5 Culinary Highlights from Omni PGA Frisco’s Savor Festival

As a writer who criss-crosses the globe covering golf, travel and all things food and drink — and who amassed 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, on Clubhouse Eats, he shares some of his favorite bites and sips from his recent travels.

In less than two months, an all-star lineup of Texas chefs and Food Network stars will take over the Omni PGA Frisco for the resort’s second annual Savor event. Billed as a celebration of food, drink, golf and music, Savor is authentically all of those things, which I learned firsthand last May when I attended the inaugural event.

Savor successfully brings together all of those aforementioned experiences in a way that sets it apart from the many other food and wine festivals that fill the calendar each year. Participating chefs also noticed the difference.

“There was an intimate sense of community that doesn’t always happen at some of the other festivals,” last year’s head chef Antonia Lofaso told me afterwards. “What did it for me was the live music. That was the bottom line that made it feel very Texas.”

However, fare remains the jewel in Savor’s crown; and I still find myself drooling when I think about a few bites from last year’s event. Fortunately, four of the five chefs who created those dishes are returning to the event at the end of April, which means equally delicious (and memorable) bites are guaranteed this time around. best of all, tickets are still available.

Antonia Lofaso Cavatelli Braided Short Rib

As I waited for Chef Lofaso’s starter course during the inaugural Masters of Taste dinner, I formulated a few expectations. To begin with, I was sure the meat would be delicious and tender. I also expected unpleasant taste. What served me provided me with all those things and much more.

Yes, the meat practically melted in my mouth, but the cavatelli was light—not something I’d expect from pasta—and that allowed the short rib to take center stage. The burrata and mushrooms that accompanied the dish, along with the subtle presence of horseradish, produced layers of nuanced flavor. My wife declared the dish “one of the best things I’ve ever eaten!” And we’ve racked up our fair share of Michelin-starred dining experiences over the years, so that gives you an idea of ​​just how great this dish was.

Kevin Lee’s Gochujang Glazed Sticky Ribs

There was no shortage of tasty bites and sips at Savor’s Fork & Fire grand tasting, which drew nearly 600 guests, but chef Kevin Lee made the boldest statement of the night with his gochujang-glazed sticky ribs. Yes, they were meaty and toothsome, but the ribs also boasted a rich, robust flavor. They had a kick, sure—that’s to be expected with gochujang, a slightly sweet, fermented Korean chili paste—but it was a well-rounded spiciness. There was no sharp interference, which often mars foods that bring out the character of spicy chilies. Even if Fork & Fire was nothing more than a long shared table piled high with Chef Lee’s ribs, it would have been a resounding success.

Kevin Sbraga’s Beef Tenderloin

The Grand Best of Texas Tasting on Savor’s third night last year could have been renamed an Ode to Beef. From brisket pastrami and beef pho carpaccio to smoked beef ribs and beef cheek tacos, the best of Texas was a carnivore’s delight. As the event’s host, Chef Beau MacMillan, told me later, many of those dishes shone for their “sophistication in simplicity.”

So said Chef Kevin Sbraga, winner of the seventh season of the The head chefserved one of the best meals of the evening. His fire-roasted tenderloin with tomato agrodolce and giardiniera was a love letter to beef, one that allowed the meat’s delicate flavor and tenderness to sing. Texas may be best known for its barbecue, where the meat often serves as a canvas for flavoring sauces and dressings, but Chef Sbraga reminded everyone that the state’s best chefs know how to celebrate a top cut of beef, too.

Beau MacMillan’s Seared Boat Seared Scallops

Chef MacMillan finally got the chance to cook during Savor’s latest event, an alfresco Margaritas & Mariachis lunch, and he unofficially won the brunch, serving up a baked banana boat oyster, mango aguachile, roasted peanut salsa and pearls made from matcha and passion fruit. The scallop was perfectly seared, which was no small feat given the heat of the Texas sun, but the matcha pearls and passion fruit were the unsung star of the dish. Visually, they mimicked venison, but taste-wise they delivered a surprising flavor that kept the dish light and refreshing. It was a dynamic bite with bright flavors that showcased the shellfish in an unusual yet elegant way.

All by Chef Leen Nunn

It might sound like a cop out, but everything that Omni PGA Frisco’s resident pastry chef, Leen Nunn, created was amazing. Some dishes were strange, others were works of culinary art, but all were delicious and memorable. (This was no surprise to me, only because I had tried it before, and then wrote about it Farmhouse Cookies(which might be the perfect cookie—dark chocolate juxtaposed with coconut, soft roasted oaks contrasted by chopped pecans, and a finishing touch of salt to temper the sweetness.)

Chef Nunn’s deconstructed strawberry rhubarb pie at last year’s Masters of Taste dinner was spectacular. It was bright, sweet, balanced and texturally diverse. Her Lonestar Ember & Frost (created with chef Ryan Stipp) was a masterclass in substance, as grilled peaches and oatmeal pound cake were accented by delicately smoked vanilla bean ice cream. But her chocolate cake trifle, created with chef Gelyn Widelski, wowed everyone. Served in a can Dr. Pepper (the top is removed), the stuffing consisted of Dr. jelly. Pepper, Bada Bing cherry, Cherry Cola Pop Rocks and vanilla ice cream, all covered in a cloud of edible bubbles. It was as delicious as it was eye-catching, and it had all the other chefs talking.

“There was a drama and theatrics to it,” Lofaso told me, “that I thought was really interesting.”