Local chefs to share their passion through Food & Wine Fest demos

William Sellner, the chef at Pascone's Ristorante, is ready to take patrons of the 22nd Suncoast Food and Wine Fest on a culinary journey through Tuscany, Italy. 

When choosing a dish, Sellner said he had to take into consideration ingredients, the season and the demographic of the audience at the Suncoast Food and Wine Fest Nov. 2 at Premier Sports Campus.

Sellner wanted to make a meal that reminds people of fall, bringing in the warmth of the season through food. He chose veal spezzatino.

"It's one of those dishes I love to make when September or October comes and we start to usher in the fall," he said. "It's something that has a little bit of warmth or comfort to it, even though it'll probably be 85 degrees outdoors."

Veal spezzatino, a meal that is emblematic of Tuscany at this time of year, is a well-rounded dish that is rich in flavors and exemplifies fall, Sellner said. 

Photo by Liz Ramos

"It exemplifies the warmth and the communal atmosphere that we'll have when we are all together. No matter what separates us in the world, food always brings everybody in this world together," Sellner said. "For some people, this will expand their palates to a region of the world that seems to be pigeon holed for Bolognese and gnocchis."

Veal spezzatino won't be the only dish on the menu for demonstration at the festival. 

Scott Kleinberg, the chef at Gecko's Grill and Pub, will be demonstrating how to make shrimp pad Thai, a dish he said is "tremendously flavorful" and considered the "hamburger of Southeast Asia" because it's one of the most popular Thai dishes. 

Choosing the right dish also means picking one that people can replicate at home. 

Kleinberg said it's a cool experience when he hears someone went home and made the dish he showed them. 

"If I can present a simplification, or even the most difficult version, for somebody to try at home and give them the confidence to do it, it's a lot like when I get my daughter to realize something that I'm trying to teach her," Kleinberg said. "It's something I never knew I would have wanted, but it's rewarding just to be in the room when it's happening."

As part of the demonstrations, people in the audience are able to ask questions, and the chefs can engage with them. 

Sellner's experience on the Home Shopping Network has made him comfortable cooking in front of a crowd. 

He said he will pepper in a few questions to get the audience engaged while he's cooking. He will make a show out of it to create a flow. 

For Kleinberg, being a chef conducting a demonstration at Suncoast Food and Wine Fest is an opportunity not only to connect with the audience but also his family.

At last year's festival, Kleinberg cooked in front of his parents, Norman and Karen Kleinberg. He had moved to the area in 2022 from Argentina, and his parents had not seen him cooking in a professional setting in 10 years.

He said it was meaningful to see his parents in the crowd. 

"I'm not a Michelin star guy. I've achieved my goals, but to have them be able to sit down and see me doing what I do was some of the most special stuff I've ever done in my life," Kleinberg said. 

This year's Suncoast Food and Wine Fest demonstration will be even more special for Kleinberg as his wife, Ileana Fernandez, 8-year-old daughter Erin Kleinberg and 4-year-old son Jacob Kleinberg will be in the audience. They moved from Argentina in April. 

Both Sellner and Kleinberg will be able to share their passion of cooking with the masses at the festival. 

Sellner, who has 40 years of experience as a chef, started off in the industry as a dishwasher and worked his way up the ranks. 

He said cooking always is something that has "come extremely easy" to him to the point that he's doesn't believe he's truly worked a day in his life. Cooking is second nature to him.

"I've just loved the whole journey that has taken me through the eyes and mouths of people," Sellner said. 

Photo by Liz Ramos

Kleinberg started at 13 years old, spending time in the kitchen with his family members cooking around him. He said it was a fun, warm atmosphere that always drew him into cooking.

Kleinberg went on to cook around the world, including the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Argentina and the U.S.. 

The fast-paced environment kept him on his toes. He said working with food is like a sculptor with clay. 

"When you get disparate personalities together and they don't know each other, you can spin around in a space smaller than a table and put out 400 covers without a plate back, there's nothing like that in the world," Kleinberg said.

Both chefs said they are thrilled to be involved in an event in which all the proceeds will go to supporting nonprofits in Manatee and Sarasota counties. 

"I'm over the moon to be involved and to be doing what I can to integrate myself into the community," Kleinberg said. "I like feeling like a part of the community again. Anything I can do that's community-based, I kind of do cartwheels to get it done."