As a writer who traverses the globe covering golf, travel and all things food and beverage — and who racked up 110,000 frequent-flyer miles in 2025 — GOLF contributor Shaun Tolson has visited some of the world’s most famous golf clubs, resorts and best-kept secrets. Below, in Clubhouse Eats, he shares some of his favorite bites and sips from his recent travels.
In recent years, I’ve discovered that not all destination food and wine events are created equal. I’ve also realized that exceptional experiences aren’t exclusive to festivals with generations-long histories. Take Omni PGA Frisco’s Savor event. In the company of other annual, multi-day culinary celebrations, like the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colo. (which is now operating in its fifth decade), Savor is undeniably a young buck. But the three-day event is wise beyond its years, which is to say it annually boasts an impressive lineup of executive and celebrity guest chefs, and it makes food the headlining star — to the point that during Savor’s nightly tasting events, guests will likely feel stuffed before they’ve had a chance to try every dish being served.
Tickets for the event’s third iteration will soon go on sale, which makes now an ideal time to reflect on the memorable bites that were grilled, roasted and fried earlier this year. Seriously, some of these dishes were so good, I can still vividly recall their aromas, flavors and textures. “Don’t Mess with Texas” may have been a public awareness campaign during the ’80s, but I highly encourage messing with the Lone Star State during the first week in May — so long as you do so at Omni PGA Frisco.
Celebrity chef Scott Conant took the helm for the opening night’s five-course dinner, which was limited to just 120 ticketed guests. Here are the standouts:
Roasted Scallop Salad – A simple dish on paper, these roasted scallops—served with an almond gazpacho, frisée, grapes and herb oil—were delicately seared and sported a golden crust. The almonds provided a great textural contrast, while the grapes reinforced the shellfish’s natural sweetness. I’ve been hardwired to believe that great seared scallops must boast a deep caramelization, but this appetizer set me straight.
Potato Gnocchi Burro’doro – Pasta, sauce, and cheese (see main photo above). That’s all Conant’s second course consisted of, but the dish, which showcased stracciatella from Apulia and the chef’s famous Campagna Marinara (made with tomato, onion, olive oil and basil), embraced the Italian mantra of letting the ingredients speak for themselves.
Steamed Black Bass – Sometimes, what you think will be a dish’s star ingredient turns out to be the stage for other components to shine. That was the case with Conant’s black seabass, where the sunchoke puree and a seafood and fregola ragu stole the show. The plate was striking and a memorable, savory concoction, just not for the reasons I initially expected.
Grilled Spiced Duck Breast – Conant’s grilled duck breast, on the other hand, was the star of his fourth course. The charred radicchio and polenta dumplings were tantalizing in theory, but they were eclipsed by the meat and its accompanying ramp salsa verde. Succulent and indulgent, the dish’s main protein was a wonderful homage to duck.
Grilled Korean-Cut Short Rib Ssam – Celebrity chef Shota Nakajima came in hot this year with a beef dish accented by pickled red onions and pistachios. It was predictably meaty and unctuous with a nice pop of spice and tingly heat from the addition of Szechuan peppercorns.
K-Pop Chicken – Food Network star Esther Choi took a page from her Mokbar restaurant playbook and brought tons of Asian flavor with her Korean fried chicken. Layered and earthy, these bite-sized morsels delivered plenty of Gochujang-fueled spice, balanced by a white kimchi tartar sauce.
Pork Jowl – Chef Matt Balke, a native Texan, brought a slightly tropical twist to this pork bite, weaving in cherry mustard, jalapeno and coconut. The meat itself was incredibly soft and tender, allowing patrons to fully appreciate the contrast of flavors— specifically, the coconut’s sweetness juxtaposed wth the snappiness of the mustard and the jalapeno’s moderate heat.
Koji & Allium Cured Brisket – Chef Misti Norris was born in North Carolina but raised in Houston, and she tapped into that upbringing with this super-tender and unctuous brisket, creatively accented with popcorn butter, garden herbs and fermented brussels sprouts, the latter of which provided a pleasing contrast via the vegetable’s natural bitterness and the preparation’s briny qualities.
Fire-Roasted Wagyu Beef – The third night at Savor typically serves as an unofficial ode to beef, and 2026 was no exception. Chef Kevin Sbraga’s short rib, roasted for eight hours, served as one of the night’s standouts. Served with cannellini beans, which added a touch of earthiness, the savory cut of beef was brightened by an Italian-style salsa verde, which acted like an Argentinian chimichurri.
Konro Bakar – When you work for an establishment called Slow Bone BBQ, as Chef Jeffery Hobbs does, the expectations are high — especially in Texas. His take on Konro Bakar, an Indonesian char-grilled beef rib, cleared the bar. The smoked, grilled cut of beef was paired with coconut rice and a spicy peanut sauce, which checked all the boxes. The sauce was sweet, spicy and herbaceous — the perfect complement to the rich and decadent meat.
Smoked Bacon Bahn Mi Bao – Chef Beau Macmillan’s bahn mi bao bun sported the thickest-cut slab of bacon you’ll find — the Scottsdale-based chef could’ve just called it pork belly — and it was balanced by Vietnamese pickles, toasted peanuts and a peashoot and crispy onion salad. Smoky, sweet, ric, and spicy, the mini sandwich was the culinary equivalent of a blind date with instant chemistry. Texas, meet Southeast Asia.
Grilled Mojo Pork Ribs – It was only a matter of time before a true, on-the-bone preparation made its appearance, and Chef Ben Ford’s pork ribs proved that good things are worth the wait. A true carnivore’s delight, the dish delivered plenty of unctuous character, where the robust flavor of the pork was well balanced by notes of chili-garlic oil, burnt limes and an accompanying carrot slaw.
The post 12 incredible tastes from Omni PGA Frisco’s ‘Savor’ — a can’t-miss food event appeared first on Golf.
