Restaurant News: Corona Cigar Co., Selby Gardens, Spice Boys
SARASOTA-BRADENTON, FL — Here's the latest restaurant and bar news in Sarasota and Manatee counties:
Selby Gardens Offers Dining Options Inspired by Mapplethorpe, Smith Exhibit
A New York-style street food menu, inspired by the current exhibit, “Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith: Flowers, Poetry, and Light,” is being offered by the Selby House Café by Michael’s on East at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ downtown Sarasota location.
The menu includes falafel salad, grilled cheese with a roasted tomato and basil bisque, a Chelsea Reuben and a New York-style bagel, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported.
The Michael’s on East food truck has also moved from Selby’s Historic Spanish Point in Osprey to the downtown Sarasota gardens serving a separate menu, including New York-style hot dogs.
Sage Restaurant’s Wine Dinner Returns After Two-Year Break
After a more than two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sage Restaurant is bringing back its monthly wine dinner series. The first event is scheduled for Tuesday from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Presented by executive chef Christopher Covelli, the evening will consist of a four-course dinner that will be paired with wines from Shannon Family of Wines, Sage said in a news release. Clay Shannon, proprietor and viticulturist of Shannon Family of Wines, will be in attendance, and guests will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with him.
“We are so pleased to be able to offer these exclusive and highly popular events again to our guests,” said Covelli. “We put them on hold due to the pandemic and received many requests to bring them back, and we now feel this is the perfect time.”
The evening will begin with a reception that features select appetizers, including curry chicken tikka fritters and crab potato cubes with smoked paprika aioli, Sage said. This will be followed by a four-course meal including spiced seared foie gras with a roasted cashew puree; slow butter poached lobster and scallop duo with potato, onion and fennel; bruleed sliced lamb with parsnip puree and a star anis demi-glace; and a walnut bread encrusted gelato with walnut and foie gras liquor.
Throughout the evening, each course will be paired with wines from the Shannon Family collection. The Shannon Family of Wines portfolio includes Buck Shack, Clay Shannon, Giannecchini, High Valley, OVIS, Shannon Ridge, Steele Wines and Urgency.
Located just north of the Napa Valley, Shannon Family of Wines recently won the California Green Medal Environment Award and continues incorporate new and familiar ways of minimizing their impact on the environment. The brand is one of the largest 100 percent certified organic mountain-grown vineyards in the United States by July of 2022.
The all-inclusive wine dinner is $190 per person, which includes tax and gratuity.
Sarasota Bakery Makes List of Top Places for Pie in Florida
Floribbean Flo’s Tropical Bakery in Sarasota took the No. 4 spot on Yelp’s “All-Time List of Top Places for Pie in Florida.”
The list was curated for National Pi Day, which was Monday, using Yelp reviews that mentioned pie. Eateries were ranked using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning “pie,” Yelp said.
Mixed Fillings Pie Shop in Jacksonville took the No. 1 spot, followed by Sweet Delights Key Lime Pies in Florida City at No. 2 and Pie Heaven Bakery Café in Atlantic Beach at No. 3. Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory in Tavernier came in at No. 5.
Floribbean Flo’s is the only restaurant in the Sarasota and Bradenton area to make the top 20. The bakery is known for its key lime pie and also sells and ships Florida citrus and other Florida-themed gift baskets anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. It also offers its bakery delivery throughout most of Sarasota, Nokomis, Osprey, Casey Key, Venice and Bradenton via DoorDash.
Florence and the Spice Boys Food Truck to Open in The Landings
Popular Sarasota-area food truck Florence and the Spice Boys has found a permanent home in The Landings shopping center, which is located along U.S. 41 just north of Phillippi Creek.
The food truck shared on social media that its new brick-and-mortar location will open in late summer. They join a mix of retailers and restaurants in the shopping center, including Starbucks, Publix, Lily Café, DaRuMa, Joann, Noire Nail Bar and DogPerfect.
Originally called the Spice Boys, the food truck recently rebranded to incorporate head chef Steve Schmitt’s wife, Florence, into the brand’s name, according to SRQ magazine. She is the creator of the menus hand-made drinks and desserts. In addition to the husband-and-wife team, the food truck is also owned by Carl Kober.
It will include many of its favorites on its new menu, including a turmeric fried chicken sandwich and vegan falafel pita taco, in a fast-casual dining environment, according to reports. The owners also plan to expand the menu.
Cigar Bar Approved in Downtown Sarasota
Plans for a cigar bar and shop in downtown Sarasota have been approved by the city’s planning and zoning board.
The board approved a conditional use permit for Corona Cigar Co. to move into a vacant storefront at First Street and Lemon Avenue, the Observer reported. The location formally housed the Sur La Table kitchen-supply store.
A separate permit for an outdoor café with tables and chairs will be considered separately. Board member Damien Blumetti, expressing concern about the outdoor smoke in this space, was the sole vote against issuing a permit to the cigar shop and bar.
The project has concerned some residents, who say the area doesn’t need more bars, since its first community workshop in August, according to reports.
This article originally appeared on the Sarasota Patch
