Alex Fogg & Brian Asher

Pamela & Jim Homyak 

Leo Cyr & Anna Clark

Ashley Ridot & Chef Gus Silivos

Faye McManus & David Magee

O

n the evening of Tuesday, August 14, the Coast 
Watch Alliance hosted a very special Venom & Vino 
Wine Dinner, at Skopelos at New World. This was 
a reservation only event, and one of the most highly 

regarded. Executive Chef Silivos and the Skopelos Culinary Team 
constructed a menu that added a creative touch to lionfi sh with 4 
courses expertly paired with incredible wines. All proceeds of this 
charity event will benefi t Coast Watch Alliance and support valuable 
marine conservation and research initiatives in the northern Gulf of 
Mexico.

The 4-course menu for Venom & Vino featured the Southwestern 

style taco fi sh salad, prepared with roasted corn, black beans, tomato, 
cilantro, chipotle dressing, and purple chip garnish; and an appetizer 
of lobster mac and cheese with a rubbed lionfi sh coconut curry. The 
entrée showcased was medallions of veal and lionfi sh Oscar, served 
with asparagus, hollandaise, and port wine demi. The evening ended 
with a desert of cocoa seared lionfi sh mole, made with raisins, orange 
zest, honey, chocolate sauce, and chocolate truffl es.

The Coast Watch Alliance is a nonprofi t working to protect 

coastal and marine resources through the promotion of sustainable 
practices, as well as a collaboration of technical expertise and 
business leaders to identify and affect sustainable practices to protect 
coastal environments for future use. Their mission is to educate, 
empower and protect the Gulf Coast resources by removal of lionfi sh 
and marine debris from our reef systems. Divers like Brian Asher, 
and Alex Fogg volunteer their time hunting lionfi sh to spread the 
word about the need for eradicating the species. Executive Director 
Ashley Ridout says, “Our goal is to remove as many of the invader 
species as possible while encouraging productive distribution in 
our area, and making local restaurants aware that this is a readily 
available seafood option, by decreasing demand on the more popular 
species like salmon, and grouper.” Former Executive Director Anna 
Clark explained that this was a mission she became a part of because 
Pensacola waters contain some of the highest reported numbers 
of lionfi sh, and she wanted to be part of the solution to cull the 
population and save our ecosystem.

Venom & Vino

photos & story by

Kristina Wright 

Marianne McMahon & Valerie Russenberger

   VIP Pensacola at Skopelos at New World

Gourmet Series Dinner

16     |    VIPPensacola.com

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9/27/18   11:08 AM