March 2013 by Town Taster

TownTaster M

March 2013

E FRE E

Volume 2 â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 5

Page 7

DOWN TO EARTH Area chefs supporting local farms and bringing you REAL food!

Page 8

The Green Winer Blending of Wines? Page 16

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Extra, Extra Read all about it… March 2013 Volume 2, Issue 5 Publisher

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Editor

Valerie Longo 941-932-8884

Web Design

Syd Krawczyk Concept Digital Media

Social Media Lenny Longo

Graphic Design Mara Stork

Contributing Authors

Mike & Mary Blair The Three Kitcheneers Lenny Longo Veronica & Larry Wagner Larry Woodham

From the Editor

Did someone say spring? If you are like me, you are saying, “How is it March already?” and wondering if we ever really saw winter this year in Florida. Well, it is true and we are staring “season” right in the face. As restaurants are getting more crowded and the beach is beginning to attract more visitors let us get back to basics for this issue. Do we really know… what came first the chicken or the egg? Well it all starts with the farmers! I bet you would be pleasantly surprised if you asked your favorite chef where their ingredients come from. We have so many chefs who are stepping up to the plate and are going out of their way to support our local agriculture. As you may have noticed, we have a soft spot for buying local and promoting the benefits of fresh local ingredients! Read on, find out WHY this is an important topic in our community.

Cover Design by The Three Kitcheneers

As we announced in our last issue – we will be airing our premiere radio show in March. At the time of printing, we are busy working on a lineup that will keep you coming back for more. Check our website for updates and the show schedule.

Town Taster and PCI Publishing, LLC does not endorse or warrant any products or services contained herein, unless otherwise expressly noted. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors. Submitted materials will not be returned. Whole or part of this publication may not be used or duplicated in any way without written permission from PCI Publishing, LLC.

And finally, do you like to WIN? We do! But what we love more is hearing from our readers and finding out what YOU like and how we can continue to improve and bring you the best information out there. Flip to page 11 for your chance to WIN a $25 gift certificate to Charisma Café in Village of the Arts. In keeping with this issue’s theme of farm to fork dining – you can’t get much fresher than this!

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Valerie Longo

Our 5th Ann g n i iver at r b s ele

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~ Carmen

“Love and food are the two greatest things in the world, and I’ve got a love for food.”

Carmen & Kay Rizzo, Owners

Ask about our weekly specials Dishes are fresh & made to order Desserts straight from Italy Full Liquor Martini Bar

Live Entertainment Most Nights

“Absolutely excellent!!! The food, of course, and the ambience, friendly staff. The perfect place to go. We’ll definitely be back.” ~Gloria, TownTaster reader

515 27th St E. Bradenton, FL 34208

Karaoke – Friday 10pm

Tues - Wed: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm Thu - Fri: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm Sat - Sun: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Open at noon on Easter Sunday

(941) 745-1540 carmensitaliancafe.com

Ladies Night Out • March 26 • 5:00 - 10:00 pm in the Martini Bar

on the cover Eggplant Sandwich

Recipe and photo by Three Kitcheneers

in this issue The Three Kitcheneers Farm to Fork in Your Kitchen...... 7 Down to Earth Area chefs supporting local farms and bringing you REAL food!.... 8 Love to Eat & Eat to Live....... 10 Reviewed by You YachtSea Grille...................... 12 Currents................................. 14

Eggplant Sandwich 1 large eggplant from Worden Farms (sliced about 1/2 inch thick) 1 red roasted pepper (seeded and cut into sandwich size pieces) Fresh spinach from Worden Farm 1 ball of fresh Mozzarella from Mozzarella Fella Salt and pepper to taste Sprinkle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Sprinkle of Balsamic Vinegar Heat a grill or grill pan to hot. Coat your eggplant with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place on hot grill and grill until tender, about 4-7 minutes. Take grilled eggplant off the grill and build your sandwich placing other ingredients on top in whatever order your heart desires! Sprinkle a little more olive oil and vinegar on top and serve!

The Green Winer Blending of Wines?................ 16

March

Taste-ful Events

March 2-3

Mixon’s Orange Blossom Festival

Sarasota's own Wallendas will be the featured act at 10am, 12pm & 3pm. Arts & crafts booths, entertainment, food vendors, kids rides and activities and Orange Blossom Tram Tours. Mixon.com or 941-748-5829.

March 3

Gumbo Challenge at the Bridge Street Market

The Bridge Street Market and Manatee Children’s Services present a creative Gumbo Cook-Off competition starting at 11:00 till the Gumbo runs out. Sample some of the most delicious traditional and inventive Gumbo recipes from acclaimed local chefs and culinary aficionados from Anna Maria Island. For more info: Melissaenders76@yahoo.com

March 3

UCP Chocolate Sundae

Join United Cerebral Palsy at Michael’s On East to sample and savor chocolate creations from over 40 restaurants and vendors. Adults $20 advance, $25 at door. VIP tickets $30 advance. Tickets at ucpsarasota. org or call 941-201-1466.

Friday March 15

Saturday March 9

Sunday March 31

$28.95++ Per person. 5-7pm. Includes one lobster per person and all you can eat seafood buffet.

$34.95++ Per Adult/ $19.95++ Per Child Under 12. 12 & 3PM Seating’s Only

IMG Lobster & Seafood Buffet

IMG Gourmet Wine Pairing Dinner

$39.95++ Per Person. Wine of Argentina 5 Course Dinner & Professionally Paired Wine. 6pm Seating

IMG Grand Easter Buffet

Fresh and Healthy Regional Sicilian Food Prepared by Chef Gaetano

specializing in Catering, Private Parties and Luncheons. Meeting Space is Available.

Live Weekly Entertainment A one of a kind, authentic Sicilian restaurant featuring Cuisine of the Monzu

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March Calendar Couples Cooking: Thai for Two (H) .................... Mar 1, 19 Got Shrimp? (D)................................................................ Mar 2 Basic Knife Skills (H)....................................................... Mar 4, Soups for the Winter Soul (H)...................................... Mar 5 The Basics of Culinary (Six Part Series) (H)......................................Mar 6, 13, 20, 27 Taco Loco (H)..................................................................... Mar 7 Pizza Pizzazz (H)............................................................... Mar 8 Weekend Warrior Breakfast (H)................................... Mar 9 Wine Country Small Plates (D)............................. Mar 9, 29 Indian Home Cooking (H)...........................................Mar 11 One Pot Wonders (H) ...................................................Mar 12 Sushi 101 (H)...................................................................Mar 14 The Shamrock and the Peach (D)............................Mar 15 Zydeco Steakhouse (D) ..............................................Mar 16 This is Vegetarian!? (H).................................................Mar 18 International Soup Kitchen (H).................................Mar 23 Ravioli Reality (H)...........................................................Mar 25 Dim Sum a Yum-Yum (H) ............................................Mar 26 Classic Pairings (D)........................................................Mar 28 French Bistro Dinner (D)..............................................Mar 30 Call or stop by for times and cost. (D) Demonstration • (H) Hands On

Let us know you saw us in TownTaster For help planning your party call the Apron’s Event Planning team at

941.358.7781

2874 University Pkwy., Sarasota, FL 34243 6

in your own Kitchen! There isn’t anything more I enjoy doing on a Saturday morning than visiting our local farmer’s market. It has really become a Saturday morning ritual for my family & I. The crowd is full of happy people pushing their little ones in strollers, walking their dogs on leashes. The smell of various food vendors cooking up some great local fare. Music in the streets. People holding signs that say “free hugs.” True story! All of those things make the market so much fun to visit each week. But the truth is, I go to stock up on my groceries. Yep! Each week I am able to feed my family on the delicious produce from Worden Farm and the incredible local catch from Maggie’s Seafood. And my most favorite treat of the week is Doug’s Fish Taco’s! Oh, these babies are so delightful! This trifecta is really the whole reason to live! Doug uses Maggie’s fish and Worden’s organic produce to make these organic, gluten free tacos! Oh and wait, did we mention how much we love the unlimited refills from Local Coffee & Tea! It’s to die for!

to the location it was caught in. Chef Doug Vogel is another valued member of the farmers market. He brings years of culinary experience and an amazing palate. He prepares everything fresh, to ensure that you have a wonderful dining experience while shopping for your fresh seafood and produce. Local Coffee + Tea started with a shop in Siesta Key Village in 2007. They now operate at Selby Gardens and on Saturdays at the Sarasota Farmer’s Market. A special thank you to Doug from Maggie’s Seafood for providing the mouth-watering recipe from last month! We’re sharing our latest recipe from farmers market to fork! Enjoy!

Green Bean Sauté with Shrimp

Worden Farm is an 85-acre certified organic family farm in Southwest Florida, founded and actively run by husband and wife team, Chris and Eva Worden. The farm's organic produce is available directly to the local community in season, Fall through Spring, at farmers markets. The farm produces over 50 different varieties of certified organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, without conventional pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Sustainable, ecological techniques are used to conserve resources and protect soil and water resources, wildlife, and human health.

1 lb Maggie's Seafood Shrimp 1 lb Worden Farm organic green beans 1cup Worden Farm organic cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup pinenuts 5-7 cloves of garlic juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp zest of lemon 4 tbsp Olive Oil

Maggie and Gary have been in business for more than 16 years. They set up each week at four different markets to bring you the freshest seafood around! The fish are either caught by Maggie's, by other local boats for Maggie's or shipped in fresh by one of two select seafood wholesalers with outstanding reputations. Either way, Maggie's knows the time it was caught

For the Shrimp: Coat pan with olive oil and heat to medium/ high. Once the green beans are near finished (for timing purposes), add the shrimp and sauté till they turn pink. Salt and pepper to taste.

For the Green Beans: Coat pan with olive oil and heat to medium. Sauté garlic and green beans until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Sprinkle lemon zest over top, salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer in pan with lid on and burner off.

In a large mixing bowl, juice 1 lemon (careful not to get the seeds in there). Add the green beans, garlic, shrimp, tomato, pine nuts and remainder of lemon zest. Mix and serve.

Check out www.ThreeKitcheneers.com for recipes, articles and webisodes. All food, all the time.

Stuffed pepper, Ortygia, Bradenton

DOWN TO EARTH Area chefs supporting local farms and bringing you REAL food! M

any people don’t realize that our area is so rich in agriculture… Did you know that agriculture is second only to tourism in Manatee County? Well thankfully many local chefs not only know this, but also make it a priority to support our farming community. There is no doubt that the relationship between farmer and chef is an important factor and that the true recipient of this effort is passed right down to local diners. Why is this a main focus for many restaurants? Kim Hoffman of Charisma Café in the Village of the Arts said it perfectly; “local farmers are a part of our community, when we purchase from them we know how it was grown and that each fruit or vegetable was picked

at the right time during peak ripeness.” She believes this and practices it – all of her ingredients come from local farms, farmers markets and her garden. She values the relationship with the growers and knows that quality and freshness shine through in every one of her dishes. Around the corner in the Village of the Arts, Chef Gaetano Cannata of Ortygia takes regular trips to local farms to purchase his ingredients and his restaurant is surrounded by homegrown herbs which enhance his creations. All of his greens are locally sourced and right now, he is serving up Roasted Fennell and Eggplant Caponata which both come straight from local growers. It is refreshing to hear local chefs concerned not only with the quality of

their food but the economic impact that buying local has on our community. Chef Lan Bradeen of Melange in Sarasota talks about the bond created within the community and the importance of keeping our money circulating locally. She explains, “by personally meeting our farms and farmers, we generate an appreciation of where our food comes from and the labor and caring that is involved. We feel more connected to our neighbors, thus strengthening bonds within our community”. Sharing the gift of sensational flavor is a result of this dedication to excellence. Sourcing local ingredients may take some extra steps for restaurant owners and chefs, but that doesn’t deter them. In fact, it is an initiative for some

“We have asked all our green grocer produce purveyors to supply us with the most local products available. With this, we not only contribute to the local economy, but we insure that our customers are getting the freshest and finest fruits and vegetables possible." - Chef Steven Devlin, Café L’Europe

Photo by Cruz Portrait Design

Citrus from Mixon Fruit Farms (Bradenton) used in salads and cocktails at Melange and Pangea Lounge.

to break the mold and become aware on a whole new level. Chef Leo Gianulis of Currents in the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota revamps his menu every few months to be able to accommodate the growing seasons. They take the guess-work out of knowing where the ingredient come from as the menu is full of notes indicating which items are local, sustainable, gluten-free, grassfed and vegetarian. We got an inside glimpse of how fresh their greens really are… They actually stay attached to the root system in their cooling area until ready to be cut and put on a plate! When you can taste the garden on your fork, the chef is doing something right! Chef Lan takes special interest in the regional differences of her ingredients.

Hydroponic greens from 3 Boys Farms (Ruskin) used by Currents at Hyatt Regency Sarasota.

“Each food product tastes different according to where it comes from, much like wine tastes different from different regions. Florida cruciferous vegetables, for example, tend to have a richer flavor, and denser texture than the same vegetables from a more Northern region, due to the climate and soil type.” Using local produce not only in her salads and entreés, their sister establishment, Pangea Lounge, uses citrus and honey from Mixon’s and Hi Hat Ranch for their cocktails. We love seeing the variety of ways that local restaurants pledge to bring customers the best of the best. Carmen’s Italian Café highlights ingredients from Dakin Dairy, O’Brien Family Farms and Taylor & Fulton Tomatoes. Chef Carmen

is proud to use these fresh ingredients to enhance his family recipes. The fresh tomatoes make all the difference in Carmen’s homemade marinara sauce. The menu at The Grill at O’Bricks in Bradenton boasts the Tommy O'Briens' Strawberry Blue Salad honoring the famous sweet strawberries from O’Brein Family Farms. O'Brien’s is Rick's favorite place from which to source seasonal fruits and vegetables such as banana peppers, peaches and bell peppers. It's impossible to beat the combination of fresh and local...and the taste proves that!

Local

Farm Markets Manatee County Bradenton Farmer's Market Old Main St. (12th St. W) October-May, Saturday 9am-2pm bradentonfarmersmarket.com

Love to Eat & Eat to Live It’s Not a Diet, It’s Math By Lenny Longo

Bridge Street Market Historic Bridge St. Bradenton Beach November-May, Sun 10am-3pm bridgestreetmerchants.com Brown's Grove Farm Market 12255 US Hwy 301N, Parrish Year Round, Tues-Sat, 10am-5:30pm brownsgrove.com Lakewood Ranch Farmers Market Main St. November-April, Sat 9am-12pm San Marco Plaza Farmers Market 8215 Natures Way, Lakewood Ranch Year Rond, Fri 9am-2pm sanmarcoplaza.com

Sarasota County Detwiler's Farm Market 6000 Palmer Blvd Year Round, Mon-Sat, 8am-7pm detwilermarket.com Old Myakka Farmers Market Old Myakka Schoolhouse 15800 Wilson Rd Year Round, Sat 9am-2pm oldmyakkafarmersmarket.com Phillippi Farmhouse Market Phillippi Estate Park 5500 S. Tamiami Trail October-May, Wed 9am-2pm farmhousemarket.org

When I began losing the weight, I was bothered with the thought that the odds were against me--statistically speaking, I only had a small chance of keeping the weight off. I then started researching success stories of people who have lost, and most importantly, kept off weight. There are two predominant factors that stood out above all: 1. Most of the people that kept off the weight used a food journal of some sort or counted calories in a way to stay accountable to themselves--I was doing this on my diet anyway as I love to quantify things, well everything. I know the majority of humans do not calculate food, because they don’t have a problem, but for me this has been and still is number one. 2. There was NO definitive way that people lost and kept of the weight with regards to the exercise or macronutrients they consumed--meaning there was no magic formula of working out and eating mostly protein, mostly carbs or whatever fad diet was being sold at 2am. However, I did notice that the people that lost and kept off the weight had a system that “worked for them”--there was no set system for all! The diet (or what I call a “way of life”) had to work for them in a way that kept them motivated and coming back for more, literally and figuratively. Sure, lots of people lost weight on various macro-centered diets, but keeping it off was MY main concern!

Sarasota Farmers Market Main St & Lemon Ave October-May, Sat 7am-1pm June-September, Sat 7am-12pm sarasotafarmersmarket.org

Once I acknowledged these two things, things started making sense. For me, I noticed that became very irritable when I cut back my carbs. Was it worth it? I stopped thinking it was when I realized the diet wasn’t maintainable with work and family--even though I was losing weight. I was about to throw my hands up in the air and go get a pizza if this continued. I decided to try something different, more carbs, which worked for my chemistry make-up. Again, YOU may be different and may lose weight and function perfectly with MORE protein or more carbs--only you can figure this out.

Siesta Key Farmers Market 5124 Ocean Blvd October-May, Sun 8am-12pm June-September, Sun 8am-12pm siestafarmersmarket.com

The gist of what I’m saying here is everyone is different. If you are losing weight with a diet, but want to rip people’s heads off, I advise trying different foods with different volumes until you feel it’s manageable. Since weight loss and the maintenance of your weight loss should be a lifetime journey, you have plenty of time to experiment. Don’t be in a rush.

Yoder's Produce Market 3434 Bahia Vista St Year Round, Mon-Sat 8am-8pm yodersrestaurant.com

I started this journey in 2008 and I’ve been asked how I have lost the weight, and kept it off, for the past five years. I don’t want to be “that guy” who shoves his views down other people’s throats because what works for me won’t work for everyone. However, maybe you will find some inspiration to start searching for your “right way”.

Lenny Longo is now entering his fifth year of maintaining 120+LBS of weight loss. The articles written in TownTaster Magazine are his story, which will contain lessons learned with tips, advice and/or answers to questions people have asked him. Lenny has no formal training in any health field and what works for one person may not work for another. Please be sure to consult your physician, before making changes to your regimen.

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Reviewed

You

Tell Us What You Think 101 Riverfront Blvd. Bradenton, FL 34205 (941) 896-9660 YachtSeaGrille.com

A special thanks to this issue's TownTasters

Mike & Mary Blair for giving their stamp of approval to YachtSea Grille

About our TownTasters: Age: 50â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hometown: New Jersey (over 35 years ago) Current City: Bradenton Favorite Food: Ethnic (Like Greek and Italian)

Hobbies: Dining

APPRO VED

Each month, our TownTaster reviews are completed by loyal readers who want a chance to share their dining experiences. If you would like a chance to be chosen as a TownTaster and enjoy a dinner for two - register on our website TownTaster.com

YachtSea Grille Simple stated, the YachtSea Grill provides wonderful flavors, quality food, attentive friendly service and fair prices. Now for more details my wife and I had the pleasure of dining at the YachtSea Grille on a Saturday evening that was being threatened by rapidly cooling temperatures. What makes this unique is that the YachtSea is an open air establishment that is designed like a casual restaurant on the back of a cruise ship. It is blessed with casual outdoor furnishings, yet very comfortable. The management has gone out of their way to protect the brave from the elements by using temporary walls and space heaters. Due to the temperatures the seating was available without a wait. I am guessing this is not always the case. Let us begin with appetizers. The YachtSea is already renowned for their Polynesian Pork Shanks which earned them a number one rating for appetizers locally. We opted to try something different and ordered the smoked fish spread with crackers. It came beautifully presented with a few miniature onion rings on top. The flavor was good and satisfying. It would have been ample for up to four people. My wife then ordered the soup special for the night that was her favorite part of her meal. She had Butternut Squash with brandied apple soup. It was a superb blend of flavors and could certainly have been enough for a meal. It was presented in unique table ware that began to set our expectations that this is no ordinary restaurant with their attention to details. We then ordered our main courses. Each included bread which turned out to be pretzel rolls with whipped herb butter, a choice of salads, Caesar or traditional with a variety of dressings and one side. Mary selected the special of stuffed grouper with a blend of lobster meat and cilantro. She chose their Caesar salad with optional anchovies and steamed green beans. The salad was ample and fresh. Again the attention to detail was wonderfully displayed by serving the salad in a uniquely stylish bowl with a chilled quality fork. The grouper was excellent; the stuffing flavorful. The green beans were prepared nicely with oil and garlic. Imagine my surprise when I ordered a steak dinner at what I mistakenly assumed was a seafood restaurant and was delivered the best, by far, steak in this area I have ever had. It turns out the owner is from Kansas City, relocating here around a year ago and he brought his experience with beef to the Suncoast. I ordered the most expensive item on the menu, the Stuffed Filet with Boursin (cheese) and Prosciutto. I ordered a traditional salad with the apple vinaigrette dressing and apple coleslaw. The salad was very good and the dressing unique and refreshing. I will certainly order this again. The beef was delivered and beautifully presented. The aroma was perfect. I wanted to see just how well the steak was prepared and cut a small piece of it off without any of the stuffing or prosciutto. It was cooked to perfection and the best tasting Angus beef I could imagine. I looked at my wife

and she instantly knew I had a winner. I then took a bite of beef with the boirsin cheese and prociutto and was sure I had been eating in a five star restaurant in New York or New Orleans. How can this be? Well thanks to Kurt and his chef Chris, it can be and it is right here in Bradenton Florida. Along with his amazing meal came coleslaw that stood well on its own. Flavorful and fresh, a nice simple balance to the beef I was savoring. Now one might assume that the final course of the meal being desert might be a bit of a letdown, given the scrumptious meal we had up to this point. Wrong assumption! Both of our dessert choices were again delivered with an eye toward details. Dessert was artistically presented, served with a chilled fork, ample and fresh. Mary swooned over the blueberry marble cheesecake with a strawberry compote and I ended my meal with pecan pie drizzled with light caramel over the top and whipped cream to add as desired. Our experience was topped by attentive yet unobtrusive service from our server Andrea, and with the talented guitarist/soloist. One could easily converse as the music played; yet it was a delightful addition to the ambiance of our dining. As we were finishing our meals we were listing which friends and family we will bring here next. We hope to see you there! Mike and Mary Blair Town Taster Readers

Reviewed

You

Tell Us What You Think 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, FL 34236 941-953-1234 ext. 1260

A special thanks to this issue's TownTasters

Veronica & Larry Wagner for giving their stamp of approval to Currents

About our TownTasters: Age: 30-35 Hometown: Bradenton Current City: Parrish Favorite Food: Fresh & Local Hobbies: Travel & Dining

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Blending of Wines? With this Blog, we are going to turn our attention to the much misunderstood wine process of…”Blending of Wines”! This has become such a common practice by wineries, that we thought it warranted a good dose of facts! Firstly, we are all familiar with blending ‘stuff’. When we pour cream into our coffee and stir it with our spoon, we are ‘blending’ the two ingredients together. Likewise, if we were to take the juice from a Valencia orange and the juice from a fresh Mango and pour and stir them together, we would end up with a ‘Valencia Orange/Mango’ blend. In any case, blending seems to be a fairly straightforward and a simple process. Is it, however, just as simple and straightforward for wine? To answer this question, we’re going to have to enter a ‘fantasyland’. For the sake of seeking the truth to this question, we need to pretend that we shared a winning lottery ticket! Even after we paid off all our debts, we have some money left. After some brainstorming, we elect to start ‘Our Own Winery” (yep, that’s the name that we chose). One of the first decisions that we need to make is whether we want to make ‘filtered’ or ‘unfiltered’ wines. Since most of the wines at our local wine store are ‘filtered’, we decide to follow their suit. The second decision that we need to make is what kinds of wines that we are going to make. Since most of the same wines are ‘Red, White & Rose’, we elect to follow the pack. From now on it gets a little tricky. Since most of the filtered wines are ‘mixed & blended’, we’ve got to go to our ‘color chart’ and pick a ‘color’ for each of our wines. Once we settle on our colors, we’ve got to find a bunch of supplier sources for our juices. Since Nature doesn’t care about our ‘color chart’, we’ve got to line up enough juice suppliers so that we can vary our juice purchases each year from each 16

source. In other words, this year we might need to buy 30% from supplier ‘A’, 30% from supplier ‘B’ and 40% from supplier ‘C’! Next year, however, that ratio might not work. Instead, we might need to buy 10% from supplier ‘A’, 60% from supplier ‘B’ and 30% from supplier ‘C’! Whatever the combination, we’ll need to dump these juices into our

mixing tank and ‘Mix & Blend’ them all together. If we’re lucky, the combined color should match our ‘color chart’. Wow!...I sure hope that all that juice sourcing and mixing and blending to match our ‘color chart’ is worth it! The fact is….it’s NOT worth it!! You see, color has “NO” affect upon the Taste, Flavor or Bouquet of our wines! If there is “NO” positive affect upon our wines, it should “NOT” be done! What all wineries should be doing is celebrating the fabulous diversity in the colors and tastes of the grapes and fruits. Naturally, the colors of our wines are determined by how much sunlight, rain and nutrients that the plants and fruits receive. Logically, the natural colors of our wines will/should vary from year to year and from harvest to harvest. For wineries to step in and artificially create consistent colors to match a color chart is a disservice to us all! So, now that we’ve got the facts, perhaps we need to step back and review our winery plans. It would be a whole lot better for us to create our wines in concert with Nature. Instead of ‘mixing and blending’ we’ll concentrate on making our wines to be the best that they can be. Then, when our wines are ready for us and our customers to enjoy, we’ll tell everyone why our colors are different this year from last. In wine making as in everything else in life, it’s always best to be honest and forthright! Until next time… ”Salute and Happy Days”!

(This ‘Green Winer’ wine Blog is created by me, Larry Woodham. The views and statements contained herein are exclusively mine. They DO Not necessarily reflect the views of TownTaster magazine. If you have any comments or questions on this Blog or suggestions for future Blogs, please email me at BunkerHillVine@aol.com.

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The Master Cabinet Maker, Inc. All Custom Cabinetry

made in Palmetto, FL USA

March Events Saturday, March 9th Lobster & Seafood Buffet $28.95++ Per Person • 5-7 pm

Includes one lobster per person and all you can eat seafood buffet

Thursday, March 14th Rod Stewart Tribute Concert $29.00 Per Ticket • Dinner 5:30, Show 7 Includes Dinner, 1 Drink, & Dessert

Hop on over to our showroom for a new kitchen design !

941-723-0278

¸ Custom Design & Remodeling ¸ Kitchen, Bath, Home Office ¸ Entertainment Center & more ¸ Outdoor Polymer Cabinets ¸ Custom Countertops

Locally owned and operated by 3rd generation woodworker

www.themastercabinetmaker.com

Friday, March 15th Gourmet Wine Pairing Dinner Wines of Argentina

$39.95++ Per Person • 6pm Seating 5 Course Dinner & Professionally Paired Wine

Sunday, March 17th St. Patrick’s Day Brunch $15.95++ Per Person • 11-2:30pm Corned Beef & Cabbage Buffet

Sunday, March 31st Grand Easter Buffet

$34.95++ Per Adult • $19.95++ Per Child Under 12 12 & 3PM Seating’s Only

Make your reservations TODAY 4350 El Conquistador Pkwy, Bradenton, FL 34210 941-758-1467 • imgacademygolfclub.com

50% - 90% Off at El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant American Car Wash, Sushi, Posh Salon, Mobile Apps, Devito's Oil, and More Go to www.PurpleGorillaDeals.com to redeem

Text “Sombrero”

to 941-343-7393

EVERY DAY

SPECIALS!

MON: $1 MARGARITAS, $1 ENCHILADAS TUE: $1 TACO TUESDAY WED: Kids Under 10 Eat Free THURS: $7.99 Buffet FRI - SUN 'till 7pm : $1.5O PINTS, $2 MARGARITAS ALL DAY GREAT DINNER SPECIALS!

to receive more discoun ts from El Sombrero and other local businesses

MEXICAN RESTAURANT

941-723-4300

www.elsombrero941.com

Home of the

$2 Margarita!

New Mariachi Wednesday

Live Tableside Music from 6:30-8:30 every Wednesday

MOBILE APP'S ALSO 50% OFF 19900Go to www.PurpleGorillaTechnology.com 19900 19

Coming Soon

On Ai

The TownTaster Radio Program will feature exclusive interviews with restaurant owners, chefs and other talented foodies in our area On-Demand â&#x20AC;&#x201C; visit our website to listen ANYTIME. Hear programs in the car, at the office, at home whenever you are ready.