October. 14, 2019 - Split Gourmet Expo, an exhibition of Split restaurants, taverns, and hotels, was held for the third time Saturday, October 12, on the city’s famous waterfront promenade - the Riva. 

Namely, Split Gourmet Expo is a manifestation that brings together an exhibition of dishes and gastronomy from Split's catering establishments, a competition, promotion through the media, and a special bilingual publication on the participants and dishes themselves.

Exhibition tables were set up on the waterfront, where chefs put forth three items (cold appetizer, main course, and dessert), which were judged by a jury of eminent chefs and experts in gastronomy by their taste, appearance, and originality. 

The jury, which was composed of Hrvoje Zirojević, Marija Lulić, Antun Nišević and Goran Staničić, chose Brasserie on 7 as the winner of this year’s competition, who trilled the panel with terrine goose liver (foie gras), tuna with quinoa and salsa verde for the main, and a lemon tart as dessert.

Brasserie on 7 won based on the total number of points, and in addition to being named the winner, they will also be called the ambassador of the Split gastro scene for the coming year.

Hotel Park, Da Mar Health at Marvie Hotel, Diocletian's Wine House, Portofino, Bajamont trattoria, and Konoba Dujkin Dvor also participated in the competition. 

Just behind Brasserie on 7 was Portofino, a restaurant run by Marko Djurasevic, one of the most innovative chefs in Split with years of experience in Spain, where he also gained experience in Michelin starred restaurants. Djurasevic and his team won gold for the best dish, which was a pašticada of Adriatic Kali tuna. The dish included tuna belly with fermented garlic emulsion, crispy kale, almonds and hazelnuts, beef sauce and extra virgin olive oil.

The best dessert at the Split Gourmet Expo was awarded to Diocletian's Wine House,  who crafted a Split fig cannelloni stuffed with cream and lemon.

"I was fascinated by the fact that everything was better than last year. It is amazing how much effort the teams put in to advance their offer, and today they get to present what sets them apart from others on the Riva. The return of our chefs from abroad or from the kitchens of ships, where they have gained new experiences that they have transferred today, contributed a lot to that,” said Trogir chef and jury member Antun Nišević, a specialist and lecturer at cooking academies.

You can watch a video form the Split Gourmet Expo below. 

Source: Slobodna Dalmacija

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The "Hrvatski gastronomski dragulj“ (Croatian Gastronomic Jewel) is the organization of exhibitions for culinary competitions throughout all Croatian cities, with the aim of improving the quality of tourist services and competitiveness. The project started in Dalmatia in 2007 and included various towns in the Croatian territory. The project aims to encourage caterers to increase their offer with a share of indigenous dishes, emphasizing on local indigenous cuisine in certain parts of Croatia. All gastronomic exhibitions take place throughout Croatian cities under the larger title "Croatian Gastronomic Jewel", each of which has its own name.