Summer’s End Natural Wine Dinner at Pizza Bar

Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar + Trattoria in Seaside, Florida, salutes the end of summer with Summer’s End Natural Wine Dinner on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. Chef Phil McDonald and Robert S. Zaun, a certified sommelier with Terrior Selection based in Tallahassee, Fla., have partnered to create a four-course natural-themed wood-fired menu paired with Donkey & Goat’s all natural wines. As the event host Zaun will be on hand to mix and mingle with guests, introduce each course wine, and share some of his deep knowledge of natural wines. Reservations required: (850) 419-4965.

 “We are really excited to host this unique dinner,” said Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar chef Phil McDonald. “What fun to gather around an open hearth to enjoy wood-fired food and natural wines. This event brings us back to the dear mother earth and it is a beautiful time of year here for it.”
 
Donkey & Goat Winery is owned and operated by Jared and Tracey Brandt in Berkeley, California, who launched the winery in 2004. They make “natural wines” which is a term that covers both the vineyard and the cellar. That is what distinguishes natural wine — the extension of natural farming philosophies that drive the practices for sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming into the cellar.
 
Donkey & Goat wines are made from sustainably (or more) farmed vineyards in the Sierra Nevada, Mendocino and Napa. In the cellar nothing is removed and nothing is added save minimal effective sulphur and wines are bottled without stabilization, fining or filtration.
 
While not required, the Brandts include their ingredient list on their wine label, which is remarkably short: grapes and minimal sulphur.

Tickets to the Summer’s End Natural Wine Dinner are $100 per person (plus tax and gratuity) and includes an aperitif and passed hors d’oeuvres followed by a Chef Phil McDonald’s four-course wood-fired themed dinner with four flights of wine. Reservations are required and can by made by calling Jay at (850) 419-4965 or by emailing jay@budandalleys.com.

Bud & Alley’s owner/founder Dave Rauschkolb said hosting an Summer Harvest dinner in partnership with Donkey & Goat wines is a natural. “The Pizza Bar was inspired by the cucina’s of Naples, Italy,” he said. “This event is reflective of what we are all about at all of our Bud & Alley’s restaurants — keeping it simple, seasonal and delicious.”

Bud & Alley’s, South Walton’s longest established restaurant, pioneered the farm- and sea-to-table movement in Seaside and along 30A. Its devotion to serving dishes with the freshest possible ingredients extends to the The Pizza Bar, which was inspired by a visit to Italy Dave Rauschkolb took with his wife, Carol (owner of the interior design company Carol Murphy Designs), and architect Leo Casas.

“We discovered this wonderful cafe on the island of Ischia off the coast of Naples overlooking the Mediterranean Sea that helped inspire the design for our own bistro along the Gulf,” Dave Rauschkolb said. The trio’s creative vision was fully realized when The Pizza Bar opened in 2008 on the south side of Seaside’s retail center next to the Obe Pavilion.

Guests of The Pizza Bar can experience these authentic flavors family-style in the courtyard, fire-side at the bar, and on the veranda overlooking the Gulf. It is open daily from 11 a.m.

Founded in 1986 in Seaside, Florida, Bud & Alley’s has become a revered gathering place by local patrons and visitors known for “Good Food. Good People. Good Times.” Over the years, Bud & Alley’s has garnered numerous awards including Florida Trend Magazine’s Golden Spoon Hall of Fame Award, designating the eatery as one of the Top 20 Restaurants in Florida. 

For more information on The Pizza Bar at Bud & Alley’s, call (850) 231-3113 or visit budandalleys.com. Follow Bud & Alley's restaurants on social media for exciting news, food shots and views around Seaside. Bud and Alley's Restaurant and Pizza Bar are featured in SoWal.com Dining Guide with stories and photos. 

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