arpke.
Next Legacy Chef Wine Dinner
🧑🍳 Co-hosted with Chef Harry Christensen of Harry’s Continental Kitchens
🍷 Featuring the wines of Caymus Vineyards and the Wagner Family
📆 Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 6:30 pm
About Chef Harry Christensen
Chef Harry Christensen, originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, began his hospitality career washing dishes at the Green Bay Packers’ training camp as a youth, before refining his culinary skills at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. By 1973, Harry had ventured southward with his wife, Lynn, to the sunlit shores of Florida where, after working at Far Horizons on Longboat Key, a Michelin-Star restaurant, he became the day chef at Café L’Europe. Every day he prepared the dishes for that evening’s dinners, and the Café’s kitchen is where his idea for gourmet takeout expanded.
In 1979, Harry, alongside his wife, Lynn, founded Harry’s Continental Kitchens on Longboat Key, Florida, at the age of 24. What started as a gourmet takeout and deli has flourished into a comprehensive culinary destination, featuring a fine dining restaurant, a market stocked with fresh “take and bake” meals and fine wines, catering services known for their sophisticated cuisine and seamless service, and a corner store offering a variety of gourmet products. Harry’s was known as “Harry’s School of Cool – Be There or Be Square!” when John Horne was coming up in his career on the Islands, who worked there under Chef Harry in 1991!
Under Harry’s leadership, and with the support of Lynn, their son, Hal, and a devoted staff, Harry’s has become a staple of Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island. The establishment is celebrated for its coastal cuisine made from local seafood and fresh ingredients, served in a tropical setting. Harry’s commitment to quality, family involvement, and dedication to service have solidified its status as a beloved community landmark, offering an indulgent dining experience and contributing significantly to the local culinary landscape.
Click here to make your reservation through OpenTable Experiences.
Please note: Reservations are NOT secured unless it is booked as an “Experience” through OpenTable and secured with a credit card. Guests will be seated communally and sharing tables with other guests… a.k.a., new friends! If there is another party with whom you wish to be seated, please let us know in the “Notes” section of your OpenTable Experience booking.
FOOD MENU WITH WINE PAIRINGS
Passed Hors D’Oeuvres include Oysters with Caviar and a Mignonette Foam | Emmolo No. 7 Sparkling Wine Methode Traditionnelle
Lyonnaise Salad “Harry’s Style” with smoked duck breast, frisée, papaya, pine nuts, carambola, marinated goat cheese, mango vinaigrette | Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay
Potato Encrusted Black Grouper | Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay
Lobster Gazpacho a Café Classic that’s also a staple at Harry’s Kitchen | The Walking Fool
Short Rib Wellington with Petrichor Mushroom duxelle wrapped in Puff Pastry finished with Caymus red wine demi | Caymus Spécial Select
Heaven’s Door Pistachio Cake laced with Bourbon and filled with pistachio pudding | Caymus California
