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BEACH BITES From specialty sandwiches to “build your own” classics to soups and salads...
Shawn Bowen is a familiar attendee of Siesta Key’s Sunday Night Drum Circle...
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10 Years of Pork Bangers & “Passtees!” By Patricia Kawaja
(originally published in Union Jack News)
Congratulations goes to Londoners Richard and Barbra Posner on a solid expat achievement; 10 years in business. (Here is their story.) In their own words; “We wanted to serve America with the best of British foods”, Richard told me. “We relocated to Sarasota from London in 1990 and the first 10 plus years, in a different business, we thoroughly integrated into the American way of life and food. Then we started missing the British specialties we enjoyed on trips home – pasties, sausage rolls and pork pies, back bacon and good old British Bangers etc. We bought some of the frozen pies and sausages from our local Florida supermarkets but were disappointed and sure someone could do better. Why not us? We were former experienced and successful restaurateurs in the West End of London, serving thousands a week including the famous and infamous – even Princess Diana and Prince William,
so skilled in high quality foodservice production. On selling our previous business in Sarasota 2001 it was decided almost instantly to return to the vocation and develop a range of authentic tasting and upscale British products that our fellow expat Brit countrymen and Commonwealth cousins could really enjoy and actually be proud of. It was a major challenge to source US vendors to supply authentic flavored components like pork banger sausages and other essentials, but we finally succeeded, working with vendors from local to North Carolina, or anyone who could supply “the best”. After a year of intensive research into recipes, sources and resources, we located, developed and opened the 4 & 20 Pasty Company in 2003. But only offering traditional Cornish Pasties is boring and unlikely to be successful in creating a market, so why just stop there?
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Abel’s Ice Cream Bill & Norma Abel opened in April 2011 with a mission to offer the South Sarasota, Palmer Ranch, Siesta Key residents and tourists a nationally award winning premium ice cream at a competitive price with generous portions. Abel’s Florida made ice cream brand is the recipient of 14 national awards issued by the National Ice Cream Retailers Association since 2009. Sarasota’s best specialty ice cream flavor, Spumoni (swirled pistachio, chocolate and cherry ice cream, almonds and a special blend of fruits) awarded to Abel’s in the July 2012 issue of Sarasota Magazine. Most recently Siesta Key Chamber honored Abel’s Ice Cream with its 2012 Small Business of the Year Award. Abel’s hot fudge, malted milk shakes and Dreamsicle flavor ice cream will remind you of the
4th of July Reflections
|American Exceptionalism still going strong By Robert Frederickson
In an era when partisan bickering and gamesmanship seem to have become permanently rooted in the American political landscape, examples of our shared values as a nation come as welcome reminders that there is still much that binds us together as a people. Who can forget the spontaneous, raucous salute for firefighters, EMT Actor Gary Sinise started the Gary Sinise Foundation to provide help for personnel and law enforcement severely wounded veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. officers – local, state and federal Photo credit: Gary Sinise Foundation alike – in the hours after the second Boston bombing suspect was taken into custody that would have us believe the best days of our nation this past April? A similar celebration by grateful are behind us. homeowners greeted local and federal “smoke- There are countless everyday reminders of our jumpers” who risked their lives fighting the recent national cohesiveness, ones that just don’t get the forest fires along Colorado’s front range that full-blown media attention of fugitive terrorist hunts damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes. or devastating natural disasters. Indeed, there is no As we celebrate our nation’s birthday over the shortage of examples of neighbors helping neighbors Fourth of July holiday this month, it is worth keeping in this country when such help is needed most. such moments in mind. They provide a powerful But that’s nothing new. Americans have always antidote to the shrill harangue from some quarters been a generous lot. Story continued on page 25
1886 Stickney Point Road - 921-5700 Between New Balance & Stonewood Grill product quality from the 1960’s drug store soda fountain era. Other historical menu favorites include root beer floats, ice cream sodas, banana splits and brownie sundaes. Of the 36 flavors offered including two no sugar added and two frozen yogurts, the 3 best sellers are: • Stellar Coffee - Rich coffee ice cream with fudge and mini dark chocolate coffee cups. • Raspberry Truffle - Raspberry ice cream with raspberry ribbon & dark chocolate raspberry cups. • Coconut Almond Fudge - Tropical coconut ice cream with fudge ribbon & whole roasted almonds. Visit www.Abelsicecream.com for additional information & directions.