Things to do on and around Siesta Key
In the Kitchen at Taste of Spain
By Jane Bartnett
“Tapas,”
chef Fatima Soriano explained to her students during a Spanish tapas class at her Taste of Spain by Tapas & Fun Catering, gourmet Spanish store and catering service in Gulf Gate, “are appetizers that are meant to be shared and enjoyed.”
A staple of Spanish cuisine, tapas, Soriano explained, vary by region. “In Southern Spain, we have a warm climate and Arabic influence. In the Basque region of northern Spain, the culture and cuisine reflect a Celtic influence and a colder climate. Along the coast, seafood is common. Our cuisine is very much influenced by our ancestors.” An ancient land with 17 distinct regions, Spain traces its history back more than 35,000 years and pre-dates the Roman conquest in 218 BC.
Tapas bars are found throughout
Comfort Shoes still offers the ‘sit and fit’ experience
Even with all the ways that Siesta Key has changed in the last 40 years, Rick Lizotte and his customers know the value of a good pair of shoes. That sense of quality, combined with a reputation for exceptional customer service, is what has kept Lizotte’s Comfort Shoes store in business since 1987.
Amainstay in Siesta Village Plaza (which also formerly housed Davidson Drugs), Comfort Shoes was already an established business when Lizotte purchased it in the early 2000s after a “forced retirement” from his 25-year career in wholesale footwear manufacturing.
By Hannah Wallace
“I needed health insurance,” he laughed.
Lizotte is now partnered in the shop with his son, Todd, and the two are helped by a small cadre of friendly employees. After 20 years in the same retail space, he recently relocated to a different storefront a few doors down to accommodate plans for a new restaurant in his old space. In fact, the plaza remains a target location for many businesses— big chains and independent shops alike.
“There’s already the Tommy Bahama, and Alvin’s is opening up here, and there’s a really nice little clothing store, Rochelle’s, right next to me here,” said
Lizotte. “It’s going to be a full center.”
While the foot traffic can be helpful for business, Lizotte still worries about Siesta’s parking woes, including the recent trend for lot owners to rent out their spaces. Add that to a slower-thanusual start to the tourist season (thanks to last year’s storms), and 2025 lacked the usual volume at first.
“But they’re back now,” he said. And people do tend to come back to Comfort Shoes. Despite Siesta’s come-and-go population, much of Lizotte’s business comes from repeat customers. He stocks a
Spain. Tapas, said the chef, are meant to be enjoyed with beer or wine. “In Spain, cocktails are not served with tapas,” she said with a laugh as she explained that tapas may be served cold, with charcuterie, cheeses and fish, or hot. There are, she said, endless varieties of tapas.
“When you go to Spain,” Soriano explained to her class, “it’s important to know that tapas are normally enjoyed before dinner about 6:00-7:00 p.m., and shared. In Spain, dinner is often served at 9:00 p.m. However, in Madrid,” she noted, “the favored dinner hour is 10:00 p.m.”
After continuing her overview of tapas and Paella, Spain’s classic dish, the chef led her class of eight into the kitchen and uncorked bottles of Spanish wine. As the students paired off,
Soriano noted, “in Spain, the food isn’t spicy, but we do use cayenne pepper. The seeds inside are what’s hot.”
At one end of the kitchen, Soriano presented Ila Birchwood and her mother, Christine Jones, with a large dark eggplant. “We are going to cut this into very thin slices,” said Soriano as she demonstrated before leaving the pair to their task. The eggplant slices were then placed in a sauté pan with a thin layer of heated olive oil. “They need to be crisp!” said the chef. She moved on to talk to Scott and Patty Gove, of Stratham, New Hampshire. The couple were charged with slicing a long loaf of Spanish bread into thick slices. Soriano demonstrated how to brush the slices with Spanish olive oil.
Comfort Shoes’ Brenda Armstong talks to a customer by phone about Birkenstock’s gold tone and lilac sandals, the brand’s best selling sandals
A happy class of newly minted tapas chefs at Gulf Gate’s Taste of Spain with chef Fatima Soriano.
Arts on the Horizon
By Rodger Skidmore
Kids Say the Darndest Things
That old Art Linkletter show quoted children saying inappropriately funny things. Or funnily inappropriate things, but the origin of the quote “Out of the mouths of babes” is from Psalm 8:2, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained strength.”
This topic is appropriate, as the annual Embracing Our Differences exhibit is currently on display through April 13 at Bayfront Park downtown on Sarasota Bay, just to the south of Marina Jack’s.
Fifty large billboards are on display. Each contains a giant painting paired with an appropriate quote. The first three great things about the quotes are that they are mostly by children, are from all over the world, and are, this year, based on a theme of A Celebration of Kindness. Likewise, paintings are from as far away as Visakhapatnam, India or as close as Art Upstairs at 1369 Main Street.
While people can’t necessarily agree on football vs. basketball or apple pie vs. peach cobbler, many do believe that it’s kind of nice to be nice. How nice, and to whom, and for how long? Those questions, and others, are answered by the children–out of the mouths of babes.
“If kindness earned its weight in gold, would you be wealthy?” How would you, I, we, or all of us, answer that question, which floated up from Nokomis? Bridges were also a topic: “We can choose to build bridges or spend a lifetime lost on our own islands” and “are we like bridges
that connect or like walls that divide?” These come from Sarasota and San Jose, California.
“A journey without others is lonesome” comes from a resident of Sarasota and says, kind of, that being with others can make you happy. And that is, kind of, like being kind to yourself. Actually, the good kind of collateral damage.
The best way to really see these fifty kind embracements is to either go there with young ones and explain the quotes and pictures to them, or to go with the child within yourself, and have a dialog. Remember, as a student at Booker High said, “In order to succeed in the future, we must collectively recognize the errors of our past.” More info at embracingourdifferences.org.
Bert and Earnie on Sesame Street?
No, Oliver and Tony in London and on Broadway, when Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa won the best play awards in 1991 and 1992.
For the past decade or so Ireland has been doing well, but in the mid 1800s, with the potato famine and all, things were not so good. Of course, from the 1960s until 1998 there were The Troubles, when the IRA and the Brits were at it hot and heavy. In between those sad times, a calmer (read that as “miserable”) time was in the 30s when the world was deep into the recession. How Michael Evans, who lived through those dark times in a small Irish town, would remember them is the arc of this play.
This could be a window play, one where you are on one side looking at the characters and their tribulations with the glass safely between your world and theirs. This window will be open at the Asolo Rep at the Florida State Center for the Performing Arts through the 19th.
From April 2 - 26, the Asolo Rep goes from the trouble
and tribulations of a small town in Ireland in the 1930s to those of a mid ’30s - mid ’60s movie, radio and TV star–Oscar Levant. Levant’s world was one of music: playing his own compositions and those of George Gershwin, among others. In a dream sequence in the film An American in Paris, besides playing his real instrument, the piano, he portrayed all the musicians in an orchestra. Fortunately, and unfortunately, as time went on Levant became both extremely neurotic and marvelously witty. In the ’50s and ’60s he extended his career by being a guest on many TV game and talk shows. The play Good Night, Oscar takes place when he has a chance to become a guest on NBC’s The Jack Paar Show and includes many of his witticisms as Paar and Levant fight studio executives. More info at asolorep.org
7 come 11 or 11 to 17?
Yes, the La Musica Chamber Music Festival is back for three shows in April. The 11th is the opening date for this series at the Sarasota Opera House and features selections by BMD. B is for Beethoven’s Piano Trio in E-flat major which starts the program. This is the first of his trios for piano, violin and cello and was premiered
in 1793 at the home of Prince Lichnowski (nice when a house has a concert hall inside). These trios were dedicated to the prince as he and Beethoven were friends–until 1806 - when the prince asked Ludwig to play a concert for some French officers. Beethoven
It is time for MunchieFest 2025!
Munchies 420 is hosting its second annual MunchieFest on April 19 from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. MunchieFest is a daylong celebration featuring live music, DJs, vendors, hourly raffle prizes, drink specials, and, of course, its well-known food.
Munchies 420 was purchased
last year by self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur” John Kirk, who has made significant upgrades to the Gulf Gate landmark over the past year.
“Everyone is excited about the all-new Munchies,” Kirk said.
“Our one-year anniversary post on Facebook had more than
500,000 views! So many people who haven’t been here in a long time are thrilled that they can come back for the original, delicious food while also experiencing a friendly, clean, fun atmosphere. If you haven’t visited in a while, MunchieFest is a great opportunity to do so.”
“It’s the marquee festival in Gulf Gate every year,” Kirk added, “and this year promises to be the best one yet! We have three bands playing live music on an outdoor stage from 1-10 p.m. Vendors will line the parking lot, offering special discounts and prizes, and, of course, our team will be firing up Munchies’ world-famous, fresh, delicious food creations and ice-cold signature sips! And if you have plans early in the day, don’t worry—the party will keep going until 2 a.m.!” Munchies 420 is located at 6639 Superior Ave. in Gulf Gate.
How’s the beach today?
By Ned
You wake up, peer out the window, check your phone … it looks like a beach day. But is it really?
Thanks to an extensive online reporting system created by Mote Marine Laboratory with information from Sarasota County and volunteers, you can find out for sure with a quick swipe on your phone or device.
Mote’s Beach Conditions Reporting System provides twice-daily updates on everything you need to decide if it’s your kind of beach day: water temperature and clarity, tides, rip current conditions,
algae and red tide presence, marine life, debris conditions and more.
The information is available on multiple platforms: Android and iOS apps, a phone hotline (941-BEACHES), a website (visitbeaches.org) and twicedaily email alerts, which have more than 71,000 active subscribers. The website has had 8.8 million page views since 2015.
The system covers 27 beach locations in Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota, and users can customize their reports to include only the beaches they are interested in. It’s part of a larger nationwide
Siesta Key Oyster Bar, or “SKOB” as the locals call it, is the hangout with the laid-back, beachy atmosphere that will get you right into the Island Spirit. One of the things that set SKOB apart from the other restaurants in Siesta Key Village is that we have some of the best food on the Key.
network Mote runs, stretching across 91 locations in eight states, from the Carolinas to California. Florida alone has 30 participating counties.
Tracking Conditions in Real Time
The system is managed by Aspen Cook, Mote’s senior environmental specialist. She recalled how it started in 2006 in four Gulf Coast counties to report on red tide and dead marine life conditions. Today, she said, the reports have expanded to cover “all kinds of beach safety information.”
If there is a red tide bloom, the report will tell you. If
dead fish wash ashore, you’ll know how severe it is. If red tide is causing respiratory irritation, you’ll get near realtime updates. The presence or absence of jellyfish is also noted.
“The majority of our data is collected by trained volunteers,” Cook said. “They go out daily or a few times a week and record observations. They upload that data into our system, which is used by researchers and the public. We have an interactive map and daily updates available on our website. People can see real-time conditions and make informed decisions before
heading to the beach.”
Researchers also use the system to track environmental changes over time. “It helps identify patterns in red tide occurrences and their effects on marine life,” Cook said. “Plus, local governments use it to make decisions about beach safety and water quality monitoring.”
How to Read the Reports
It takes some knowledge to interpret the report. Cook explained the key details:
• Water color is listed as clear, moderate or dark. Dark water may indicate red tide or choppy surf stirring up
ACCOMMODATIONS
Beach Palms B-#74
Siesta Key Beach Resort & Spa Map-A #38A
ATM / BANKS
PNC ATM Map-C #61
Sun Trust Bank & ATM Map-E #4
BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Blase Café Map-A #38
Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar Map-B #42-43
Gilligan’s Map-B #33
My Village Pub Map-C #53/54
Siesta Key Oyster Bar Map-B #45
The Beach Club Map-D #22
The Cottage Map-C #58
The Hub-Baja Grill Map-D #59
COFFEE SHOPS
Bean Coffeehouse Map-D #62
Mojo Risin’ Coffee Company Map-B #31
Project Coffee.....................................Map-D #9
FASHION & ACCESSORIES
Beach Bazaar’s & Swin Shack Map-C #28 Blvd. Beachwear Map-B #30
Comfort Shoes-Birki & More Map-D #64
Foxy Lady Fashions Map-A #40
Gidget’s Coastal Provisions Map-B #44
Island Boutique Map-B #50
Island Style Map-C #53
Lilly Pulitzer Map-D #66
Sandbar Swimwear............................Map-B #50
Sea Shanty Map-C #24
Siesta T’s Map-B #30
Southern Tide.....................................Map-D #60
The Sandal Factory Map-B #46
GAS STATION Circle K Store Map-E #6
GIFTS & SOUVENIRS
& FITNESS
sand.
• Drift algae refers to seaweed and seagrass, not red tide,
can smell unpleasant.
• Red tide status and the prevalence of dead fish are reported, including whether conditions are mild or severe.
• Biogenic debris includes life-based materials other than dead fish, such as crabs, seafoam and driftwood.
• Anthropogenic debris is the scientific term for humangenerated waste, such as litter, fishing gear and cigarette butts.
they may consider adding it. The report also includes the beach flag status, which has been standardized statewide since 2002. Sarasota County Fire Department lifeguards post the flags daily and update them as needed:
• Green – Low hazard
• Yellow – Moderate hazard
• Red – High hazard
• Purple – Stinging marine life, such as stingrays, man o’ war or jellyfish (rare in Sarasota)
Spring Break Beach Safety
With peak season and spring break bringing heavy
crowds, Sarasota County, which manages Siesta Beach, increased its response capabilities in March. An additional ambulance was stationed on the key, and a rescue boat patrolled the waters on weekends. That expansion was set to end March 24, but a county spokesperson said officials would continue to monitor crowd conditions and increase staffing if necessary.
Lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily. At Siesta and some other beaches, extended coverage for incident response continues until 7 p.m.
Siesta Village Dentistry Map-D #63
Siesta Dental Map-B #49
Siesta Key Physical Therapy Map-D #20
MISCELLANEOUS
Audio Video Map-E #1
Roberti Enterprises Map-A #39
Village Arcade Map-C #53
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Attorney Fleming Map-E #1
Edward Jones Investments Map-D #68
Smith Architects Map-E 74
REAL ESTATE / RENTAL SERVICES Amy Robinson RE Map-E #1 Beach Palms B-74
Coldwell Banker Realty Map-D #20
EXP Realty Map-E #4
Judith Guzzi & Assoc Map-E #74
Keller Williams Real Estate Map-D #11
Michael Saunders Realty Map-E #72
ReMax Alliance Group Map-C #29
RentSiestaKey.com Map-D #9
Robasota Rentals & Real Estate Map-A #39
Siesta Key Rental Prop Map-D #10
The Ringling Beach House Rentals
Tropical Sands Accommodations Map-D #67
RESTAURANTS / CAFÉS
Another Broken Egg Map-C #54 & 55
Blase Café Map-A #38
Bonjour French Cafe Map-C #47
Café Gabbiano Map-D #71
Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar Map-B #42-43
Flavio’s Brick Oven & Bar Map-B
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters (941) 923-7799
Tarpon will become more plentiful this month as resident fish makes their way out of rivers and creeks and early arriving migratory fish begin to show along beaches, particularly by the end of the month. Water temperature in the gulf is a key factor with 80 degrees being an optimum temperature. As the water warms towards that, fish will become more plentiful. Resident fish may be rolling on deep grass flats in some of the same places that you find trout, laid up on edges of shallow grass
Baitbuster or 4” CAL Shad Tail while fly anglers might connect with a black Deceiver or Tarpon Bunny fly. Keep your tarpon tackle, rigged and ready this time of year so you’re able to take advantage of any opportunity that arises.
Snook should be staging on flats, around sand and oyster bars, on points of islands and around docks and bridges close to passes in the ICW. Spin anglers should score with live pilchards, CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails including the 4” CAL Shad, DOA Baitbusters or surface walking top water plugs, like the DOA PT. Fish the edges of bars and potholes when the tide is low and mangrove shorelines or points of islands when the tide is high.
productive with small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow fly, CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms, DOA Shrimp, live shrimp and Tiny TerrorEyz. Fish peak tidal flows for the best action. Reds will spend more time feeding on shallow flats due to more plentiful bait. Look for them in potholes, the edges of bars and around docks when the tide is low. You should find them higher on flats over shallow grass or around mangrove shorelines when the tide is high. I like a 1/16-oz CAL jig with a shad tail or jerk worm for reds in shallow water. They are easy to fish in shallow water, come in multiple colors and are a good way to find reds. Live bait anglers should score with live pilchards or shrimp. My Grassett Flats Minnow is my “go to” fly for reds. It fishes well in shallow water and its bend back design makes it very weedless. You may also find big trout in skinny water in many of the same places that you find reds. The same lures, flies and techniques used to find and catch reds will also work for big trout. Spotted Seatrout should be plentiful on deep grass flats. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with live shrimp under a popping cork, CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails or DOA Deadly Combos. Fly anglers should score with weighted flies on sink tip fly lines. I tie Clousers with Ultra Hair on long shank hooks so that they are durable and will hold
up to toothy and rough mouth fish. Deep grass flats with a close proximity to passes and usually good due to strong tidal flow. Trout regulations have changed recently in southwest Florida to a 3 fish per person, bag limit and a 6 fish boat limit. Trout must be from 15”-19” with one allowed per vessel over 19”. In my opinion, it’s important to protect these larger trout, which are usually female breeders. Full regulations and details for all species can be viewed at https://myfwc.com/ .
You might also find blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano or flounder mixed with trout on deep grass flats. The same live baits, lures, flies and techniques that you use to find trout on deep grass will work for these species, too. You’ll need to tip your leader with wire or heavy fluorocarbon when blues and mackerel are around. I prefer heavy fluorocarbon and long shank hooks whenever possible, since that usually won’t affect the trout bite. Blues and mackerel usually don’t feed on the surface in the bay like they do in the open gulf, but you may see bait showering or boils indicating fast moving fish, feeding just below the surface. Pompano may “skip” when you run or drift past them giving their location away. When that happens, circle back upwind and drift the area. Flounder are often found in potholes, on the edges of bars or on mud bottom.
Coastal Gulf
There should be good action in the coastal gulf this month with Spanish and king mackerel, false albacore (little tunny), cobia and tripletail. Look for Spanish mackerel or albies feeding on the surface. You might find tripletail or cobia around crab trap floats. Your tarpon spin or fly tackle can do double duty for cobia and medium spinning tackle or an 8 or 9-weight fly rod will cover everything else. Artificial reefs or natural areas of hard bottom may hold any of these species. When fishing these areas you will need to get your lure, fly or bait down in the water column to the level where fish are located. Live baits such as shrimp for tripletail or pilchards for other species should work well.
April is one of my favorite months. There should be good action in Sarasota Bay on both shallow and deep grass flats, in the coastal gulf for mackerel, albies, cobia and tripletail and with tarpon by the end of the month. I like early season tarpon, since they are usually aggressive, but there should be lots of other options, too. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills and discharges, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation. Please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!
APRIL 2025 TIDE CHART
Arts
Continued from page 3V refused and their friendship ended (as did the prince’s financial support). Sad.
M is for Bohuslav Martinů’s The Three Madrigals and is the midpoint of the program, with violin and viola, both fast and furious. D is for Dvořák and his String Sextet in A major. This piece doubles up with two violins, two violas, and two cellos.
Beethoven and Dvořák are back on the 14th, joined by Dohnányi’s Piano Quintet No. 1 in C Minor, which he composed when he was 18. When Dohnányi was 62, he became composer-in-residence at Florida State University in Tallahassee.
Moving on from piano trios, Beethoven tried his hand at string trios and in 1891 composed, for your listening pleasure, his String Trio in C Major. Also in 1891, Dvořák premiered his Piano Trio in E Minor called “The Dumky” (spoiler alert, Dumky is plural for Dumka, and this piece has six movements of a particular Slavic style of folk ballad).
Finishing the series on the 17th, is a piano themed program with Barber’s Souvenirs for Piano, Four Hands, Bloch’s Piano Quintet No. 1 and Fauré’s Piano Quarter No. 1 in C Minor
For the compositions on these three programs there is a need for four different instruments. Having eight superb musicians permits a mix and match approach providing different textures and approaches to this wonderful music. For many, the names Aaron Boyd, violin; Chad Hooper, violin; Kristin Lee, violin; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; Dmitri Atapine, cello; David Finckel, cello: Wu Han, piano; and Orion Weiss, piano, have great meaning. Whether these are old friends to your ears or not–enjoy.
And to enjoy everything a bit more, at 6:15 p.m., there is a pre-concert talk before each program. More info at lamusicafestival.org.
Who feeds your soul and who feeds your face?
Five Guys is a fast-food restaurant with tasty burgers. But Five Guys Named Moe is an altogether different treat - one for your ears and eyes, not your mouth, although it is tasty just the same. In the 1940s, record playing jukeboxes were technologically upgraded and, along with movie theaters,
played Soundies. These were simply filmed videos of musicians playing their songs, sort of like the Tiktoks of their day, but which created quite a sensation. Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five played jump blues, which were a mix of jazz and boogie woogie that morphed into rhythm and blues and then into rock and roll.
The Five Guys Named Moe musical is based on the music of Louis Jordan and contains over 20 songs, many by him. It will be playing at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s Donelly Theatre on North Orange through April 6. The show was first produced in England and premiered at the Theatre Royal Stratford in 1990 and hit Broadway two years later, running for over a year.
This is not a musical in the usual sense as it employs Magical Realism: a down and out lover is entertained and uplifted by five guys named Moe who come out of his refrigerator, walls, and who knows where else, to get him on a more successful road to life. Choreography and Direction is by Jim Weaver with Nomax (the sad sack of a lover) played by Octavian Lewis and some of the Moes played by Michael Mendez and Adourin Jamelle Owens. The musicians playing Jordan’s tunes are certainly in the right groove. More info at westcoastblacktheatre.org.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger(?)
Just because someone repeats that cliché, doesn’t make it true. But it’s always fun(?) to watch someone go through the process. While there are thousands of kinds of snakes in the world, most aren’t poisonous or have a forked tongue. What they have in common is, hopefully, growing, thus outgrowing their old outer skins. Some do it because they’ve grown and are bursting at the seams. Others,
because there is something about their old lives that is too constricting, and they just can’t breathe any longer. Shedding A Skin is what they do privately as they are vunerable while doing so. People might also like to do it out of sight, but not when the action takes place at Florida Studio Theatre’s Stage III production at Bowne’s Lab, April 2-25.
Broke, unemployed and with no support group or family, the shedding is a bit more like tearing. Tear as in rip, and tear as in crying. Not fun to do alone but, hey, what doesn’t kill you makes you _________? See the play and fill in the blank.
On the lighter side, FST is now home to The Flying Penguin. Most, who know penguins, have seen videos of them gliding under water, flapping their stubby little wings. Well, this cute fellow flies up into outer space. A trip that your little ones might want to see him make–at the FST’s Keating Theatre through April 13. More info at floridastudiotheatre.org.
You never see them, and now you can’t
News anchors don’t just read the news, they often add a bit of flavor to it. Sort of like pepperoni vs anchovies on a basic cheese pizza. Of course, your flavor of choice is added by the news stream you trust the most. On the other hand, a newsreader simply, well, reads the news, adding no comments or opinions. What do they have in common? They get the same news from a journalist–someone out there on the front line who actually sees the action and files the report.
These journalists see the close and up-front action between two antagonists. And often the aggressor (larger, stronger, richer, expansionist, invader) does not want others to know the dirty little details of how this aggression is waged. So, what are poor egotistical power-hungry psychos to do? They can cancel what dozens of new anchors and hundreds of newsreaders report to millions of viewers and listeners, simply by silencing a single journalist. The opera, No One Is Forgotten, is not currently scheduled for viewing in
Sarasota, but you can see the play on which it was based, at the Urbanite Theater through April 27, downtown on 2nd Street. More info at urbanitetheatre.com.
Taxes are due by April 15
Working hard and it doesn’t look like you’re going to get a refund? Want all the forms filled out as if by magic? Well then, take a break and, on April 1, head for the Glenridge Performing Arts Center, just off Honoré south of Clark Road. The star attraction that evening is Star Newman. She will provide you with Comedy Magic and Mentalism . If you’ve enjoyed the magic of Penn and Teller, then spend some time with the star of Penn and Teller’s Fool Us TV show. Each of her acts have an ending with a twist. Fun and fantasy may not fill out your forms, but they will send you home with a smile.
Need a break that’s a bit longer? Then My Unauthorized Hallmark Movie Musical is a restful place for you. Take your pick of any day (April 4, 5, or 6) to see this movie musical combo at the Glenridge. If you know Hallmark productions, then you know that there are plenty of spoofable bits with which to have fun.
Taxes all done by the 15th (or early AM on the 16th–who looks at postmarks anyway)? Then you have a right to really cycle down and relax. How about an evening of good piano and well sung lounge songs? Tony DeSare provides both. Speaking of both, DeSare has four top ten Billboard jazz albums to his name and has also composed the music for four Hallmark movies He performs on the 18th. More info at app.arts-people.com.
more
Taste of Spain
“Then we bake them for a short time. In Barcelona,” she said, “garlic is rubbed on the toasted bread. We use a lot of garlic in Spain.”
With the bread now prepared, Soriano talked to the class about how to cut a tomato, deftly slicing a ripe tomato in half. She briefly grated the plump tomato on a kitchen grater and demonstrated how to brush it against the toasted bread slices. “It needs to be a very ripe tomato,” she noted before adding a sprinkling of Spanish salt from the island of Ibiza to each slice. Patty Gove put the tapas into the oven to bake. Soon they were ready.
Continued from page 1V
Scott Gove was the first to sample the dish. “This is wonderful. Amazing,” he said as the students sampled them. “Sometimes,” said Soriano, “the simplest is the best.”
Across the table, April Lane of Sarasota and Kathy Wehrfritz from Longboat Key prepared creamy shrimp and crab tacos with shallots, topped with crumbled hard-boiled egg. “The mixture should not be dry,” she said adding more mayonnaise. After Lane and Wehrfritz prepared their tapas, Soriano added a small Spanish pickle to each. Another success. Soriano pronounced the shrimp, garlic and parsley mixture that
Comfort Shoes
variety of high-quality, casual footwear options—longtime popular brands like Birkenstocks, OOFOS, and OluKai—in a full range of sizes on site. That inventory allows Comfort Shoes’ clerks to find just the right size for each customer.
“We’re loaded to the hilt with product,” said Lizotte. “We’re known for the inventory and the sizes. The big thing is, we fit them properly. It’s not self-service. It’s as close to an old-fashioned ‘sit and fit’ as you can get. We take the time and effort to fit them. That’s just the way we do it.”
New customers, he added, often come to him after having
Sally Feliz and Aleksey Mendez of Ellenton had prepared ready for the sauté pan. She quickly added a dash of cayenne pepper. “Be sure not to overcook the shrimp,” she said to the class. “If you have extra, you can create another meal by serving the garlic shrimp over pasta.”
As Mendez tended to his shrimp, Soriano told the mother/daughter team of Birchwood and Jones that the eggplant slices were ready to be removed from the pan and served.
“Now,” she said, “we drizzle this special Spanish honey, found in a small corner of Spain, over the eggplant slices. They should be firm and crispy, like chips.” The eggplant was shared and enjoyed by the class.
Continued from page 1V
a bad experience with cheap footwear. “People have learned you can buy a flip-flop for $20, but it won’t be the same quality, fit and comfort. They admit they bought something online, and it was the wrong width. Or you see a young teenager come in here and the straps on her $4 flipflops burned the tops of her feet.”
The personalized shoefitting experience lends itself to an overall relaxed and conversational atmosphere, one that encourages people to stay and chat a while. It’s the opposite aim of many of today’s big box corporations.
“And it really has paid off,”
Soriano congratulated her students on their success and thanked them all. “This was fun. Tapas are quick to prepare, and they are, as you can see, delicious. You can serve tapas as a whole meal, as they do in Spain, or as an appetizer.”
Taste of Spain offers tapas cooking classes as well as Flamenco & Paella nights at the Gulf Gate store where gourmet Spanish foods and wine are sold. Soriano offers live paella and take-out catering. Call 941-5808663 to register for tapas classes and visit the Taste of Spain by Tapas & Fun Catering store at 2667 Mall Drive, Gulf Gate, Sarasota, and online at tasteofspainsrq.com.
said Lizotte. “The customer loyalty is unbelievable. They just keep coming back to us, year after year. Yes, we’re a tourist area but there’s more to it than that. They love bragging, ‘I’ve been coming here for 15 years.’ We know their dogs, and the dogs know us. Their dogs know to come and stand next to the register hoping to get a treat.”
And while there’s been no shortage of setbacks along the way, from red tide and storms to parking and development, Lizotte maintains a small piece of old Siesta hospitality.
“I’m very lucky,” he said. “We treat everybody like family.”
April Lane of Sarasota and Kathy Wehrfritz of Longboat Key proudly display their tapas at Taste of Spain.
Chef Soriano shows Christine Jones how to slice an eggplant for the sauté pan at a Taste of Spain tapas class.
DISCOVER GULF GATE’S SHOPPING VILLAGE
With our map on the next page you’ll be able to navigate your way to our featured shops with ease.
The Shop SRQ (G-2) offers flat-tops, fades, tapers, blowouts, razor cuts, and straight razor shaves. Owners, Erick and Dawn use a back to basics approach to grooming with a precise attention to personal detail.
Their commitment to excellence has provided them with many loyal customers. They welcome the opportunity to earn your trust. Hours: Tues. thru Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat., 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Gulf Gate Barber Shop (G-7) has been an institution in the community for years, owned by Kyle Flannery. The super-clean barbershop’s clientele is comprised of primarily men, but the shop services children as well. Scott Reich, formerly of the Siesta Key Village Barber Shop has relocated to this location.
Tony’s Chicago Beef Company (S-16) is owned and operated by true Chicagoans. Dedicated to deliver Chicago’s best food, Chicago style Hot Dogs wit’ the works ... dragged through the garden on poppy seed buns with fresh cut fries, Italian Beef Sandwiches anyway you like, dipped or dry, sweet or hot.
Solórzano’s Late Night Pizzeria (S-34): At every Solórzano’s, they offer an experience familiar to those who understand the importance of family and dedication. Their
recipes and techniques have been perfected through three long generations based on the traditional simplicity of the methods used by their Italian ancestors. Dine inside, outside, pick up, or DELIVERY anywhere on Siesta Key, or in Sarasota until 3:30 a.m. 6574 Superior Ave., 941-924-5800.
Gulf Gate Food + Beer (S-51): Sarasota’s late-night hot spot for the service industry, night owls, and midnight snackers. It’s not your typical sports bar, offering unique menu selections for carnivores and vegetarians. Be sure to check out their menu online at: eatfooddrinkbeer.com. Hours: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. (Sun. - Thurs.) open until 2 a.m. (Fri & Sat.).
Roberts Realty, Inc. (M-5) John Garner, Broker Assoc. & Diane Shane, Broker Assoc. have a combined 40 years’ experience in Sarasota of making dreams come true for our clients. For buyers, we have had great success in finding the right property for our clients because we listen closely to their wants and needs and matching that as close as possible. For sellers, over the years we have successfully listed and sold many, many properties throughout Sarasota County. Our philosophy is to have fun, enjoy the experience, achieve great results, make friends and receive referrals. We’re with you every step of the way! Call 941-924-2330 or drop by our office.
Only Eyes Optical (S-24) brings a new, exotic, eclectic, eccentric, unique collection
of vintage, hipster, contemporary eyeglasses and sunglasses to the community. Licensed and experienced optician available to fill your prescriptions. Only Eyes Optical has a large assortment of free frames with the purchase of new lenses. Call 941-444-7984 to set up an appointment with their licensed optician.
Seascape Aquarium & Pet Center (GG39) Serving the area since 1975, this lively critter emporium features 10,000 feet of showroom, 25,000 gallons of freshwater, saltwater and coral, and adventures galore. Hours are Monday-thru Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 am. 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m.
Scandinavian Gifts Baked Goods and Grocery (GG-37) A fixture in Sarasota for 32 years, Scandinavian Gifts offers an assortment of linens, glassware, cookbooks, jewelry, candles, food items, and Christmas collectibles. Located at 2166 Gulf Gate Drive, the store is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Taste of Spain (M13) We are a catering service specializing in authentic paellas and tapas, serving Sarasota, Manatee, and the Tampa Bay area in Florida. Treat your guests to the sight and aroma of Spain’s famous dish being prepared at your event. With exquisite Spanish cuisine, top-notch service, and customizable options, we ensure an unforgettable experience.
