As the world slowly emerges from its season of anxiety and Sarasotans find themselves in the long-awaited prime of the region’s sunny Spring, outdoor dining still retains some of the gravity of its COVID-safe conditions. Lots of restaurants tried their best to leverage their sidewalk real estate, but others already had long-running reputations for their al fresco cheer. Among those establishments is Café in the Park.

Situated on the popular Payne Park grounds in downtown, the café’s terrace offers ample shade to catch a gentle breeze and, at least for a moment, pretend that the pandemic is entirely in the rearview mirror. And yesterday’s smoked turkey and brie sandwich special presented the lunch crowd with a bright, approachable and classy option to reinforce the optimism of the season. The formula was simple—smoked turkey, brie cheese, green apple slices, arugula and raspberry jam layered between a French baguette, then toasted. The smokiness of the turkey was just noticeable above the sweetness of the apple slices and jam, while the brie added savory richness. The arugula, with its subtle peppery notes, added a nice splash of green and a touch of snap to the bite experience.

At Café in the Park, it’s not all location, location, location. The café is open seven days a week from 11 am to 6 pm, till 9:30 pm on Fridays. This weeks’ forecast is: go eat outside.

Click here for more information.