COVER STORY
NEWS & VIEWS
— .Com-ments: Fallout from Creative Loafing’s Noise Issue.
— Don’t panic! Your war questions answered: Is the U.S. really going to withdraw from Iraq in August?
FOOD & DRINK
— Alternatives to dinner out on Valentine’s Day.
Sun Layover & Jake” by Craig Rubadoux is on display at Dabbert Gallery
Ed. note: This piece was compiled by Danielle Favreau.
VISUAL ARTS: OPENING
ALLYN GALLUP CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY 1419 5TH St., Sarasota (366-2093 or allyngallup.com). Photographs by Tom Carabasi and collages and monotypes by Gustavo Ramos Rivera will be displayed through Feb. 27. Regular hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Free.
ART CENTER SARASOTA 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota (365-2032 or artsarasota.org). F.A.B. (Fabulous Arts Boutique) Sale and Exhibit will be held Feb. 11-14 with an opening reception 6-8:30 p.m. Feb. 11 and closing 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 14. Contact Kathie Hayes at 923-8554 or visit fabsarasota.com for more information. Red Hot! Love, Romance and Humor will be displayed through March 6. Regular hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. Free.
The parties have been great but now it’s time for the main event. There’s more cattle herd-style queueing getting into the official NFL Tailgate, but finally I make it and pounce on some wings and a tasty Blue Moon to wash it down. Daughtry is on the main stage, and while the guy sings pretty well, I find his dude-rock to be blander than the turkey sliders being served. Evander Holyfield strolls by toward the ultra-VIP “team area,” graciously posing for photos with fans, as does Tom Arnold in a pair of horn-rimmed specs. Mr. Arnold tells me he’s rooting for “the underdog” without hesitation and I give him a high five and a “who dat!” before he heads into the VIP as well.
Steve Winwood is the next (boring) pre-game performer but over in one of the side tents I find a hip-hop violin duo who are killin’ it with classical remixes of Flo Rida and Lady Gaga tunes. I get a green-screen photo of myself scoring a touchdown and am off to the stadium for the 6:30 kick off. (more…)
Did you know that today is World Nutella Day? Did you even know that there was a World Nutella Day? Well, there is and today is it!
Since its first appearance on the culinary scene in the 1940’s, Nutella has become much more than a popular after-school snack. It is literally a cultural and social phenomenon, not only in its native country, Italy, but all the world over. Nutella is marketed in over seventy-five countries across the globe, and outsells all brands of peanut butter combined worldwide. So, what better way to commemorate its success than to give it its own special holiday!
World Nutella Day was created in 2007 by Sara Rosso, an American writer living in Italy, and is currently co-hosted by Sara and Michelle Fabio, another American writer living in Italy. And, today, February 5, 2010, Nutella fans around the world will once again celebrate their love for the chocolate-hazelnut spread for the 4th annual World Nutella Day. For the past four years, Sara and Michelle have joined with thousands of Nutella fans from all over the world to get creative and showcase the wonders of Nutella. They even have a Facebook page dedicated to it! (more…)
Caribbean Pie Company
3 stars
1952 Main St., Sarasota, 953-5758 or caribbeanpieco.com
Caribbean Pie Company has bounced around various locations — most recently down south in Osprey — since it opened in 1989. In the process, they’ve managed to create quite a following for their wide range of pies, especially the signature Key lime. But there’s more to this place than just a slice of nice, and now that it’s found a home on the crowded block of Main Street across from the Hollywood 20 there’s also quite a bit of competition.
Sure, you can stop in for a piece of gooey cherry filling tucked into a pastry crust at Caribbean, or you can head a few doors down for a cherry-filled doughnut at Buddha Belly, or have Cold Stone cut some cherries into a scoop of vanilla ice cream. There’s no shortage of tasty snacks on this block.
Same for Caribbean’s other offerings, which include the usual lunch array of salads, soups and sandwiches, as well as a small breakfast selection and specialty coffees. There’s plenty of that around here, too.
I could judge Caribbean on its own merits, but this food is no longer living in a vacuum way down on the South Trail. Most folks who frequent the neighborhood will inevitably compare it to other nearby options. In that respect, Caribbean is just another one in the crowd. (more…)
By now, any foodie worth their fleur de sel has heard of the Momofuku dynasty and it’s irascible ruler, Chef David Chang. With four wildly popular restaurants in operation and one on the way, a best selling cookbook and numerous awards, including a James Beard, Chef Chang is on his way to cult status.
I’ve been seeing lots of Chang’s recipes on the web these past several months and I have to say, I’ve been curious. Not curious enough to spend $40.00 on the book (even if it does boast the longest chicken wings recipe in the world), but curious all the same. (Most days I don’t even have time to read the longest chicken wings recipe in the world, much less make it! But, that’s another story.) There are a few recipes I’ve found, however, that begged to be tried. So, I tried them. And they were great. So now, I have to buy that book.
Sigh… (more…)
With Super Bowl Sunday just a few days away, I thought I’d share a few great game day recipes with you. The last thing that anyone wants to do is slave over a hot stove in the kitchen while family and friends are all gathered around the TV in another room! These dishes can be prepared ahead and just cooked up right before your hungry brood is ready to eat. If you’re having a crowd, each recipe can easily be doubled, or even tripled, as well.
SCORE! (more…)
It’s like a beernanza in Sarasota lately. A beersplosion. Beerfection?
Last year, World of Beer opened and instantly expanded the options for beer-loving locals. Then, just two weeks ago, Stairway to Belgium brought a big beer list to downtown, along with interesting Belgian gastropub fare. Now, Mr. Beery’s (2645 Mall Drive, Sarasota, 343-2854 or mrbeeryssrq.com) lands in Gulf Gate.
This new beer bar — in the old Steel Can Alley space — is a more stripped-down affair than most of the area’s beer havens, maybe for the best. Owner Mark Tuchman owned an award-winning beer retail store on Long Island before moving to Sarasota last year. At Mr. Beery’s, he wants to replicate that success on a much more intimate scale.
“We have 24 draft lines, a constant rotating selection,” says Tuchman, “with a broad scope of style, ABV, representation of the country and world, as well as price.” He also plans on carrying around 50-60 different bottles at any time, all devoted solely to American craft brews and artisan beer from around the world. Why not more? “I want to keep it fresh, both from a date of purchase point and also because there are so many great breweries and beers coming out every week,” says Tuchman. “Keep that selection ever-changing and it’s another reason for people to come in and see what we have in.”
COVER STORY
NEWS & VIEWS
— Image of the week: 2010 Lust List sneak peek.
— The week that was: I’ve been workin’ on the railroad, the school tax, Ann Coulter, the Palm Avenue garage.
— .Com-ments: Stephen Keen, Main Street Oyster Bar.
— Face reality: MC Coolidge on how Sarasota’s Police Advisory Panel can really make a difference.
When I was a kid, I considered it a treat when meatloaf showed up on the menu at our house. Meatloaf isn’t a typical Italian dish, and my family was typically Italian, so we didn’t have meatloaf often. When my mother did make it, she did so the only way she knew how – like a big, giant, loaf-shaped meatball!
That’s right, mom would just take all of the ingredients that she usually put in her famous (to me, anyway) meatballs and make a meatloaf instead. Pretty smart, actually, because forming a whole bunch of meatballs is a lot more labor intensive than just molding a huge hunk of chopped meat into one loaf. Instead of the traditional ketchup topping, she would drizzle some marinara sauce on top. Dad was from the “old country” and ketchup was just not his thing.
The other thing I remember about Mom’s meatloaf was that she strategically placed several hard boiled eggs inside before baking it. We kids all fought over those eggs! Getting one in your slice was like finding the prize in a box of Cracker Jack. Maybe those meatloaves of days gone by spawned my affinity for hiding tasty little surprises in otherwise unassuming food.
I created this recipe for Meatloaf Involtini a couple of years ago for National Meatloaf Appreciation Day, sponsored by Serious Eats. Don’t let the fancy name scare you. Involtini are nothing more than little meat roll-ups filled with various ingredients. Traditionally, they are made with slices of beef or veal. I figured I could use the same concept for a meatloaf. So instead of hard boiled eggs, I stuff my meatloaf with garlic, herbs, pine nuts and an assortment of Italian cured meats and cheeses. The loaf is rolled up “jelly roll style” and baked in a little shower of tomato sauce. (more…)
